This year I participated in the 2018 Christmas Traditions Tag on my YouTube channel. I was tagged by Summer, of Summer’s Tips & Stitches podcast. Since not all of you follow me on YouTube, I thought it would be fun to share my answers on the blog as well! I’m also linking the video if you want to watch it. Just remember, my answers may flow a little differently in the video. When I’m talking it’s harder to organize my thoughts as I ramble on! : D
2018 Christmas Traditions Tag
As I said above, I was tagged by Summer from Summer’s Tips & Stitches podcast. She talks mainly about crochet! I’ve met so many wonderful crafters on YouTube & it’s a really wonderful community. I’m including a link to the playlist of other people that participated, so you can check them out too.
This tag included 15 questions about what you like to do for Christmas. I answered all of these in the video below the questions as well. However, there may be some extras in the answers below because I thought about it after I recorded the video! Plus, I’ve included some pictures of things. : )
1. When do you start decorating for Christmas?
Normally, I start decorating the day after Thanksgiving or that weekend. This year, I just got my decorations up this week! It’s been a crazy few months y’all!
My family always went to the Christmas tree farm the weekend of Thanksgiving & that’s when the other decorations went up as well. It was a fun time & you can read more about it under question #8. : )
2. What style do you decorate in?
My style has changed over the years. There was one point that I had only blue, silver, & white ornaments & a little obsession with snowmen! Now, my style leans towards a rustic, natural feel, but it can be fairly eclectic. This is my slightly haphazard Christmas mantel this year! Check out the links below to posts about some of the items on the mantel shelf.
- Winter Sign Made with Wooden Placemats
- Metal Barn Star Christmas Remake
- Reversible Wood Transfer Sign
- Mixed Media Frame
I did make the stockings too, but there isn’t a post about that. Also, my Dad made the mantel shelf from an old head board! : )
3. Favorite Christmas tradition with the family?
In the video, I said my favorite tradition now was just spending time with my family. This time of year is about the only time that my whole family gets together. Although, it gets a little slimmer each year, I still enjoy the time together.
4. Favorite place to buy Christmas decor?
I don’t really have a go to place for Christmas decor. Usually, I don’t shop for Christmas items until after Christmas, when it’s on sale. If I see something I like & it’s a good price, it will come home with me! : )
5. Favorite Christmas movie?
I love a good Christmas movie! This time of year I’m usually binging on Hallmark Christmas movies, I even put the app on my phone. I’ve only managed to watch a few because I’ve been so busy. One movie I do love to see every year is Elf, it just cracks me up! There’s a new movie on Netflix called Christmas Chronicles & I highly recommend it if you have Netflix. I’m sharing the trailer below, in case you don’t have Netflix.
6. Eggnog, hot cocoa or apple cider?
I do like eggnog & hot cocoa, but not the apple cider so much. Hot apples are something I just don’t like the flavor of! It does smell good when it’s brewing. My Dad always has eggnog in his fridge this time of year & I usually have a glass or two before the season’s over. Hot cocoa would be my favorite out of the three, especially with marshmallows or whipped cream – yum!
Of course, coffee is my favorite hot beverage! The peppermint mocha flavor is one of my favorites & I love trying all the fun holiday coffee beverages in the coffee shops this time of year.
7. Do you leave out cookies for Santa? and if so, what kind?
Yes, we always have! Now, I don’t have any small children around anymore, but I still try to have some cookies available on Christmas Eve. When I was younger, we left out whatever my Mom had baked. Sometimes it was sugar cookies we had decorated. For my house, it was usually something I had baked as well.
8. Real or artificial tree?
Growing up we always had a real tree. Picking out the tree was a family event! We would put on our Christmas shirts, ride out to the tree farm, & hunt for the perfect tree. At one point we lived in a house that had 12 foot ceilings, which allowed for a very large tree. After we moved into a house with regular ceilings Dad had to take the tape measure to keep Mom from picking out a tree that was too big!
My brother & I looked for a tree with a gap or hole in one side. This was so we could hang our special angel ornaments in the center of the tree. After we got the tree home, Mom & Dad would set it up & put the lights on. Always colored lights, never white ones! Then we would set about decorating it with the Christmas music playing & mugs of eggnog.
It was a wonderful tradition that sadly did not work out that way for my family! My son has never had much of an interest in decorating a tree. Plus my husband worked a swing shift in the beginning of our marriage, so all the decorating fell on me. Now, I have a small, tabletop tree I made out of garland & a tomato cage!
I feel like I could have put a little more effort into the decorating this year after seeing last years picture!
9. Favorite holiday dessert?
Hands down it’s pecan pie! I start dreaming about this pie in about September! I’m usually the one to make it, but it’s a family recipe. It only makes an appearance at Thanksgiving & Christmas. This one is made with oatmeal, which keeps it from being too sweet, like some of them can be.
10. Favorite Christmas cookie?
Let’s just say, I love cookies! One of my favorites the past few years has been ginger snaps. In 2016 I finally perfected {in my opinion!} my recipe for them. I call these spiced cookies because they have much more than ginger in them. So delicious!
11. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?
Yes we do! It was always a tradition in my family to open one gift on Christmas Eve & that continued when I had my own family. One year, I was very puzzled by a heavy, rectangular gift under the tree. That’s the one I picked to open on Christmas Eve. It was a gift certificate taped to a brick! Haha!
Since my son was in high school, we open all our gifts on Christmas Eve. This is so we can sleep in on Christmas morning before heading to my parents! : D
12. Do you decorate your Christmas tree yourself?
Yes, I do! It’s always been me, with little help from anyone else. This year I kept it super easy & just used my largest ornaments on the little tree. Just don’t look at the back! ; )
13. Where do you spend Christmas day?
On Christmas day we usually go to my parents. We have lunch & open gifts before heading back home later in the afternoon. They only live about 15 minutes away, so it’s easy to do!
14. Favorite Christmas smell?
Cinnamon! I love smelling cinnamon & spices this time of year.
15. What is your favorite thing to craft or make during the holidays?
I make many of the gifts we give this time of year, but my favorite thing to do is bake! I love working with dough, especially. All of the pies I make have a handmade crust, plus I try to make cookie dough to keep in the freezer. Then I can just thaw & cook! Here in the South, baking in the summer is not fun because it’s so hot. That’s why I love it when the temperature drops & I can finally bake something yummy! : D
This turned out to be a super long post! You can watch the video below if you’re short on time. Have a great weekend y’all! : )
P.S. Be sure to check out all the new maker bags in the Etsy shop! You can use the code MAKER7 to get $7 off a $37 or more purchase through January 31st. : D
