Lunch began in reverse order.
Yogurt then a sandwich.
I really wasn’t that hungry around lunchtime today thanks to a heavier-than-usual morning snack, so I initially thought I’d just have a cup of yogurt and an apple with peanut butter to tide me over until my afternoon snack.
Apparently the yogurt sparked my appetite because before I knew it, I was making myself a roast beef sandwich with cheese, lettuce, tomato and mustard.
Appetite satisfied!
Newlywed Ornaments
Last week when Ryan and I put up our Christmas tree, we had a good time looking at our ornaments. Our ornament collection is pretty sparse, but since we still don’t have a full-size tree, our limited stash of ornaments is just perfect.
(We’re waiting on purchasing a full-size tree when we can decide whether or not we want a real tree or a fake one. We both grew up with fakies, so we are rather indifferent to the whole “you must have a real tree” thing. My parents actually now get a real tree every year because they don’t want to store a fake one anymore!)
My family gave us a bunch of ornaments for our first Christmas as newlyweds last year as part of a German tradition. Apparently newlyweds are supposed to hang the following 12 ornaments on their tree to ensure happiness.
- An Angel – God’s Guidance in the Home
(We put our angel ornament on top of our tree.)
- A Rose – Beauty and Affection
- A Rabbit – Hope and Faith
(I love that little pink guy.)
- A Teapot – Hospitality
- A Pine Cone – Fruitfulness
- A Santa – Unselfishness and Goodwill
- A House – Shelter and Protection
- A Fruit Basket – Generosity
- A Bird – Happiness and Joy
- A Flower Basket – Good Wishes
- A Heart – True Love
- A Fish – Christ’s Blessing
Kind of a cute tradition, huh?
My all-time favorite Christmas ornament tradition is the annual hiding of the pickle ornament. It’s always so much fun. Hoping for a victory this year since my sister was the bright-eyed winner last year!
If you have any ornament traditions in your family, I would love to hear about them. Please feel free to share in the comments section! Reading about family traditions give me the warm fuzzies.
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I wish that my family cared about that stuff 🙁 I’ve never really grown up with a Christmas tree, so as soon as I have a family (or at least a hubby lol), I’m probably going to get a little overzelous about starting traditions.
I LOVE that ornament tradition. So cool!
I love that idea, sweet!!!! We still have ornaments that I made for my mom in pre-k, a whole 20 years ago (OMG, I feel old)!
My family hangs baby’s first pair of shoes on the tree. Growing up we always had mom and dad’s first pair of baby shoes hanging on the tree, plus mine and my brother’s. Now that I am out on my own, I have one shoe from mom’s pair, one shoe from dad’s pair, and one shoe from my pair on my tree (still waiting on BF’s mom to get his shoes out of storage). I’ve never heard of anybody else doing this on their tree, but I think it started with my dad’s parents. I love it 🙂 Because they’re all white they look really pretty on the tree.
We also hang hand-crocheted snowflakes to represent loved ones who are no longer with us. We purchase them from a local grief support agency that uses them as a fundraiser, and because they are all unique they represent our unique loved ones. They come with a nice little poem inside a card 🙂 I have one for my dad and all my grandparents on my tree.
Oh! and my mom always did the Hallmark “daughter’ and “son” ornaments each year, and when I moved out she gave them all to me.. so I have 22 years’ worth of dated “daughter” ornaments on my tree as well 🙂
I LOVE Christmas ornaments. Growing up we had a mish mash of ornaments given to us as gifts, ones we made in school, etc. When I moved out after college I convinced my mom to let me pack up my little box of nostalgic ornaments and I decorated my first little Charlie Brown tree with them in my first apartment…And then promptly FORGOT the box in my bedroom closet when I moved out of that apartment that following June. I was absolutely heartbroken – they were ornaments that could never be replaced! It took me a few years to work up the courage to tell my parents they were gone 🙁
Since then (13 years ago!) i have re-built my collection – My husband and I buy ornaments for each other almost every year, my mom has bought us a ton and we have received a LOT as gifts – to commemorate each of the years we got engaged, married, moved into a new home, and had our son. We also purchase an ornament wherever we vacation or travel and I love decorating our tree every year and remembering the story behind each ornament! I am continuing the tradition by presenting my son with a new ornament each year as well – except I decided to give it to him on the day we decorate the tree, so we can enjoy it that same year. He loves them!
And side note – My SIL gave me the exact same set of ornaments your mom did for my bridal shower – the German tradition! Some of them are so ugly (a rabbit?) but I can’t NOT put them all up 🙂
Cute! I just got married on Oct. 28 and one of my bridesmaids had an ornament custom made for us. It’s my favorite ornament on our tree!
we hide the pickle every year too!
and because I’m clearly in the running for aunt of the year award, I stifle my “TWSS” comments for the entirety of the game with my 7 year old nieces.
I love the idea of all those different ornaments and their symbolism for a happy life.
The only ornaments that I’m hoping to find this year to hang on our tree is one that says something like “Married 2011” since my husband and I just had our wedding this year. I’d look forward to putting that thing up every year from now on.
OMG!!! My all-time favorite ornament is the pickle and the hiding of it as well 🙂 Was a HUGE yearly family tradition at my grandmother’s house. When we got our first tree this year I made sure to buy a pickle ornament to continue the tradition – hopefully we’ll be able to do the hiding with our own kids one day :-).
That sounds like an awesome tradition! I just pulled out our ornaments this past weekend (they have yet to make it on the tree…) & I loved seeing some of the ornaments we got to celebrate our marriage!
Every ornament on our tree literally has a special meaning — we can tell a story about each and every one of them!
My parents give me an ornament every christmas, and always purchase one from any vacation spot as well. My mom said she started doing this so that when I moved out I would have a nice ornament collection for my christmas tree.
Ahhhh Christmas ornaments make me SO excited for Christmas! Can you believe it’s only 18 days away? AHH.
My family’s tradition is to put a cardinal in the center of the tree..I have no idea why but it’s just special because my parents have had the ornament since they first got married.
I do have a bunch of trinket type ornaments (can you say homemade sheep ornament from when I was a kid? ha) but my mom doesn’t allow those on our main tree..I have a separate little tree to put all those ornaments on haha
Your house must look pretty with these ornaments!
we always get a new ornament every year symbolizing that year. Also whenever we travel we get an ornament from that place, hotel, etc. its so fun to hang them up and think back on all the great trips we have taken!
OoOo that IS a fun tradition! In our family, we never really had “set traditions” since we didn’t celebrate things together. But I’m sure when my fiance and I get married, we will have so much stuff going on! Since he grew up with his family going all out during Christmas time. 😀 They have about 6 Christmases each year, haha.
That is so cute! I love it! We don’t have any solid tree traditions, other than my parents could never get our tree until I got home from college. 🙂
In my family, my grandma has bought an ornament for all her grandchildren every Christmas since we have been born. They have all have the year printed/stamped on them. They are super nice ornaments, and it will be great to have a tree full of ornaments once I am older and have my own Xmas tree. When we were all younger she used to pick them out individually to fit each of us. Now she ends up getting the same ones for all of the grandchildren.
The tree at my parents house is a lot like yours. A fakie, with a lot of ornaments with different meanings and stories. But when I finally have my own tree, I really want to have a real one. I would like to have the smells and look of a real tree. I’ve also decided I want my tree to have a theme. Either a color theme, Disney theme, sports theme. haha. I am a weirdo. 😉
Pine cone looks classy! 😀
I love all your ornaments! We usually buy a new ornament every year. One of my favorites is from when my husband and I were dating – they’re two big gingerbread people.
I also have a cinderella carriage ornament from when we were married. And once from when I was pregant with my son – a pregnant lady eating ice cream and a pickle!
The only ornament tradition we have is putting up ones that look like our dogs. We have a golden retriever one for our dog Tessie who passed away about 5 years ago now, and a black lab for my sisters dog Mo. We still have to get one for our current dog Cooper!
Wow …. Julie! You have soooo many fans. Wow. They love ya kiddo!
Ha. For sure you had me laughing for a long time here. Ha-ha. Hey, keep that pink bunny away from Sadie!
Crackin up re the Starbucks “Jueleee” …. “Sue” …. I mean hey, that is something to chuckle about!
Try to figure out how to get cookie dough into a tube. An extra special Christmas gift for the hubs! Ha. Funny.
Love everyone’s ornament ideas! I always did the same. Especially fab for a new baby! Pottery Barn Kids, etc. personalize ornaments. Bronners too.
As for the “pickle” ….. actually, when we are invited to holiday parties I always bring an ornament “pickle” as a hostess gift. Not too pricey. You can find them everywhere. Adorable & appreciated!
P.S. Love your p.j’s Juleeeee! Ha.
I’ve loved reading everyone’s ornament traditions! And I love the ones your parents got for you and Ryan! That is so adorable!
My sister and I usually have war over whose ornaments go on the front of the tree and when one of the other of us is not home, they usually get switched around! 🙂 We have very embarrasing ornaments with really old pictures on them and I usually try to put my sister’s right in the front middle so everyone can see! I then usually find one my wonderful picture ornaments right beside hers!
My family always watches Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol on the night we put up our Christmas tree. My dad is the one who likes the movie… but I think it’s grown on us over the years 🙂 We always watch Christmas Vacation right after it because we ALL love that one!
My sister and I also have a cookie baking day on the first weekend when we’re both home. I can’t wait!
I love that tradition!! Those are great ornaments to have. 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever played the hiding of the pickle. Sounds like a fun game to play during Christmas parties!
Every…EVERY Christmas eve, my sister and I got to open 3 gifts from “Santa”, and EVERY year it THREE Ornaments. And they ranged from homemade to VERY expensive pieces. However, when I moved out two years ago and my and the misses have our own tree, she said her tree is full and gave ALL my ornaments to me, and now our little apartment tree is draped with like 100 ornaments. And I remember EACH one and when I got them, and each one has a different meaning to me. Hated opening them at the time, and now I see why my mother and father did this for us!
My mom really likes St. Nick’s Day (you leave your shoes out on Dec. 5th and when you get up on Dec. 6th there are presents in your shoes!!!) Every year, “St. Nick” would put a new ornament in our shoes so I have a life-long collection of ornaments.
I have never heard of leaving the shoes out on the 5th. I have some googling to do 🙂
That is such a great gift and a very cool tradition. My grandma gave me her and my grandpa’s first ornament they ever had their first year of marriage. The ornament is as old as my dad.
Random but did you here about UCF joining the Big East rank next year for sports!
Every year I buy an ornament for each child and I put it in their respective Christmas box. They don’t know about this as it is a gift for them when they first leave home and have their very own Christmas Tree.
I love Christmas and I can only hope that I an instill some of my excitement into the kids so they will love it just as much. My mum hates Christmas (which is really sad to me), so I am wondering where my love of the holiday comes from??
This is s o cute! I’ve never heard of the ornament tradition but now I know what I’m giving my newlywed cousin this year! Thanks Julie 🙂
What a cool ornament collection! It’s funny because I was reading along thinking “hmmm, like our German pickle ornament tradition”, then, in the next paragraph you mentioned you do the pickle too! My post today is actually “Family Christmas Traditions”! Great minds think alike! 🙂
My mom buys me a Hallmark ornament every year & I buy us a set of mother/daughter ornaments. One year was a really cute set of sweater ornaments on little plastic hangers – cardigan that said mom & crewneck that said daughter 😉
I love learning the meaning behind each ornament!
We put a red bird in a basket in our tree. My nana did it, then my mom, and now me. To me it always stood for good luck, but I am not sure if that is the official meaning. I have now passed this tradition on to my future inlaws. It is so nice to see traditions go into new families as well.
We had a Christmas tradition of wrapping the “ugly red hat” and each year it would go back and forth between my Boppa (grandfather) and the rest of the family…
Now that I am actually writing this I realize how sad I was the first Christmas he wasn’t here.. The holidays do make you miss those special people.
aaaaaaand just killed the holiday spirit on this post. LOL sorry!