A tip for Tuesday...

It's amazing how a simple purchase can grow into a family tradition and treasured collection.  When the Englishman and I celebrated our first Christmas together as man and wife, I bought a "First Christmas Together" ornament from Hallmark.  While on our honeymoon, we bought a Santa sitting beneath a palm tree ornament.  When daughter #1 joined us the following Christmas, it only seemed right to purchase a "First" ornament for her.  Wandering through the Hallmark store the following year, a frequent field trip, I discovered they had made a "Baby's Second Christmas" ornament.  Are you seeing a theme here?

And that's how it started.  Naturally, as each daughter joined us they too needed to have their own ornament.  As the girls grew and the numbered ornaments stopped during toddler years, I looked to find ornaments that would hold some meaning for each of them that particular year.  Maybe it was a favorite cartoon figure or a ballerina.  As Hallmark expanded their offerings the collections grew.  Soon there were "series" the girls might favor.  Sometimes it was just something that tugged at my heart and made me think of one of them. The tradition became that I would give them their new ornament the night we would decorate our tree and they would all hang them at the same time.

The girls have grown up and moved into homes of their own now.  And with them have gone their collections.  So not only do they have a large set of ornaments to adorn their tree, but the loving memories that each one invokes also. I still add to their collection each year.  Some traditions are hard to break, and as one of the girls pointed out, they tend to get rather large trees which take a lot of baubles to cover!

This idea can be adapted easily.  Ornaments can be found outside the doors of Hallmark - at small boutiques, craft fairs, and while traveling.  One can't have enough Santa's on surfboards now can one.  And prices can be as little or as grand as you can manage.

Or perhaps your child or grandchild has a particular interest or collection.  One of my daughters collects snowmen, one has always treasured her Precious Moments statues,  and another likes Pez containers.  The Englishman has begun a collection of small dolls from his travels around the world for our granddaughters.
Part of your fun can be in seeking out these treasures throughout the year.

So whether you celebrate Christmas or just want to bring a smile to a loved one, ornaments and collectibles can be be the beginnings of wonderful memories and a reminder of your love.