Another ornament tradition

[live4christp1]

Each year our kids get to pick out one or two ornaments each while we are out and about shopping. Sometimes Hallmark ornaments, sometimes just little ornaments they find that they like. When we put up the tree they get to hang their ornaments and someday when they are grown up and ready to start their own tree I'll have a box of ornaments for them from their first Christmas and forward.

Anyone else do this?

 

[skuttle]

I also let DS pick out an ornament every year, but his are all Hallmark. When he was a baby, they had a series for years 1-5 that they do regularly, so he has those. Since then, he picks his own.

We also give our goddaughter an ornament every year. My godfather always did this for me, so I decided to do it as well.

Our tree is probably half filled with ornaments from my childhood!

 

[MIGrandma]

My MIL was very much into making plastic canvas creations, and Christmas ornaments was something she really loved making. All kinds, out of plastic canvas and yarn. We have a lot of them on our patchwork style (no real theme) Christmas tree.

She gave a big bag full to each of her grandchildren, to save for their own Christmas trees when they left home.

 

[golfgal]

We do this too. The kids like me to tell them the story behind the ones from when they were little too. We try to find something that relates to something they did that year-like when DS17 got his driver's license he got a car ornament.

 

[krcit]

I give my kids and my Goddaughter a personalized/dated ornament every year. I used to do it for all my nieces and nephews but it got too expensive! My favorites are the ones from Disney-the glass balls with Mickey ears. So cute.

 

[luvmy3]

Yes, I give my kids a new ornament every year and they will take those with them when they are older and go off on their own.
I have all my ornaments that I had as a child and still put a few of my favories on our tree, and its sounds corny but it does bring back my memories of Christmas as a child. I want my kids to feel the same when they are adults and decorate their own trees.

 

[jen0610]

Yep, we do the same thing, every year they get to pick out a Hallmark ornament.

And you can very clearly see the dividing line on the tree between DS14's stuff and DD12's stuff. DS's side of the tree is Thomas the Tank Engine (from when he was little) and Star Wars. And most of the SW stuff, makes sounds, so it's funny listing to blasters shooting, darth breathing and light sabers clashing every time we turn the trees lights on. DD's side is princess, tinker bell and HSM. Thank goodness, only one of hers makes noise.

 

[tnkr mom]

I started special ornaments with my DD when she turned 13! Each year I buy her a really nice aka expensive ornament that has something to do with that year for example at 13 she preformed in the capitol one bowl, at 16 I found a beautiful crystal car ornament, high school graduation, etc. She now has a beautiful collection she can take with her when she is on her own; already filled with her special memories!

 

[WDWisOurHappyPlace]

We do this too! The colors of my regular ornaments and ribbons are red, green and gold. Then their special ornaments are mixed all around these. It's kind of funny to see this big yellow ball ornament with the characters from Monsters, Inc., and the bright blue and yellow one for the PowerPuff Girls mixed into the red, green and gold, but that's what it's all about.

My DD loves the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks and is anxiously waiting for the second part to come out on Christmas day. We came across an Alvin and the Chipmunks ornament at Lowes so of course that's her special ornament for this year. I love going down memory lane with them when putting up our tree...."remember when we bought this ornament......."

 

[inkedupmomma]

Each child gets an ornament for xmas each year as a gift. Also so that when they are older they will have a nice starter set But i don't even want to think about that!

 

[kldmom2000]

Yes-we do it too Each year we try to choose an ornament relative to what the girls were into this past year.... last year they each chose gymnastics ornaments since they did gymnastics. My 7 yr old has been obsessed with cats forever, so she has a few cat ornaments... this year my 9 year old is obsessed with Harry Potter and she takes equestrian lessons, so we got a horse ornament and I'm going to get her the Harry Potter one... younger DD started soccer, so she chose a soccer ornament

 

[tnkr mom]

We do this too! The colors of my regular ornaments and ribbons are red, green and gold. Then their special ornaments are mixed all around these. It's kind of funny to see this big yellow ball ornament with the characters from Monsters, Inc., and the bright blue and yellow one for the PowerPuff Girls mixed into the red, green and gold, but that's what it's all about.

My DD loves the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks and is anxiously waiting for the second part to come out on Christmas day. We came across an Alvin and the Chipmunks ornament at Lowes so of course that's her special ornament for this year. I love going down memory lane with them when putting up our tree...."remember when we bought this ornament......."

This is exactly why I put a 4ft tree in each of my kids rooms so they can decorate with THEIR own ornaments and stay off my magazine worthy living room tree, LOL!!!!! Beside they love using the tree as a night light and I envision them drifting off to sleep with dancing sugar plum fairies in their heads!

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

yup-we do that as well. I also saved their first shoes and tied them with a ribbon and put the pair by their "1st Christmas" ornaments every year. My son loves looking at how tiny his feet were when he started to walk.

 

[liamsaunt]

My husband and I have an ornament tradition. It started out as a joke. The first Christmas that we were dating, we each bought the other the exact same ornament for a Christmas gift. It was just really funny because the ornament itself was kind of odd--it was a blown glass lion head. After that coincidence we decided that every year we would buy each other at least one ornament by the designer of the lion head ornament. All these years later we have a tree full of them. We are actually running out of room!

 

[minniecarousel]

Oh, yeah. Both of my sons are married and they've been given their ornaments from home. It was bittersweet giving them those ornaments. But it's also fun seeing their trees in their homes with ornaments from their childhood.

 

[TIAMOMMA]

We also do this. We would pick something that had a memory for that year for each child. For example, a Tigger (because my husband would calm our daughter by bouncing her up and down in his arms and it evolved into being called the "Tigger Bounce"), a dog (her first word), Barney (ucckkkk, but she loved him) and for my son race cars or favorite animals, etc.

I also try to frame a picture of them each year to hang on the tree to see how much they grow year to year sad1:my baby has turned 7 today!!!).

Another tradition that has evolved is picking up an ornament while on vacation. This year the new ornaments to go up are the Swan Boat ride ornament, a Red Sox ornament (from our Boston trip, obviously) and our peanut and Georgia peach from Savannah, oh and our Knoebel's ornament. I love seeing the travel ornaments go up - the Disney ones along with cable cars from San Francisco, seashells from Cape May and ornaments from Niagara make all of us happy and remember fun times we've had through the years.

 

[4nana]

Love your traditions!!

Each year DH and I still collect a new ornament, sometimes it's from where we vacationed that year. We also have given our grands an ornament every year they've been born (ages 2-22yo), some are homemade that we've done together ! Grands also get together and give Nana & Pop Pop a new ornament each year which is such fun to collect. Part of the spirit of the holdiays is reminiscing as we hang each on tree!

 

[Pakey]

Yes I have done this. My son is now 29 and I started collecting those Frosty Friends Hallmark ornaments for him; the series started in 1980. He's now engaged so I imagine another year and he'll get these from me. I'm reluctant to give them to him as they are now worth thousands of dollars. I had no idea at the time I started buying them.

I also have started a series for my stepson's son.

 

[pixiewings71]

Yup, we do the same thing, only it's 1 per year not 2. It's a lot of fun getting their box of ornaments out and watching them decorate. We did the same kind of thing when I was a little girl. In fact, my DD21 (who just moved back to Idaho where I grew up) just gave me an ornament that says "Kerri '76'" on it. We are running out of room on our tree too, we are getting down to having only enough room for the girls' ornaments. They actually get the new ornaments in their stocking each year.