Our Christmas Ornament Tradition {with Personalization Mall}
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When I was a kid, I got a special ornament every year from my mom. Sometimes the ornament would even match or coordinate with ornaments that my brother’s got. One year I got Minnie Mouse, Kurt got Mickey Mouse, and Ben got Donald Duck. This ornament tradition continued until we were grown and moved away. Sometimes, my mom still gives me ornaments.
She got me this one, an ornament commemorating the first Christmas I spent with my husband (then fiancé):
(Yes, that was my very first Christmas tree–it was all we had room for in my 550 square foot apartment. And the lights died out about the first week of December. Lovely.)
Christmas 2009 rolled around. I was acting as the Newlywed Ministry Team Leader for Christian Military Wives, an online community. We were trying to get more interaction in the newlywed forum, so I decided to host a giveaway, the prize being a photo ornament from Personalization Mall. The previous year I had ordered some gifts through their website and was very impressed with their products. I knew we wouldn’t be disappointed. But, as I was hosting the giveaway, I knew I wouldn’t be winning the prize. So I ordered myself one as well, just because I wanted one.
Thus, a tradition was born. I actually didn’t order any ornaments in 2010. I don’t know why. Maybe the whole I-just-had-a-baby-and-my-husband-is-deploying-four-days-after-Christmas thing had something to do with it. But the tradition wasn’t forgotten.
I made up for it in 2011, when I ordered THREE ornaments:
My favorite of the three was definitely the one that says “Almost Together.” The picture on the ornament was from our “homecoming” over RnR, three months prior. I was hoping and praying that maybe Russ would make it home in time for Christmas. Hoping and wishing.
He didn’t, but he made it home on New Years Day…almost…almost:
This year, I just hadn’t gotten around to ordering any ornaments yet. I had been busy with blog archives and several other projects. A friend of mine sent me a Groupon for the website (which sat there unused for a week). But then there was that night when Ezra was painting at the table, and I turned to see that he had put red paint on his nose when my back was turned.
I am so glad I had put it off…there was my ornament. Right there…
But I couldn’t stop at just one. I think I may have an addiction.
Almost together needed a sequel. Together forever…
And of course we needed a nice traditional family photo ornament, just because…
So I think from now on, each year, our ornament tradition will be to order one family photo ornament and one ornament for each child. By the time our children are grown we are going to need a whole separate tree just for our photo ornaments.
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This post was originally published in 2012, but our family has continued the tradition and ordered ornaments from Personalization Mall every year! One family photo ornament and one ornament of each child per year.
Our 2013 family ornament:
Ezra, with all of his ornaments, Christmas 2014:
Ezra’s ornament collection, Christmas 2015
3 Months: 2-Sided All About Baby Photo Personalized Birth Ornament
Age 1: Picture Perfect Star Photo Ornament
Age 2: Photo Personalized Star Ornament
Age 3: 2-Sided Christmas Snowflake Personalized Photo Ornament
Age 4: Photo Memories Snowflake Personalized Ornament
Age 5: 2-Sided My Name Means Personalized Photo Ornament
Our entire collection as of Christmas 2015:
15 Comments
Janine Huldie
Oh love it Aprille and right up my ally that loves personalized ornaments for Christmas each year!!
Beka
Caleb’s mom does two trees every year – one for personalized ornaments and one just decorated one. It’s fun having personalized ornaments I think!
Aprille
I love personalized anything…
Stephanie @ Mommy, for real.
I LOVE decorating the tree, and I am sort of an ornament junkie myself. I love to commemorate events with special ornaments. I was crazed about it when each of my girls were born, because I can’t seem to find a Baby’s 1st Christmas one that was like the vintage ball I have from 1978. Sigh. They just don’t make them like that anymore! Beautiful pictures!
Aprille
No they don’t. I don’t think I even got one like that but my brother (82 baby) has one.
Peppe
I started a tradition like this when my 2nd child was 2. It started with buying nutcrackers on sale. That year I purchased 4 for son. He just lived them. I date them and each year have tried to add to his collection. For my oldest that was 12, I started collecting Santa ornaments and did some Santa ornaments to paint. Any thing that I purchased that was Santa was his. He is now married and asked for them. I still kept a few things, because they were young and have children and not care for them as I would like. My youngest is moving out soon and getting married, I suppose this may be my last year with the nutcrackers…lol
But I am I’ll with a malignant blood cancer so I hope there are some memories there for them, at least for the younger one, he was 2 and had fun choosing them each year. My oldest was 12 and had terrible teen years, so he may not. But a mom can hope.
Love your idea of the photos tho.
peaofsweetness
That is awesome! We treasure the one we won that year! 🙂 Aurora made such a big deal of it this year because it’s so beautiful!
Aprille
did you guys win? I totally forgot about that!!!!
Teresa's Thoughts for Today
My mom did the same thing with giving my sister and I an ornament each year. I’ve done the same with my kids and I am sure when they get their own trees, their ornaments will fill them up. I like to get ornaments from the places we travel, it is fun to remember those vacations when decorating our tree. I LOVE your family photo ornaments and wish I had done that also (my kids are 18 & 21). I guess I could start with our grandson!
Aprille
Locations ornaments is a great idea!! I’ll have to start that one too!!
The Busy Bee's
Love these, they are priceless!!
Thanks for linking up at the Adorned From Above Blog Hop.
Adorned From Above,
Debi,
The Busy Bee’s,
Myrna and Joye.
Jenni
My family collects an ornament from every vacation destination, so we also get to re-visit our vacations every year as we decorate the tree. I have never seen picture ornaments, and those are so cute! I think you have inspired a new collection here. =) Merry, merry!
Debi @ Adorned From Above
This is a wonderful tradition. Thanks so much for sharing at Wednesday’s Adorned From Above Blog Hop.
This weeks party starts at midnight tonight. I can’t wait to see what you have been up to.
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
Debi @ Adorned From Above
Joye and Myrna @ The Busy Bee’s
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