12.18.2009

Celebrations: Decorating the tree

Let's face it: We all want special Christmas memories, but at the same time, the holiday can get overwhelming (especially for busy moms). My strategy? Make the most of the stuff you've got to do anyway, like decorating the tree.

Instead of decorating it myself, we have gotten into the (lovely!) habit of inviting Grandma and Grandpa over to help. We have a simple dinner or some snacks, put on some holiday music, and trim the tree together. (I have the lights already done, of course!) I think the kids like feeling a part of making the tree beautiful, and it puts everyone in a good mood. Plus, I don't get stuck doing all the holiday decorating by myself.

This year, our tree is quite plain, because I'm keeping all my breakable ornaments safe from Nik. Instead, Annabelle hung some ornaments she'd made, I got out all my unbreakable things, and we strung popcorn. (A fun project for me and Anna one afternoon! We made an extra string to hang outside for the birds!) Nik thinks the popcorn strings are the best - - he caught on right away that they were edible.