The Great Christmas Ornament Search of 2020

Every year I pick out one personalized Christmas ornament for us. It used to be ONE ornament because we had a tiny tree.  We've now upgraded to a full-sized tree, but the tradition lives on. Here are suggestions from 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.  More importantly, here are my top contenders for the year.  I'm getting on this early this year because of delays in shipping and obtaining materials for many small businesses.

1. Dumpster Fire 2020 from InsertBrandHere ($18.89 as is, $23.39 for personalization, free shipping) - I mean, it is symbolic of the shambles that is 2020. I'm not sure it's something I'll want to look back fondly on in years to come, though.  I mean, maybe it's too on the nose.

2. Toilet Paper Shortage Ornament from FountainOfWishes ($12.99/ornament): Or maybe just lean into it and go all the way on the nose?

3. There's also just a straight Fuck 2020 ornament. I could get behind how it looks sort of pretty and classy at first glance. $12 from FrankNBeams.

4. Maybe just one that says Our First Pandemic from 3CEtching ($11.20)?  I'm tempted to order these in bulk and give them away to all my friends as presents. I wish you could personalize it with some text on the back. I bet that would be possible with a convo with the seller.

5. The Good Place Jeremy Bearimy ornament from LeahHallIllustration ($30) - As somebody who has an ornament commemorating the year we were obsessed with The Walking Dead (2014), I can totally get on board with a pop culture reference in my ornament.

6. In keeping with the theme of popular culture I enjoyed this year, maybe a Great British Bake-Off themed ornament?  I love this Have a Mary Berry Christmas ornament ($8.28, but shipping from the UK, so factor in time and shipping expense). 

7. The Year We Stayed Home from OrindasOrnaments ($16.95 plus $5.95 shipping. although shipping is free if you spend over $35) - I love that this is a more positive approach to 2020 and that you can put a dog and a cat on it!  I always love when Zelda and Hannah get to be a part of the holiday traditions.

8. Build Your Own Stick Figure Ornament from MintPrintStudio ($19.95) - Another one that allows you to add your pets!  I think that is adorable. Unfortunately, there aren't other options for the man and woman stick figure, so that dude has way too much hair to be appropriate in our house!

9. 2020 Event ornament ($12.59) - These have been all over my social media account this year.  Maybe I should just accept that the 2020 ornament will not be as sweet and wonderful as ornaments past? It's like a distilled version of hell on a celebratory item.

10. Lovebirds ($19) - I've had lovebirds on my list a few times before and it's been kind of hard to find an ornament that has lovebirds, but doesn't have hearts all over it.  This one might work.  

So what should it be, my friends? What ornament will represent the year that will go down in infamy?  

The Christmas Ornament Search of 2019

Every year I pick out one personalized Christmas ornament for us. It used to be ONE ornament because we had a tiny tree.  We've now upgraded to a full-sized tree, but the tradition lives on. Here are suggestions from 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.  More importantly, here are my top contenders for the year.

1. Pet Portrait Ornament - TheArtOfRachel - $30 plus mystery shipping (shipping is free over $35, so if you wanted to order two you'd get shipping free)

Did you know that we adopted a dog in 2019?  Ha ha. Of course you knew that. How about a personalized pet portrait ornament?  Send in photos of your pet and this lady will handpaint an ornament with your cat/dog/rabbit/hamster on it.  Act quickly, though, because you only have until December 3 to get in your holiday order.

2. Custom Portrait Ornament - TinyBuffaloDesignsCo - $100 plus free shipping in the US

Maybe you want to include your cat and your dog, along with all your other family members. Maybe it's time to consider upping your budget for this ornament.  I would never spend $100 on an ornament, but I could see many occasions in which this would be a perfect gift.

Upon further research, there are much less expensive options out there for this type of thing. The folks at ClaireAdeline could do two people and two pets for only $32 and DeelitefulDesigns for only $23.  The cheaper ones are a lot more cartoonish and don't have as much detail, but it's an ornament, not an oil portrait!

3. Calendar Ornament - MintAndJulep - $18.95 plus mystery shipping (shipping is free over $35, so if you wanted to order two you'd get shipping free)

There are a variety of these really cool ornaments with calendar pages on them.  You can do marriage, engagement, or birth date. Maybe the day you adopted your brand new fuzzball who is going to seriously cause you to go into debt because of her insane vet bills?

4. State Geode Crackle Ornament - Dock6PotteryAndTile - $16 plus free shipping in the United States

I have done A LOT of Wisconsin-themed ornaments in order to convince myself that it's okay that I live here in the land of drunk driving and annoying Packer fans, but my heart is truly in Michigan.  I think these awesome geode ornaments are truly amazing and fun. I guess I'd get one for Dr. BB of Iowa while I was at it.  (But, seriously, you KNEW that was Michigan, right? It's TWO peninsulas!  And you had NO IDEA that was Iowa because it could have been any of those rectangle states, right?)

5. Harry Potter Ornaments - NidoMoments - $28.19

I have never actually considered the joy of literature-themed ornaments. If I had my own tree and didn't need to account for the tastes of others, I could see myself doing an entire book-related tree. There are so many ways to go! There's this set of HP ornaments.

There's this A Tree Grows in Brooklyn ornament (from noveladornment - $5 - 12 depending on size).

How about this Just One More Chapter ornament from iGotCrafts ($12)?

This celebration of libraries past from DeliciousAccessories ($17.95)?

Okay, I could keep on going forever with the book related ones, but I'll stop.

The truth is that I already ordered three of those pet portrait ornaments - one of Zelda the Cat, one of Hannah the Shepherd Mix, and one of my mom's dog, Red the Pom. I'll update this post with how they turned out.  In the meantime, enjoy some photos of some of my favorite animals on the planet.

Update: The ornaments have arrived.

"I will kill you if you make me leave my sunspot, motherfucker."

"Why did we come to work? It's boring. Your books are boring. Please throw my ball."

"I will never stop smiling."

The Great 2021 Christmas Ornament Search

I was determined to get all of my holiday shopping stuff done before the end of October. I barely made it, doing huge orders as we waited for trick or treaters on Halloween, but I did it. The biggest things I have left are our ornament and holiday cards. I'm debating whether or not the pets will get gifts and I'm leaning towards no right now, but I reserve the right to change my mind. Anyway. Ornaments. Previous searches: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.  I feel like my selections are lackluster this year, but honestly we didn't DO ANYTHING this year.

1. A Santa wearing a face mask ornament - I mean, in 2020 I never left the house. In 2021, we did indeed leave the house occasionally and maybe it would be nice to commemorate that in an ornament. Or maybe it's something I won't want to be reminded of ten years from now. Who is to say? Also, if Santa does come into our house, he better wear a mask.

Santa Face Mask ornament from Urban Forest Wood ($8.09)

2. Personalized Family ornaments - You can get a separate ornament for everyone in the family (unless you have a cat - only dogs are available).  I like that they look a bit like bookmarks.  

$20 for one from Uncommon Goods and there's a discount if you order multiples.

3. A Taskmaster-themed ornament - In March of this year, Pop Mom!, an adorable podcast in which culture critic John Teti and his mom Bonney review pop culture, did an episode on the British game show/panel show Taskmaster and they convinced me to give the show a try. Both my husband and I are absolutely obsessed with the show now and I think a TM-themed ornament would really represent how we spent this year.  

Your Time Starts Now ornament from Jupiter's Journey ($16 + $3.87 s/h).  

4. Mantle with stockings - You can personalize each of the stockings, as well as what the text above the fireplace says. I think it would be fun to have each of the human's names, as well as the pets.  Maybe our combined last name on the chalkboard.  

$17.99, but it looks like it's already out of stock. How am I too late when I'm doing this in October?!

5. Personalized family ornament - I like the simplicity of this one.  

$15.20 + $3.50 s/h for 2 people and 2 pets.  

6. Farmhouse Stacked Books ornament - I mean, if I'm honest with myself, all I did in 2021 was read books. I feel like this stackable book ornament would make me relive all those cozy evenings on the couch with my Kindle.

$13.99 for 4 books.  

7. Girl Who Loves Books ornament - Maybe I should just pretend that I live by myself and get this one?

$14 + $5.25 s/h from Fishburn C Engraving

Any votes?  Any other, less lackluster, suggestions? 

Five Personalized Ornaments

We have one box that holds all our Christmas things. One box. Well, the tree is another box, but any decorations, including lights and ornaments, that I want to own must fit inside the box.  So every year I spend too many hours to count trying to decide on the perfect ornament for us in a particular year. Here are some contenders for this year's ornament.

1. Snow Owls from Pee Wee's Clay House ($15 + $3.50 s&h) - I think these little guys are adorable and they probably would have been my first choice except I didn't get on the ordering of the ornaments until last weekend and the deadline for a Christmas shipment has already passed. 

2. Personalized Wire Ornaments ($16 + $6 s&h from Deihign Design) - I always kind of feel bad that Zelda is left off our ornament since she's a very important part of our family, so I think it would be nice to get a couple ornament and a cat ornament with matching wire colors. As a matter of fact, I'm almost 100% sure that this is what I'm going to be doing this year. So I'll technically get two ornaments, but it's a matching set!

3. Personalized Love Bird Ornament ($15.50 + $2.50 s&h from My Little Chick) - I am not a huge fan of hearts to represent love, so I love that this ornament with love birds doesn't have the birds chirping out hearts. It's simple, elegant, and beautiful. It may still be on my wish list next year!

4. 50 States Ornament ($13 + $3 s&h from Blocks, Etc.) - This is a perfect gift, especially for a recent college graduate who is working his or her first job and might be a tiny bit nostalgic for that time of life when you got a month off during the holidays!

5. Scrabble Tile Ornament ($9 + $4 s&h from My Bluebird Corner) - You know that the nerd in you really wants one of these hanging on your tree.  I didn't go with this because I'd have to get three of them (one for Dr. BB, me, and Zelda) and I'm already sort of breaking the rules with the three, so there you have it. When I decided to not change my last name when I got married, I knew that the shared last names gifts would be off the list!

BONUS
6. Custom House Portrait Ornament ($48 + $6.50 s&h from Magic Markings Art) - Normally I wouldn't recommend an ornament that costs this much money. But if you have someone on your list who is particularly hard to shop for, but loves his or her house, this might be a good solution.  It's lovely, it's personal, and it will be meaningful for years to come!

13.21 A Year of Decision - Great Ornament Search of 2023

I just finished a yearly project. Each day of the month I posted on a pre-determined theme. During the month of November, I'll post a collage of all my photos on the daily theme from the past year. The theme for the twenty-first day of the month was "Decision." 

****************

Another trip to the vet - Hannah's back infection is cleared up! Yay!
Keeping Going - I've been blogging for so long and I'm so happy there's still an active blogging community.
Every Day - What tiny inconsequential decision do you have to make every single day?
The Last Holiday Cards - Every year there comes a decision in February or March about what to do with the holiday cards we received in December. Every year I recycle them, but every year I feel guilty about doing so.
Blind Taste Test, Cola Edition - In which I declare Coke repulsive. 
Blind Taste Test, Lemon Lime Soda Edition - In which both Dr. BB and I declare 7Up flat and gross.
Saturday in the Park - The dog park with Jack and Henry.
Every Day - Strawberries or cantaloupe for breakfast?
Oat Free - Finding gluten-free granola without oats is hard.
Goodbye Beloved Sweatshirt - I said goodbye to a beloved article of clothing.
None! - Anticlimactic jury duty. 
It's On - I got a job. Finally.

****************

Hannah count: 1

Food/beverage count: 4

Dog park count:1

Sign count: 1

Whines about products count: 1

****************

So many decisions about food. Are you indecisive about food?

****************

My big decision right now is what my ornament of the year will be. I like to get my ornament ordered during the weekend after Thanksgiving so it will get here in time for sure. For those of you who are new here, every year I buy ONE ornament for our tree that represents something about the past year. You can see a roundup of all the ornaments I've chosen on this post. 

Previous searches:

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

So, this year I have to make a decision about what ornament to get for the two of us, for our friends who just got married this year, and for Humphrey's person, who finished cancer treatment AND adopted a new dog this year. 

Contenders for our ornament:

1) Zip code ornament ($12 from Burnt by Design) - It's classy looking, but maybe a bit generic? 

2) River ornament ($20 + $4 shipping from Johnny and Jeanne) - We actually live at the confluence of TWO rivers, so I messaged the seller to see if they could put both rivers on an ornament. 

3) Book Tree (on sale now for $6.99 + $7.99 shipping from Chippico Toys) - I really like Style #1, but am not so sure that ordering from Vietnam is a good choice. 

4) Gingerbread family snow globe ($13.95 + $6.95 shipping from Baien Shop) - Maybe I have mentioned this on my blog before, but when we first started dating, my husband first told his family about me when they were making gingerbread men cookies and his sister decorated one with my name on it. It's sort of bittersweet for my husband, though, because it makes him think about his mom.

5) Custom map ornament ($24 from Portraits By Us) - I'm super tempted by this one. I could do where he grew up, where I grew up, and where we are now.

Contenders for Humphrey's person:

1) Paw print name ($5.99 + $5.99 shipping from Frontier Designs AK) - Maybe Humphrey's name is a little long for this? 

2) Puppy's First Christmas ($9.99 + $6 shipping from Thunala) - This would require me to decide which photo of Humphrey to use. How to decide?!

3) Personalized dog bone ($11.99 + $3.97 shipping from Our Vibes Collective) - I think these look really snazzy.

Contenders for our friends who just got married: 

1) Wedding date ornament ($7.99 + $5.99 shipping from Modern XMas) - I love the simplicity of this ornament.

2) Wood hanging heart ($40 from Etched In Time Engraving) - I'd like it maybe a little more if it were just a circle with their initials on it, but I like the look of this.

3) Engraved wooden circle with initials ($17.25 + $4 from All About Impressions, which is a local shop!) - This is really more what I had in mind with the above one. They both look really great, though.

4) First Christmas Married ($9.99 + $5.99 shipping from Keptsake, which is an awesome store name)

****************

Do you have any favorites among these ornaments?