Deck The Halls With Memories: More Than Decor

This post was sponsored by Christmas Tree Shops andThat!. All opinions are mine.

I will be honest. There have been years when I really didn’t feel like decorating that much. Life can be busy, hectic, and even depressing. There were times when decorating for the holidays was the very last thing I wanted to do. Our mind can wander into thinking “It’s just stuff. Is it that important? Does it really matter?” It’s somewhat of a subconscious excuse generator. I drilled down and started thinking about how much holiday decorations really signify and what simple “decorations” have meant to me over the years.

When I was little, Christmas traditions were a big deal. We almost always bought our live tree the day after Thanksgiving. We would decorate the window frames and outside shrubbery with bright colored lights. We would dress the tree with all sorts of ornaments. They weren’t from a set and didn’t match. Some of the ornaments were fifty years old and belonged to my great-grandparents. Some were handmade and some were crafted by my brother and me with Elmer’s glue and popsicle sticks. Certain ornaments had a reserved position on the tree, where they would hang, year after year. One ornament, a tiny scroll of sheet music for Silent Night, would always be at the top of the tree near the star. Our stockings had our names written in our Mom’s pretty lettering with puffy paint. We never had a fireplace, so they usually hung on the bookcase. I vividly remember the magic of evenings listening to Christmas music and shaking snow globes around the house. On Christmas morning, “Santa” would have taken all the colored strands of lights from around the house and strung them around the living room to light up our display of gifts.

Often, in the evenings, my Mom would tell us to get in our PJs and get our coats and shoes. We would get in the car, pop in The Nutcracker Suite cassette tape and drive around to look at Christmas lights. We would yell “My side!” and the rest of the family would look that way to see the display! There was that one house who always went way out with music and animatronic, life sized wooden figures. Some houses would be fully decorated with menorahs and blue lights for Hanukkah. Our favorite thing was seeing the different Christmas trees through cracked blinds and imaging what other family’s traditions might be.

Once I started thinking about how many Christmas memories were directly linked to decor, it didn’t seem so trivial anymore. It’s more than decor, it’s memories that will last a lifetime. So, what am I doing this year? Decking every inch inch of my house with memories.

Christmas Tree Shops recently opened an andThat! store near me. I had driven by a few times and was so curious as to what they were all about. One day, I decided to go in and I am pretty sure I was lost in there for a couple hours. They have everything from party supplies, decor, furniture, linens, specialty snacks, dishes, and so much more. During the holidays, you can only imagine the decoration paradise that it becomes.

I shopped for a good two hours at least. If you watched my Instagram story, you saw the madness. There was so much Christmas goodness! Not only do they have big brand decor, they also carry tons of locally made products, which I LOVE.

At the end of my haul, I had this massive overflowing cart of decor and my total cost was unbelievable for all the loot I got. I went home and immediately added my new goodies to all my existing decor.

How great is this LED lighted birch tree?! It’s perfect on my little cart in the corner of my dining room. It was only $19.99!

Our new house has a super long banister, so I bought two of the 9ft lighted garlands and they fit perfectly. ($19.99 each!)

I’m crushing on all things red berry this year, so I snagged these lighted branch trees for my front porch ($12.99 each), and this fun wreath for the front door ($19.99).

I also got stockings for less than $10, all the string lights I could imagine, and more! Make sure you visit Christmas Tree Shops online to see where there is a location near you.

Tell me ONE memory you have about Christmas as a child, as small as it may be. Happy decorating!

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