I know that a lot of our American friends have their Christmas trees up and 'trimmed'. I think it's largely a tradition to do it straight after Thanksgiving....I'm expecting to be corrected over this, I could just have created a century old tradition for you, America!
Here in dear old Blighty, there is much evidence of trees having been put up and 'decorated'. I have no idea why we don't all use the same word for putting baubles on branches. There are outdoor lights and wreaths on doors and it all looks very cheerful and as if everyone is contributing to an overall sense of celebration. Except here at chez Dunnit! Now that my child is an adult and apparently has her own busy life, I am not pestered for tree, lights, decorations. I am not having to hide bags and bought-in-advance food treats. No, and I miss it. It was all a grand part of the anticipation! I was expecting some sort of questioning this weekend about getting a tree. Or perhaps producing the odd mince pie, or requiring her to add her name to our Christmas cards.
And I had a really good answer ready. You know the one, about being too busy and it wouldn't hurt if you want to fetch a tree and make the effort....but I haven't even had a chance to say it! It turns out that she and The Squeeze also think they're too busy and indeed, their sensible heads feel that it's a bit too soon really. It's not too soon for me, it's just that in years gone by, I've had to tell her it's too soon - because I've been too busy. It's not just about a ten minute journey to a market to buy a tree, I can tell you. Here in the very average 3 bed semi that is Chez Dunnit, the introduction of a Christmas tree requires furniture shifting, floor clearing, frantic cleaning and vacuuming and general upheaval. And then about 3 hours of decorating. It's exhausting! So now it's come back to bite me. And despite being too busy, I really feel as though I'm missing out. Time to pull on my big girl panties and my multi-tasking genius gloves. Things must change for the sparklier!
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Oh poop... hope the big girl panties fit nice and comfy and you get to feel a bit more Christmassy soon! The only reason our tree is up and decorated is because son and heir is here and waiting for Christmas to begin. I am sure Mz Dunnit will be prodding you for lights and stuff very soon!!
Hope you can get into the Christmas spirit. I don't decorate, except to put my birthday and Christmas cards up.
Hope you have a good start to the week. Sue
I usually don't feel 'Christmassy' until after my birthday but having spent the weekend at my brother's and had a trip to Lincoln Christmas market I am thinking of putting my tree up(artificial, a real one is a step too far for T!) either today or tomorrow depending on how the furniture moving goes! Hugs, Chrisx
I'm with Chris on the artificial tree- one year still vacumming up pine needles in August cured me of them forever. Ours will probably go up this weekend- although I know people who've had them up since the middle of November! Pass the big girl panties, Hugs, Shaz xx
Until the Christmas spirit truly kicks in, and you get your big-girl panties on, you can reminisce over some previous photos and scrapbook pages.
The reason I always used to put my tree and decs up the day after Thanksgiving is because when I was in school and working full time. it was the only weekend I could devote to it.
I got all humbuggy this year and said I wasn't going to pull all those boxes out and spend a day decorating, then two days putting everything away at the end of December this year. In the end, I saw all my internet friends decorating their homes, and decided to pull out TWO boxes from the basement, drag them upstairs, and go to town. With an abbreviated decorating schedule, I "only" spent about five hours and didn't move anything except the candles on my dining room table and one photo. So, I'm with you on moving furniture, etc. One of these days I might even be able to afford someone to help with the decorating. Or NOT.
It requires furniture shifting (and then cleaning, of course) here too. Namely my craft desk being taken down as it sits in the spot where the tree goes. The children do the decorating once they break up from school so I don't need those big girl pants just yet.
Like Shaz, I have an artificial tree too, and for the very same reason.......pine needles is August! Man family threw a fit, but they never helped, so I had to make an executive decision.
Some years I go all-out and others I barley put up the tree....and then there are the years I use my Mom's little 4 foot, already decorated tree as the only evidence of the holiday.
This year the whole family will be here, the Saturday after Christmas, so it is an all-out year.....made the man family shift the furniture Thanksgiving eve, since they were here anyway....LOL
It isn't about the decorations anyway, but the REASON FOR the season. The greatest Christmas gift of all came to a non decorated place with no pretty paper or bows, or lights or tinsel.
When YOUR grnadies start showing up it will ALL change.
Hi, Julia. We have been putting up our tree right after Thanksgiving in the last few years, because Thanksgiving has jutted right up against the beginning of Advent and we really like to have the tree up for a month or so. It definitely is work putting it up and decorating it . . . but by having just cleaned the house for Thanksgiving, that bit is, at least, done. Hope you have fun decorating. You could always do it in a couple of sessions, with crafting time or cookies & tea in between??
I am just in the process of putting up the tree, but have discovered the new lights we bought this morning, are so close together on the wire, that it is not long enough to cover the whole tree. So it´s back to the todo shop for some more tomorrow. We could well be the only tree in the village, and certainly the only house with lights outside; (we hang icicles all around the fly free screen over our porch). But hopefully the Town Hall will be putting some up in the streets any day now. They are always a bit ´last minute here´but they will at least stay up until after the Three Kings fiesta on 6th January. I love all the Christmas preparations, but it is the one time of year when I miss having all my boys around me to share it with. Kate x
I've had a good giggle at your post Julia. It may all change again in the future cos now I'm pestered by the grandees [and our youngest daughter cos she's never grown up]. But as yet we still don't have the tree and decs up either.
Hugs,
Annie x
I am sure you can imagine, having see the photos of this place on a Wednesday, I don't have any space for a tree... or room to reach the corners for decorations either... so maybe one year I'll sort it out and have room for a tree again... Hope by Wednesday (always hopeful) we'll see evidence of tree and decs... but I am with you on the moving and cleaning..
how come you've suddenly got word verification on your blog? It wasn't here last week... lol!!
Tree bought and currently residing in the garage until there's time to decoate it... I'm on my own this year without the girls so it's not feeling quite the same.
I've decorated at work and I have a nice real wreath on the door at home but so far no decorating indoors.
I'm sure I'll get around to it.
Toni xx
I have now acquired a very helpful newson who has kindly offered to fetch everything from the loft, 'practice run for when the grandie is here'!!
We have decided to let him put all the boxes in the backroom..... we can close the door and 'forget' about them (hopefully) until it is too late. I have enough to do and realise that next year, and everyone after, it will be full on but until then...... a nice quiet Christmas with a few lights up at the window will do for me.
I'd happily leave the tree and decorations until nearer the big day but the EM is the impatient kind and would have it up in November - and then down on Boxing Day - if he could. We have two artificial trees - Bonnie would have a fine old time in a real one - and they have been up since the 1st, that's as soon after my birthday as I can bear. Love your scrap page, gorgeous colours and papers and that real tree does look the business. So have you donned the big girl panties - is your tree up yet - are you any sparklier now? Hugs, Elizabeth xx
Go for the glitter girl! it's worth it!
I think the time frame thing also depends on real or fake tree. Here it is too hot and dry for a real one right after Thanksgiving (that doesn't stop them from doing it though). I've always loved to decorate outside. Hubby has taken it to ridiculous heights though. He feels we need to use every decoration every year. This year I wanted and got a tree for the inside. It is a fake one being allergic to the real thing. It is holding up to the scrutiny of 5 cats very well. Enjoy your holidays! Decorate for them or not, it's all what you want to do, not what others expect you do do.
Haha! I can symphathise with the furniture moving. There's not a lot of room in our living room now our 6ft tree is up! x
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