Rambling Recommendations...: The beginning of a new tradition

Among the plastic Tupperware crates [that my Mamogram has stored in our upstairs/attic] are our family Christmas decorations. Everything; ie. outdoor manger scene, Christmas tree, wreaths, scary Santas, homemade decorations etc etc etc.

With being married, I wanted to start family traditions. The first one was decorating for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving. I felt like a Mom asking Mike if he was all ready to start decorating. We quickly realized that as children, we both dreaded putting up the Christmas tree.

The first 20 minutes of putting up the tree were terrible. We weren't listening to Christmas music, but the singer P!nk, instead. That wasn't the terrible part, though. Mike was rushing through putting the branches in the slots, wherever they 'looked like they went'. Needless to say the G and D and K branches........ were all intertwined.

Then there was the dilemma of ornaments. Do I just adopt ALL of these ornaments that used to hang from the Grove Christmas tree(s)? Many of which I have no recollection where they came from, who made the Make-and-Take Styrofoam cup bell, or pop sickle stick stars. Do we go out and buy all new ornaments for our 'new' tree?

Mike was getting annoyed, as was I. Then he had an idea...to make the ugliest Christmas tree possible. I was not keen--at all really. Then idea #2...every year we each put on ONE new ornament, (yes that means our Christmas tree has only two ornaments on it) it could be one that we were given as a gift, handmade, an ornament from the many tubs of Grove family ornaments, or one new from the store. Each Christmas we will add our choice of ornament, along with the previous years. ie. This year our tree will have 2 ornaments, next year 4, next year 6 etc etc etc. Then when we have kids, they can have fun picking which ornament they want to be theirs for that year. We then put the persons' name and year that they put that ornament on the tree.

Beacuse of the new Heinz family tradition, Christmas set up was a breeze, it was fun, memorable and everytime we look at our measly decorated tree we can't help to laugh.

Christmas tree. Notice the visible stem.

Mike's 2010 chosen ornament. Notice that you can barely see the reindeer in above picture (upper left diagonal to my ornament. See a small trace of it's red bow?)

My 2010 chosen ornament, Mr. Abe Lincoln. He has a light over his head and plays 'America The Beautiful' at a touch of a button, or when the tree is plugged in.

Living room decorated for Christmas. Mistletoe, Poinsettia garland on windows and mirrors on right side of pic, somewhat scary Santa on top of entertainment center.