Every year, I buy us one
ornament for our tree that represents something about our year. Some years it's really easy to figure out what to get - the year we move, the year we get a new pet, the year we get a new job, etc. - but some years it's a challenge. I started this year's search at the beginning of October with no real idea of what would represent 2022 and I realize that this is the second year in a row I've felt that way, so I realize that something is going to have to change in 2023. (Will that happen? Who knows?) In the meantime, here are some of my selections. Last year I used the word lackluster to describe my options and I feel like lackluster might be the word again this year to describe these selections.
Previous searches:
1. Personalized Gingerbread Family ($24.95 plus shipping) - I like this one because I can get both Zelda and Hannah on it. I also like it because one of the ways my husband let his family know we were dating is he added my name to some gingerbread cookies he was making with his mom and sister the first year we were dating. Unfortunately, it doesn't really represent 2022 in any real way, but I think that's the case for most of these options.
2.
Family Tree ($16.99 + shipping) - Again, I like that I can include Hannah and Zelda. It's a bit generic, but I guess that's the theme of 2022.
3.
Minimalist ornament ($16 + shipping) - I appreciate the simplicity of this one. Let's just celebrate the holiday time of 2022 and forget about the rest of the year. I like the rustic look and it harkens back to one of our first ornaments, a wooden one with our initials on it.
4.
Teapot with personalization ($30 + shipping) - I cannot understate exactly how much tea my husband drinks. It's a lot. Because of this, I'm tempted by this teapot ornament. It's a little expensive, but it's solid cherry and it looks gorgeous. I'm also not entirely sure if both of our names could fit on there, but if not, I could go with our initials. Hm. (I also just realize that I used this exact same ornament in the
2018 list, so maybe that's a sign.)
5. Personalized
Bee Ornament (up to $20.99 depending on the number of characters) - Because of the large quantities of tea that we drink, we also use more than our fair share of honey, which is to say that I have the local beekeeper's phone number programmed on my phone because I regularly call and ask to purchase multiple 5 pound jugs of honey at a time. I think it would be fun to get a bee ornament. You can only engrave up to twelve characters on this guy, so I'd probably go with our initials and the year on it.
6.
Library card ornament (up to $22 plus shipping) - You can select which holidayish book you'd like them to use and can even add a custom date if you'd like. I think these are pretty awesome and if I were buying an ornament just for me, I think these would be the winner. I think they'd make pretty great presents for the bookish person in your life and they'd make good bookmarks.
Do you have a favorite among these? Do you have any better, more creative ideas for me on my holiday ornament search?
Engie (I don't know your real name, so in my mind you're Engie, from NGS), I do this too! We always get a new ornament and last year's was a Roman Reigns WWE ornament, which probably says a lot about what my tree looks like. (HELP). But maybe this year I'll search out a Rex-style ornament. I have one that looks like Barkley, so. My older son graduated this year so I was thinking along those lines as well.
ReplyDeleteI love all of those ornaments but I especially love the old-school library one! What a great idea. I also really like the teapot and the little tree.
ENGIE!! I love it so much. I don't use my name on the blog because I don't want it to be searchable, but you can definitely find it if you dig around. (I posted our 2013 ornament in this post: https://ngradstudent.blogspot.com/2014/11/630-contemplate-christmas-tree.html) But, really, if you call me Engie, that's even better. It's like how dumbfounded I was to learn that San's full name is Sandra in one of her posts earlier this week! SANDRA! Who even knew?
DeleteI'm not going to look! I am going to just keep calling you Engie. Like Angie, but better. I did know about San's name because we exchanged Xmas cards last year and I WAS BLOWN AWAY when I got her card! Sandra!
DeleteI love this post every year!!! While I totally see what you mean, about these being "generic," I think you have some pretty great options! My favorite is the library one, by far. It can't have your names on it, right? So that's its big downfall... but... I bet your name is hard to fit on ANY ornament (this from someone who has a mere 7 letters in her name to your 9), plus it is your ornament which means there is no doubt about whose names would be there. So that's my vote.
ReplyDeleteI've never had anyone tell me that they couldn't fit my name on an ornament, even with nine letters! I think the thing is that my husband's name is quite short (3 letters) and mine is long and sometimes the balance is off, so I need to consider that sometimes and that's why I would go with initials over names sometimes.
DeleteHmmm...the teapot is calling to me and the library card is a strong #2.
ReplyDeleteFun fact: I don't believe that I've ever purchased a Christmas tree ornament in my life but maybe I'll change that this year. One of my SILs gets all of the kids an ornament every year and she puts a lot of thought into them. It's always fun to open those presents.
You've NEVER purchased an ornament?! That's shocking to me. My mom gave me buckets of ornaments that she had purchased for me what I was a child and now I buy at least one every year. I'm an ornament fiend!
DeleteI like the teapot! I know it doesn't exactly scream "2022" because he drinks tea every year. But like you said, they're all like that. I like the idea of the library card, but I don't think it would look very "pretty" on the tree, like the teapot would. But I don't know what your tree is like so maybe it would be just fine. Anyway I'll be interested to see which one you choose.
ReplyDeleteI need to change something in my life so that 2020 - 2023 aren't all exactly the same year in my memories!!
DeleteI like this post so much! I am already thinking about getting the library card for a friend. I personally like the bee but the gingerbread men sound more special to your family? Hard decision. I think it's ok if some years feel the same. I am sure there will be others that special in some way. Sometimes that's just how it goes. I always get the yearly bell from Hutschenreuther. It's a German company and my mom used to always get them starting in the 70s. It always reminds me of her and there's a different picture each year.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's so lovely that you are able to get the same thing every year. I think that ship has sailed for me, but it's such a wonderful tradition for you. I just looked up the bells and they're beautiful - do you hang them up or are they too fragile for that?
DeleteI do hang them up. They seem fragile but they are sturdy enough that so far none broke. They even survived the suitcase travel from Germany.
DeleteI am voting for tea pot - because I love tea and you guys obviously love tea and it does look very pretty!
ReplyDeleteI am blown away that you were all so surprised about my full name being Sandra... I mean, what did you guys think "San" came from? It's not a full name, I don't know anyone with that name (esp. in Germany LOL and Sandra was such a common name in the 70's).
I do like Nicole's nickname for you... I know your real name (from your email address), but have refrained from calling you that online, but NGS seemed so impersonal LOL
I guess I never thought about your "real name," although I know someone named Cassandra who goes by San and I guess that's what was in the back of my mind. Most Sandras I know just go by Sandra or Sandy. Now that you've pointed it out that it stands for Sandra, OF COURSE it does, but it was a shocking discovery! Shocking!
DeleteI don't necessarily hide my "real name," but I'm really enjoying my alter-ego identity of Engie.
I'm with Jenny in that I like the idea of the library card one, I remember those fondly, and sometimes wondering about the people who had read a book before me, but I don't know how pretty it would look if you weren't up close. We have a couple of ornaments like that, and we tend to put them on the wall side of the tree. Of these, my vote would be for the teapot. It's so charming. Did you take any vacations this year? Anything you could separate 2022 out that way? I'm not sure what I would pick for mine if I hadn't gone somewhere. I like the idea of ornaments every year though. :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Vacations. We're still stuck in pandemic mode and rarely leave the house. We're really hoping that in 2023 we'll be able to ease up on some of that.
DeleteI have no idea where I learned your real name (on another blog, I think?) but I refuse to even think it in my mind because I just love saying NGS.
ReplyDeleteI love the gingerbread ornament, but the library card and teapot ones are wonderful options too (I mean - they're all great). I love annual ornaments! We all get a new one every Christmas Eve, but sadly I put a lot less thought into them than you do. Whomp, whomp. I don't even have one for my husband yet and really should get started on the search...
I have really never thought about my blog name versus my real name until the San/Sandra revelation. Maybe I'll write a post about it!
DeleteWhat a fun tradition, although not so fun when you're finiding inspiration difficult, I guess. I think I like the gingerbread one.
ReplyDeleteI think the gingerbread one is adorable! We used to do gift exchanges with my husband's family and that is definitely the kind of ornament that would be perfect for my sisters-in-law.
DeleteFor a few yers, I would collect one new Christmas song in addition to whatever albums we already had, but I haven’t done that for a number of years now.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is a great idea! Your playlist would grow every year - what a wonderful tradition. You should restart it.
DeleteI like the gingerbread family! I was reading the comments about your name. Years ago my niece didn't know how to spell my sister's name and she wrote it down as NG. We told her it wasn't correct and she was adamant that she was and pronounced it for us.
ReplyDeleteIs your sister's name Angie? I can see how that would make sense to an early language learner.
DeleteI love the teapot! That seems really special, even if it doesn't point to a specific memory.
ReplyDeleteI also really like the gingerbread man one. My mom collects gingerbread ornaments, so I may order that one as a surprise!
I love the tradition to get an ornament every year. That is really unique. I am not sure which one I would like best. All the meanings and ideas behind sound like. they would fit.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the tea pot too! I am curious about what you ordered!!
ReplyDeleteThe annual ornament tradition is such a nice one, particularly since you connect them with important things during the year. (What was 2020's ornament??)