Christmas tree a family tradition

Do you have any holiday traditions? In our family we have a tradition of purchasing our Christmas tree the day before Thanksgiving and decorating it on Thanksgiving morning while enjoying the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. This year was different do to us traveling for Thanksgiving for the first time to spend it with our family.

This past weekend on Sunday when the rain finally gave us a small break we took advantage and visited a local tree stand. The one we chose was ABC Tree Farm and they had great prices as well as services {their website has a $5.00 coupon!}. We were very quick at choosing our tree I'd say that it took us at the most 10 minutes to select a tree and for them to wrap it up and put it in our car. Adventure Girl loves "white" trees, so we ended up choosing a "snowy" tree. 

We promptly began decorating it while listening to Holiday Music. First the lights and the kids chose colorful ones this year. I was particularly excited as this is our first year since Adventure Boy was born that we are decorating with ornaments and not stuffed animals. 

Our first Christmas tree ornament placed is a very special one... It was Adventure Girl's first Christmas. 

We have another tradition of adding an ornament every Christmas that represents all of our adventures from the present year. Of course we have other ornaments, but these are special and every year as we place them on our tree we reminisce on all that happened on that particular year. 

On one particular year Adventure Girl was obsessed with Gingerbread men. 

I caught Adventure Girl placing her Gingerbread ornament with a big smile {and a Halloween themed t-shirt!}. We have ballerina slippers representing a year in ballet lessons for Adventure Girl, our very first ornament from 2001 as Adventure Dad and I celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple. Yet another gingerbread men but this one is special because Adventure Girl painted it herself when she was only 2 years old. My personal favorite ornament with one of my favorite paintings in the background {Van Gogh's Starry Night} it was a very special gift. 

This ornament is also a great reminder of what the season is all about: Peace.

This year was marked by our move from SoCal to NorCal and with it a weather change for us, we have enjoyed the rainy days and fall weather. So we chose this ornament to represent 2012: Rainboots! Aren't they cute?

And to top it all off, our bright circa 60s style star!

Does your family have a Christmas Tree? What traditions do you have for your Christmas tree?

Making your tree kid friendly.

Back in 2005 was our adventurer daughter's first Christmas, she was still an infant and we had our tree decorated with glass ornaments -it was beautiful. In 2006 our little adventure girl has grown into an exploring toddler and was discovering her surroundings then came Christmas and we had to design our decor accordingly with the safety a toddler requires. That year we used lights and some plastic ornaments in addition I ordered a Nativity scene from Fisher-Price from their Little People line. It was the best solution to her playful little hands.

Photo Credit: Stroller Adventures in SoCal

Last year we decided we had to make our tree toddler friendly and at the same time we wanted something different than our usual lights and plastic ornaments. We had seen a tree decorated with stuffed animals, so we decided to think outside the box.

Photo Credit: Stroller Adventures in SoCal

It worked great for us, so this year we used the same idea although we kept it strictly Disney and natural.

Photo Credit: Stroller Adventures in SoCal

This year we also included little wooden penguin ornaments that we bought when we first got married, to make it a little more fun.

Photo Credit: Stroller Adventures in SoCal

How does your family decorate your Christmas tree? Feel free to share pictures too and ideas. ;)