Leyla Brooke shares how her Christmas tree is a walk down memory lane every year.
At first glance my Christmas tree looks like any other. It’s a fake tree with built-in fiber optics. The tree is black and the lights change colour, nothing out of the ordinary, but don’t let looks deceive you. Start to look closer and you will see that it’s not your normal decorations on the tree.
Every item, and I say item because I don’t think any were ever intended for use on a Christmas tree, has a story or a meaning behind it. They all have special value. Each item tells a story and the story grows every year.
As a family we pick up our items when we go on holiday together or on a special trip. Similar to how people collect souvenirs from special places, instead we collect something for the tree. Even when my husband and I went to the Maldives on honeymoon I was hunting around the island looking for something for the tree. Its incredibly difficult to find a suitable item in the Maldives!
Its extra special now as it also includes the girls my first Christmas baubles and every year their Grandma buys them a personalised item to put on the tree. I love sharing with my girls the story behind each one, and as they grow the more items on the tree the more memories to share.
Other than the girls personalised baubles some of my favourite items include:
My solider – I picked him up from a trip to Scotland. I look at him and I remember sitting in the car watching the fishing boats going out in the rain. We had a really lovely time in Scotland and would love to go again some day.
The crab – This is from San Francisco. I loved the sea lions on the end of the pier and this item always brings a smile to my face whenever I see it. I would love to go back there someday as its such a lovely place.
Donkey – From Dubai. I remember searching all over to find an item suitable for the tree. The Donkey seemed so appropriate at Christmas time but he was very difficult to find.
Grinch – This has to be my favourite item. It is from Florida on a holiday my husband and I took just after we got engaged. I am really looking forward to taking the girls to Florida when they are older. I love Dr Seuss books so the Grinch just seemed an appropriate item for our tree.
There you have it my Christmas tree with a twist. A tree full of memories that once a year we share the stories it holds. Why not start a Christmas tree with a twist of your very own?
–Leyla Brooke
Leyla Brooke is mummy to two wonderful girls aged 2 years and 7 months she’s currently on maternity leave. She blogs at This Day I Love about their daily lives and tries to capture those precious moments from each day. Tweet with her @thisdayilove
About
BritMums is the UK's largest parent blogger collective. We offer bloggers the latest support, advice and how-tos as well as feature great content on food, travel, relationships, health, charities, crafting and much more. Our social network is free to join and helps bloggers connect with others; our BritMums Pro programme connects bloggers with brand on our high-quality projects and our annual event is the blogging event of the year.
No comments yet.