The hustle and bustle of the holidays are here! I am barely recovered from Thanksgiving and we are in full-blown Christmas wonderland in Asheville. Does anyone else wish there was just a little more time between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Even six weeks would be awesome.
Since I’m obviously not going to start a formal campaign to change the calendar, I am focusing on trying to find joy in the holidays and take deep breaths through the stressful parts.
I already got my decor up.
You may have noticed my love of holiday decorating (My name is Julie and I decorate for Easter,!) so you probably aren’t surprised that I have no self control over my Christmas decorations.
Each year the hubs grumbles that there are more and more Christmas bins to get out of the attic. And then every year I SWEAR I will not buy everything that is on sale December 26th. I can't seem to help myself! I got this tree 70% off one year!
I think this year I have just the perfect amount of sparkle in the house and I can pass on the post-holidays sales, but we will see. I will need a serious distraction that day to keep me away.
(This tree still needs a topper!! I’m thinking a burlap and red velvet bow…)
I actually just wanted to show you my trees today (Yes, TREES. I have a problem) and talk about holiday traditions. I think it is so much fun to have family traditions that make the season even more special. Some of my fondest holiday memories are around these traditions.
Growing up our family put up the tree as a group. My Brother and I would fight over who would put the angel on the top, so it became tradition that we would put it up together. If we had such easy access to cell phone cameras back then, it totally would have been an instagram post each year.
One more tradition was you had to “believe” in Santa Claus or you would not get presents. This one must have started for me because I was almost four years older than my brother, Tommy. Mom said I had to pretend to believe in Santa or I would not get presents from him, so I just kept up the act. The trend continued with my Brother and we both played along with my Mom’s game through adulthood. In fact if she was still here, I’m sure Santa would pay me a visit this year. It was sort of silly, but lots of fun.
The other big Wunder family tradition was we had THREE Christmases! My Mom’s parents lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee and my Dad’s parents lived in Dayton, Ohio so each year we would travel to see them during the school break. My parents didn’t want to carry all of our presents in the car so we would have a Christmas in Florida first and then one in Tennessee and Ohio! I’m not going to lie, it was pretty amazing.
I asked the hubs about his family traditions and he remembered that the kids weren’t allowed to go downstairs until his parents said they could. He also said they went to a tree farm every year and cut down their own tree! I am allergic to real Christmas trees, so I have never done that. Their third big tradition is his Mom throws an amazing Christmas Eve party every year. His whole family goes! I’ve been lucky enough to be in Pittsburgh a few times for this party, and it is awesome. What a great tradition.
The hubs and I have started a few traditions of our own.
1-We watch Elf, White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman AND Prep and Landing (<--- best holiday special ever!!!) each holiday season.
2-We open one present on Christmas Eve. We are just kids at heart after all.
3- We put up our trees the weekend after Thanksgiving with a house full of helpers (Sly… I know.)
I hope that as more time passes we come up with more traditions of our own! The holidays are such a fun time.
So I ask questions at the end of my posts all the time, but I really want to know about your holiday traditions! I think little things like this are what keep us happy and fulfilled during this crazy season!
Missy Lindsey says
Wow Julie you would be really dangerous if you had more time! Soooo beautiful! Cannot wait to see Easter!
Jenny says
I LOVE your decorations! Just gorgeous! Our tradition is throwing a big ugly sweater party each year! That, and we get each other an ornament every Christmas. Some day we will have many! 🙂
Clay says
Your house looks great, you guys should be proud.
Jim says
i remember my first time running in a skirt, pretty drunk, running around frat house!
Ellen James says
It is wonderful to see the joy and excitement in your post of anticipating Christmas. I do, too, but thinks change over the years, and now, things are much simpler for me, by necessity and choice. I am at a distance from many relatives, my Mother died a few years ago and my dear sweet Dad is now living with me at age 95. A visit to a local hospice was important this year; I invited an elderly neighbor who has dementia to eat with us. Life changes, and even though I didn't get out all the ornaments this year, we will celebrate the joy in our own way. Merry Christmas.
Annmarie says
Your holiday decor is ridiculously beautiful! I decorate but not nearly as fancy as you! 😉
JulieWunder says
Thank you!!! That makes me so happy. I put WAY too much time into it, but I can't help it. It's my thing.
susan smith says
when we were celebrating our daughter's first Christmas my mom sent her a present and the tag read open Christmas Eve. It was a red flannel nightgown which she slept in Christmas eve and wore Christmas day to open her presents. She is wearing it in all the pictures we took. Then every year she would get a present from grandma that said open Christmas eve and it was always Christmas pajamas and she always slept in them Christmas eve and wore them Christmas morning to open her presents and take pictures. When our other 2 children came along they also got Christmas pajamas every year. When our oldest got married our son-in-law also got Christmas pajamas. When my mom got to the point where she couldn't get out to do shopping I took over buying the Christmas pajamas. Our oldest is now 32 years old and has 32 pairs of Christmas pajamas. She is pregnant with our first grandchild so next Christmas will be very special as I will be the grandma sending Christmas pajamas to my grandchild. Sorry for the long post but that is our favorite tradition
JulieWunder says
Thanks for taking the time to share! That is such a great tradition!
Robin says
When I was growing up, we put the Christmas tree up one or two days before Christmas and decorate it with lights and ornaments. Then on Christmas Eve we go to church.. My grandparents would come over after church..Then on Christmas morning we would line up oldest to the youngest in the hallway.. ( I was always the last since I was the youngest, never could figure that one out...lol) and wait til my dad turned on the christmas tree lights..Then we got to go see everything... When Santa came that night, he would put the tinsel on the tree..(I don't put tinsel on the tree now.. To messy when taking down the tree..lol)We would take the tree down on Jan 1st... Your home with the decorations are beautiful... Merry Christmas to you and your family..
JulieWunder says
Merry Christmas to you too! Thanks for sharing your traditions!
Blane Sherer says
Your Christmas trees look beautiful and festive.
My family always put up our trees and other Christmas
decorations on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.
We would take them down on Jan 2nd. I think a nice matching red bow would work well as a tree topper on your 2nd tree.
JulieWunder says
Thank you!!! I have the ribbon and now I just have to figure out how to make the bow!
Terry says
Just bring me the ribbon and I'll make a bow for you!!
JulieWunder says
Oh that's awesome! I just noticed I bought wireless ribbon... will that work, or do I need wired ribbon?
Danyelle Musselman says
Your tree is AMAZING! I barely got stockings and an Elf on the Shelf up in my house
Joanna @Makingmine says
Wow, your decor is BEAUTIFUL! Our traditions change every other year - we still switch between Christmas with his family and mine. Now that we have kids of our own, I want to develop more traditions in our own home!
Kim says
We are Christmas "freaks" too! Three trees, all themed: one with Santa ornaments, one Angels, and the third vintage.
JulieWunder says
Ohhhh... That sounds fabulous!
Dan Steadman says
since we are giant Rednecks at heart, we go around looking at lights...namely the Roper Mountain Science Center, go to McAdenville...for the second tree, just leave it as it is
JulieWunder says
AWESOME.
Dan Steadman says
actually a couple weekends ago went to the Greenville Griswold and spent 40 minutes there...
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says
All your decorations are gorgeous! I also wish there was a little more time. We celebrate hanukkah which is starting next week-yikes!
JulieWunder says
Thanks Deborah! Happy early Hanukah!
Susie @ SuzLyfe says
Your house is absolutely gorgeous! OH and before I forget, congrats on Huff Post! IN terms of our holiday traditions, when I was still at home, until the last few years I was there, we would put on Xmas music and decorate the tree one night, on Xmas Eve we would go to Church service, then to our neighbor's party, then on Xmas day we could play with our stockings and anything unwrapped but we had to wait for wrapped gifts, then a big breakfast, then family dinner with my cousins. And the weekend before all of that, we had a big family brunch at the Driving Club (SO SOUTHERN)
JulieWunder says
Thank you!!! I really love our house.
Your Christmas day is so southern! Perfect!
Heather @Fit n Cookies says
So cute! Love your house and holiday traditions. We never put up the tree until after Thanksgiving, too. I would love 6 weeks of Christmas celebrations 🙂 3 is just too little!
JulieWunder says
Thanks Heather! Let's protest- 6 WEEKS OF CHRISTMAS!! 🙂
Catherine Smithcc says
When I was growing up we would put up the Christmas tree after thanksgiving dinner I still do that I put up my Christmas and every year sense my oldest granddaughter was born we will get a new or a name NYSE very year
JulieWunder says
Great traditions!
Susanna @Zealous Mom says
What a cute post! I'm in awe of you folks who have multiple trees. Your house looks beautiful.
JulieWunder says
Thank you so much! I have holiday decorating OCD...
jill conyers says
I love family traditions and no matter how old my kids get they do too. We open one gift on Christmas even too. Snowflake the elf visits the 3 days leading up to Christmas Day. Hosting a Christmas Eve dinner party with friends and family. And we watch Albert Finney's Scrooge on Christmas Eve.
The most wonderful time of year!
JulieWunder says
Can Snowflake the Elf come by my house too? So much fun!
Jenny says
Ooooh, I loved reading this! And your decor is so gorgeous! My husband and I make a point to buy one new ornament for our tree (together) each year. The tradition my mother started and we continue is that our Christmas Eve gift is always new pajamas--Christmas Jammies! 😉 Everyone loves it!
JulieWunder says
So much fun! My parents did the year ornament thing too. I was unpacking some other stuff and I think did that without really thinking about it. I found one with the date of each year we have been together. I guess I better keep it going!
Jenny says
Yep!