I’ve never had a designer
Christmas tree. You know — the one where all of the ornaments are
either in turquoise blue or blown glass and the silver garland
perfectly matches the silver brocade on some of the ornaments. Instead
of debating over whether to go with a snowy winter theme vs a jewel
toned theme for my Christmas tree, each year decorating the tree is a
very personal affair. Thanks to my mom.
My
mom started this tradition when I was born: each year, she gave my
sister and I an ornament in our stocking. Some years it was a really,
really nice one, some years it was a cutesy crafty thing that we could
play with. Some years it reflected where our interests lay (which is
why I still have a Barbie ornament AND a little computer
ornament)…but each year it was chosen with each of us in mind. When
we moved out, Mom gave us all of our ornaments. And each year at
Christmas, I get out my big box of ornaments and spend a little time
traipsing down memory lane. It always makes me feel close to my family
(who are so far away), and now that I’m a mom, it is much more
personal. I can almost see my mom picking some of the ornaments out –
practically giggling to herself when she found a good one, one that
really reflected who I was at the time. These little ornaments are a
reflection of my childhood, and a reflection that my mom understood who
I was, what I liked, what I thought was cool, and showed me, each year
at Christmas, that she loved who I was becoming. As my own little man
grows, I can’t wait to learn more about him. I will certainly keep my
mom’s tradition — it’s one little way to show him how amazing I think
he is.
To
kick things off, I want a really amazing First Christmas ornament. I
haven’t decided if it must say “First Christmas” or if I want to go
with something less traditional. There are so many to choose from, but
here are my favorites:
Baby’s First Christmas Ornaments
At left, we have the Keepsake Rocking Horse Ornament
from redenvelope.com, $24.95. This oval plaque on the bottom can be
engraved for an additional $12.95, and the engraving area is big enough
for two lines, 25 characters each. Which is just large enough for
“Michael’s First Christmas”, but not “Thumbalina’s First Christmas”.
You gotta love Waterford. Where else can you find a crystal baby bottle ornament?
The one below is etched with “Baby’s First Christmas 2008” and retails for
$65. You can choose either blue or pink beads for the little ornament
hanger.
Lenox’s 2008 Rudolph ornament is silver plated and has “Baby’s First Christmas” along the bottom. It is currently on sale for $9.95, down from $29.
If you are the crafty type, you might enjoy Red Envelope’s Baby’s First Christmas Ornament Kit,
$29.95. This little kit comes with everything you need to make an
impression of your baby’s hand and foot – including the red box for
storage and red and green ribbons to hang.
Rarely do I find boy’s baby things that are as sweet as the girl’s version. However, Light of Mine’s Boy With Star Wagon,
$36, tugs at my heart. It shows a little boy dragging a wagon filled
with stars and reads, “Once Upon a Star”. For an additional $10, you
can personalize this ornament. The sample shows only a name and date,
but there is enough room for “First Noel 2008” on the top line, and
your baby’s name on the bottom.
I have to be honest — I’m loving every ornament that Light of Mine is doing these days. And their Baby Bling section of ornaments is hysterical. My favorite is the Babies Rock
ornament, $36, pictured at left. You can also personalize this with
either your baby’s name and date, or it has just enough room for “First
Noel 2008”. ps. This ornament is currently sold out on
NeimanMarcus.com
A Few Additional Cool Ones….
These ornaments aren’t Baby’s First Christmas specific, but they were just too cool to pass up.
First is the Elsa Peretti Star Ornament in Sterling Silver,
$150, at tiffany.com. This ornament can be engraved with three
characters…aka a monogram. This ornament is beautiful, classic and
the price screams Baby’s First Christmas.
For something a little funkier, try the set of Jonathan Adler Peace and Love ornaments, $68, at barneys.com. Because essentially, Christmas is about peace and love, baby.
The last ornament is the Bells from Everest
ornament, $15. This ornament is a glass ball filled with tin shavings
from discarded oxygen cylinders that were littering the top of Mount
Everest. Because if you can’t give you kid the world, you can at least
give them something from the top of it. And help clean up Mt. Everest
at the same time.
xo, S
