COUSIN MOMS â—½ TIPS
Favorites. No, not favorite kiddos. However, we did ask the Cousin Moms to share their favorite items that make their Christmas with their families special. Maybe it’s homemade ornaments or heirlooms from grandparents, something so simple or amazingly elaborate. What are these things and why are they so noteworthy? After reading, share yours below as well!
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Kamrin
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I wait until the weekend of Thanksgiving to decorate, because I want to enjoy the season of Thanksgiving first. I soak in the fall décor and pumpkins for a while! And after Thanksgiving, we go to a tree farm and get our tree, watch Christmas movies and pull out the décor!
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A simple thing I love is the kids’ ornaments they created, from church or school. Their handprint, a crafted and ​
painted one, anything they made – these have created special memories. I love those small items on our tree. Another set of ornaments we get while enjoying treats and coffee while out, shopping. These ornaments might come from Target or Walmart or Hobby Lobby. They represent each of us! It might be a favorite movie or animal, or food they love, or a travel ornament. And our tree is full of memories of who we are, as people. My daughter was into Frozen for three years! We also traveled to Colorado. In 2020 we built our house. The boys have sports ornaments like baseball and football. This makes the tree so fun. We can look back and talk about who we were and are. These will be great for me to have as well, when my kids are grown!
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Finally, my stockings I love. I love a Christmas mantel, it’s one of my favorites. We haven’t had a fireplace for a few years, but now we do. And I’m not sure why I love them, but our stockings have our initials, and even our pets have a stocking. I’m really excited that we have a mantel this year with a whole new display. We have a tradition with the stockings – favorite candy, gift card and small gifts – and the dogs get a treat! It’s such a pretty setting in our décor!
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One bonus thing is that we have some advent pieces we’ve added the past few years. I’m excited to have a spot on our mantel to display these as well, when we talk about the holidays and the true meaning of Christmas, the joy and the love from Him into this season. Most of all, I love representing who we are, who and what we love, and what we value and cherish in our home.
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One day I might have a picture-worthy tree of coordinated colors, but right now I love all the memories with ornaments and a star and handmade and storebought things that represent our family. I love simple and cozy, welcoming and warm!
Charissa
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The Christmas season is my favorite part of the year! On top of all the yummy food, the beautiful lights, the Christmas music & festivities, we get to celebrate the precious birth of Jesus. When it comes to decorating for Christmas, I am pretty minimal in my decor. The girls love to join in on the fun, help decorate the home and their rooms, and as a family we always join together to put up the Christmas tree and hang the ornaments. Everyone has their favorite pieces, with some that hold great meaning! A few of our favorite pieces are:
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1. The girls' special ornaments. Every year (since they were born) each child has received an ornament that represents something big that happened that year for them, or an adventure we went on. It is fun to watch the girls' faces as they unwrap their ornaments, reminiscing on that particular
year, and finding a special place for it on the tree. Our hope is that one day, when they have a family of their own - they can treasure these pieces of their childhood and pass it down to their children!
2. Grammy Lynne's Christmas quilt. This is a special one for me, as my grandmother made it. I proudly display it on our coach, remembering how beautiful she made Christmas in her home!
3. .The Pink Ceramic Christmas tree. I bought the girls' a special ceramic Christmas tree that has old-fashioned colorful lights. They love displaying this in their room every year - it lights up their space and makes it fun.
4. Stockings. My husband and I can remember picking out stockings for our first child, and we bought ones for ourselves that coordinated. Each child since, has had the same stocking (in a slightly different pattern), and I love seeing our names displayed on our mantel. A picture of the blessings God has given us!
I could continue with so many little items that hold meaning! Through all the decorations and the heirlooms, it helps point us to the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus Christ. May this season of yours be filled with the promise that only Jesus can provide - an eternal life with Him that started in a little manger in Bethlehem.