Our First Christmas

Hi everyone!

This is Kyle and my first Christmas as a married couple and we could not be more excited. We get super into Christmas, and would decorate right after Halloween if it was more socially acceptable. This year, we're making a point to start our family traditions. Just little things that we want to keep up as we grow our family. For instance:

• Christmas morning at our own house: We tend to spend Christmas between our two parents house, but this year we are going make a point to wake up on Christmas morning at our own house just the two of us. We'll have breakfast, open stockings and gifts and then get a move on to one of our families for Christmas dinner.
• One gift on Christmas Eve: My family always did this growing up and I loved this tradition. Typically the gift was new PJs and I may or may not be doing that this year ;-).
• Decorating the day after Thanksgiving: Check! We couldn't have waiting a day longer anyway.
• Christmas morning breakfast: Egg casserole, cinnamon roll monkey bread and cranberry Christmas mimosas.

To start off our traditions this year, I have ordered us new Christmas stockings from Garnet Hill. They should be arriving soon - I can't wait!

Link

We picked up our Christmas tree and garland the day after Thanksgiving and immediately got to decorating. We've have a ton of little Christmas decorations we've acquired over the year, but unfortunately my wall hanging advent calendar was ruined during a party last year. Still searching for the perfect advent calendar to replace it. So here is the almost finished product.

We went for a 10ft tree this year after learning our lesson with a 15ft monstrosity a few years back

A few of my favorite ornaments. Top left is a Hogwart's ornament that my Aunt Lorraine and Uncle Michael gave us at the rehearsal dinner.

Kyle's mini-tree (~2.5 feet)

I've had those stockings since I was in college! My roommates and I would decorate our apartment for Chirstmas each year and we got these stockings for probably a dollar at Walmart. Our 'tree' was an inflatable palm tree decorated with beer cans and bras. Ha! Keeping it classy. Fair to say it was time for a stocking upgrade. 

The garland from my tutorial

I'm sure you're not surprised Harry Potter is on the TV

Notice the Quidditch Pitch from the Bridal Shower?

I think it's a moose, Kyle thinks it's a reindeer.

A craft project from a few years back.

Our Christmas morning mugs

The bouquet Kyle sent to celebrate the beginning of our first married Christmas

I've already done a majority of my Christmas shopping, but we can't accept deliveries at our apartment so I have packages shipped to my parents. I can't wait to pick them up when we're over there this weekend to celebrate my dad's birthday. A tree always looks better with wrapped presents underneath, don't you think?

Merry Christmas!

xo
Alison