10 Things December Edition

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and I’m ready to savor every moment this season has to offer! I’ve got my bucket list made out and thought I would share a few ideas with you to add to your own list.

1. Visit a Christmas tree farm. If you want the freshest of live trees this is the best way to pick one that will last! Sip on cider, take some fun pictures and bring home a tree that’ll make a lovely centerpiece for the holidays. Thompson’s Tree Farm in Lawrenceville is a great place to check out if you are in the Atlanta area.

2. Donate to Toys for Tots. Sponsored by the Marine Corps, Toys for Tots strives to collect new toys and distribute to less fortunate children across the country. This is a huge undertaking and requires a lot of community support. Could you imagine if every family, that was able actually placed a toy in the bins all around the city, how many children’s holiday could be changed?

3. Make Christmas cookies. These Cream-Filled Cookies or traditional Sugar Cookies are perfect for friends and family alike. They’ll be a hit no matter where you serve them this season.

4. Pay for someone’s coffee. Nothing makes a person’s day brighter than to treat them with a cup of coffee. It’s been a stressful couple of years for A LOT of people and I promise this little act of kindness will go a long way.

5. Take a drive to look at Christmas lights around town. Put some Christmas music on the radio and head out to see all the twinkling lights your town has to offer. This has been a favorite tradition of mine since I was a little girl, and with social media access you can often find where the best diplays are before you head out.

6. Send out Christmas cards. Yes, it takes time to address, write a message and sign the card, but this is a tradition we all need to get on board with again! I love recalling memories we have shared with so many friends and family over the years as I write each message, and it’s the same as I open each card we receive as well. We’ve lived in six states, attended the same Bible camp for years, carry on friendships from college, and traveled on mission trips where we have created a lasting bond with many. Turn off your social media and get personal. One evening of a favorite Christmas movie and a box of cards goes a long way.

7. Speaking of movies, enjoy a Christmas movie marathon over the holidays. From 1954’s White Christmas to 2021’s A Boy Called Christmas there are plenty of movies for every mood!

8. Set up a hot chocolate bar for the family. I’m absolutely loving these adorable Jolly Good marshmallows from Two’s Company. I picked up my bag from the new Buc-ees up the road, but you can also find something similar at Williams-Sonoma.

9. Make a wreath. Simple or elaborate, it’s up to you, but grab some ribbon, a nutcracker and some sparkly floral picks and create your own welcoming wreath.

10. While Jesus was most likely born in the spring and not December 25th, Read the Gospel of Luke in the days leading up to Christmas as a reminder of why the birth of Jesus is so important to many of us who celebrate the Christmas season for more than Santa Claus. For many it’s the only time of the year they are open to hearing about Christ and I’m more than happy to oblige.

Have you put together a bucket list for you and your family this season? I would love to hear what you’ve added to yours!

Happy December!

Our Red & Green Christmas Tree

Christmas has arrived in the Jones house and y’all, I am so excited!

You see, Santa Claus has sent word that I am on the nice list (boy has he been hoodwinked) and has already delighted me with a couple of fabulous gifts.

First? I have an adorable new grandbaby who I get to cuddle and spoil and enjoy and treasure and love! Mariah has my heart wrapped around her little finger and she will be here the week of Christmas and of course Christmas morning. Her parents will be here as well, but I get the baby!

Second? Bradley has been approved for Christmas leave and for the first time since he joined the Marines, he will be home for Christmas!

I told you I had been a good girl.

It makes my heart swell knowing all four of my children will be home on Christmas morning. We will still be missing Madeline’s hubby as he is deployed, but as a military and police family we understand the sacrifice and know it will be ok.

These early gifts have me feeling even more festive and sentimental than normal, so I wanted that to reflect when decorating our trees this year. I also wanted everyone in our cul-de-sac to enjoy the holiday cheer, so my favorite tree is twinkling in the front picture window which happens to also be my office.

I know many of you are stopping in from Design Morsels , so welcome to Fiddle Dee Dee and my little space on the internet! I’m linked up with 20 other fabulous bloggers for a Christmas Tree Decor Blog Hop hosted by Michelle from Our Crafty Mom so let’s get this party started!

No matter the trends of the season I will have at least one red and green tree in the house. I love these traditional colors of the season that actually come from the ancient Celtic celebration of the winter solstice with holly and berries.

This year I had a lot of fun, pulled out all the ornaments we have gifted the kiddos and collected for ourselves every year, and stepped into a world of nostalgia. Twenty-seven Christmases of annual Hallmark ornaments, glass Santa’s we purchased in Iowa when our ornaments were left in Alabama in storage after a move, the shiny brites I scoured Nashville and Chattanooga to find, the Mickey & Minnie Heart Audley bought me in Gatlinburg on our honeymoon, sweet gifts from friends, couple ornaments for our girls and their hubbies, the blown glass Christopher Radko’s and a crayon box for our Marine.

This tree tells our story.

There is no uniform color or pattern to any of these ornaments, yet with a little ribbon, festive picks and colorful lights it all came together to form a beautiful tree that showcases our family’s story.

I would love to tell you where all the decor came from, but honestly, I cannot. Some of the Radko’s are from a little shop in Scottsboro, Alabama, a couple from Flat Rock, North Carolina, and still others from Snellville, Georgia. A few baubles came from a little local shop in Clinton, Iowa and a few from Rome, Georgia. The Shiny Brite’s are reproductions and I found them at HomeGoods. Some were gifts from special friends and family to mark occasions. I’ve had most items on this tree for fifteen years or more.

To pull everything together I found the wired green and red polka dot and the elf patterned ribbon on Amazon. The festive picks are from Hobby Lobby and the elf hats are actually cute holiday headbands. We added colored lights to our prelit tree to keep it playful and nostalgic. There is just something magical about brightly colored twinkle lights.

While this isn’t our main tree, it is in my favorite space, and definitely in a prominent location. My office is where I write, read and disappear for quiet time with a cup of coffee in the mornings. It’s where the music is located and the front room in the house.

This year the kids will hang their new ornaments on Christmas Eve and we’ll begin a new collection of ornaments for Miss Mariah to add her chapter to the tree. I can’t wait to watch her story unfold.

Be sure to check out the other Christmas Trees these talented bloggers are sharing today. I’m sure each have their own unique story to tell.

More Christmas Tree Decor Ideas

Christmas Tree Decor Blog Hop feature image

Be sure to visit all the participating bloggers for decorating inspiration for your Christmas tree…

Christmas Tree decor collage of four

Our Crafty Mom // Red Cottage Chronicles// From House to Home// Simple Nature Decor

Christmas Tree decor collage of four

Virginia Sweet Pea// 2 Bees in a Pod// First Day of Home// Across the Boulevard

Christmas Tree Decor Blog Hop collage of four

Simply Beautiful by Angela // Happily Ever After, etc.// Madness and Method// Zucchini Sisters

Christmas Tree Decor Blog Hop collage of four

Purple Hues and Me// Tribe of Burton// My Pinterventures// Modern on Monticello

Christmas Tree Decor Blog Hop collage of four

Jenron Designs// Design Morsels// Oh Fiddle Dee Dee // Redneck Rhapsody

A Candy Cane Christmas

It’s just thirty-two days until Christmas.

Can you believe it?!

There were times I thought this year was never going to end, and suddenly it’s Christmastime!

After this long and often stressful year, I’m really excited for the holiday season and will definitely savor every moment with our family and friends and especially the quiet, peaceful nights in with Audley.

Today, I’m teaming up with some of our favorite bloggers for the 4th Annual Christmas Tree Blog Hop hosted by Michelle from Our Crafty Mom. You’ll have the opportunity to visit 28 talented bloggers for plenty of Christmas tree decorating inspiration, so turn up the Christmas music, grab a cup of peppermint hot chocolate and get lost in Christmas inspiration galore!

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Here in our home we are crazy for candy canes.

For as long as I can remember we have decorated our home in some shape, form or fashion with a candy cane theme. It might be a tree… or two, it might be the top of my kitchen cabinets or the dining room, but ribbon or garland or ornaments or the real deal are always featured. It just “fits” us as a family.  Not only have my kids come to expect it (they would be so disappointed & try to “borrow” my decor if I didn’t), but Audley wouldn’t have it any other way!  

Are there more husbands out there who actually love decorating for Christmas?

This year the candy cane theme is adorning our living room tree. It’s our first Christmas season as empty nesters, so it is a great way to pretend the kids are close (all of them live out -of-state now).  They will all be in and out through the season … our Marine is home for Thanksgiving/Christmas leave this week … so I want them to know it’s still home when they come to visit.

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This is the second year I’ve used a flocked tree, and I really do like it.  The colors of Christmas pop and smaller ornaments stand out as well.  Besides, living in the south, this is the closest to a white Christmas we’ll get!

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From top to bottom I tried to incorporate the joy  and traditions of Christmas that are a part of our family.  We bake a lot, so there are plenty of nods to hours in the kitchen cutting out cookies, whipping icing, and indulging in fabulous holiday treats.

Audley and I tucked in ribbon and marshmallows and gingerbread and springy things all around our ornaments to create a full and festive tree.  

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Our tree incorporates twenty-six years of ornaments collected from all six states  we’ve lived in (14 moves total) to carefully chosen floral picks and ribbon plus a few whimsical elves tumbling down the side,  I can tell you just about everywhere we lived as we hang specific ornaments on the tree; lolipops from Rome, Georgia, peppermint teardrops from Clinton, Iowa, a Christopher Radko from our time in Bridgeport, Alabama, a handpainted treasure to reember our years in South Carolina and more recently a very large Mark Robert’s Elf from living in Loganville.   There are so many beautiful memories, in this candy cane themed tree.  I love how it all came together this year. 

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This year I have a sweet addition to my decor … this adorable crate created by my youngest daughter.  It’s so much fun and fits in just perfectly.

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The candy cane theme is wrapped-up (pun intended) with our presents under the tree. 

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I just love incorporating gift wrap that compliments whatever theme we are using, and Audley does a fabulous job with a lot of our wrapping!

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Buttercup seems to think it all looks perfectly delicious, and I’m a bit hungry after talking candy canes, so it’s off to grab a snack and visit all the fabulous bloggers who are sharing their holiday with us!

Check out their links below.  Be sure to leave a comment letting me know you stopped by!  I would love to hear from you.

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Christmas tree graphic (1)

 

Welcome To The Fourth Annual Christmas Tree Decor Blog Hop

Be sure to visit all the participating bloggers below for gorgeous holiday decorating ideas for your Christmas tree.

tree hop collage

Our Crafty Mom // Sustain My Craft Habit // Red Cottage Chronicles // Celebrate and Decorate

Christmas tree decor blog hop collage

Jenron Designs //  2 Bees In A Pod // Virginia Sweet Pea // From House To Home

Christmas Tree Collage

Tribe of Burton // Across the Boulevard // Intelligent Domestications // Simply Beautiful By Angela

Christmas Tree Decor

Modern on Monticello // Redneck Rhapsody // Purple Hues and Me // My Pinterventures

tree hop collage of 2Zucchini Sisters // One Thousand Oaks // Raggedy Bits // Southern Yankee DIY // Fiddle Dee Dee

Christmas tree hop

My Sweet Home Living // Pretty DIY Home // Michelle James Designs // Daily DIY Life

Christmas tree collage of four

Happily Ever After, etc. // Kippi at Home // Simple Nature Decor // Design Morsels