MN Mondays: Christmas at home.

During Christmastime when we were little, we were sent to bed with the promise of a surprise that would be ready the next morning. After fighting the excitement and eventually falling asleep, we'd wake up, tip toe down the hallway to the living room, and find a beautiful lit up and decorated Christmas tree waiting for us! We were told that little elves came to our house when we were sleeping and worked through the night to decorate our tree.

This tradition continued for years, until we were old enough to want to help decorate (and learned the elves' true identity). Different traditions have evolved over time, for example, we would always put on The Muppet Christmas Carol as we hung ornaments and lights. When we were home over Thanksgiving last week, we of course put it on...it's become such a favorite Christmas movie that my sister and I are "those people" that quote and sing along with it as it plays.

We also knew we wanted to decorate the tree. Because it's up from Thanksgiving weekend through Orthodox Christmas, it's technically not a "real" one, but I think it's perfect. Almost every ornament has a story, including those that my mom made years ago with intricate beads and sequins, and the ones that all three of us chose as our own every year. This is one of my favorite traditions - each Christmas, my mom let us pick out whatever ornament we wanted, and now, we see our favorite activities and everything we were loving at the time preserved in ornament form. Yes, this means that Simba from the Lion King, several pairs of ice skates, and different breeds of puppies all hang on our tree, but this makes it so personal and filled with stories. I love it so much more than the color coordinated designer trees that lack any bit of personality. 

It's taken years to fill up the tree, but now it's absolutely beautiful. This is definitely a tradition that I'll want to carry on someday! 

How do you decorate your tree? And when do you put it up? I always wonder if it's technically "too soon" to decorate for Christmas the weekend of Thanksgiving because it takes away from that holiday. But as soon as I see everything all set up, any doubt goes away, and the house looks beautifully Christmasy until the middle of January. 

Have a wonderful Monday, friends!