Christmas is my favorite time of year. The anticipation of putting up our tree and decorating for the holidays has not dimmed in the slightest. I still count down the days until I get to deck the halls.
In years past, I’ve had to fight the urge to purge all of my old decorations, and splurge for new every year. I’ve seen so many relatable reels of wives convincing their husbands to buy all new decorations because they have a new aesthetic for the year. I’m not going to lie so many of my decorations have sat in bins for many seasons because they didn’t fit the current years aesthetic.
Until last Christmas, I caught myself worrying that my hard work was not “Instagram worthy” enough. When did impressing the internet become my priority?
I realized there were a ton of memories sitting in totes in my garage that were not appealing enough for Instagram, but had made so many memories for us years before.
I went to the storage room and grabbed every tote of Christmas I could find. At the expense of looking tacky, I put up all the decorations from years past and present! Everything meshed perfectly to create the most magical feeling.
I opted for the colored lights that I used to admire as a kid for my own kids to feel the same. It created the coziest and most nostalgic atmosphere for the season. That year I vowed to never go back to new aesthetics and to instead create a “Collected Christmas” of my own.
Instead of splurging for ALL NEW decorations every year, I decided to splurge on a few nice classic pieces that will add to our collection each year. By doing so, I feel very intentional about what I buy. I look for pieces that I know I will love year after year, pieces that I can use multiple different ways, and pieces that are made well and will last the test of time.
This way of thinking has changed my idea of what the perfect Christmas aesthetic looks like. It looks like magical memories, and a lot less pressure of whether or not we look like a page out of Better Homes and Gardens. Be bold and tacky with your decorations this year! Put all your aesthetics into one, incorporate a few things from your childhood! I dare you! You can thank me later!
Love, Jamie
my christmas favorites
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