I love all things Christmas!  Here are some of our favorites to get you in the holiday spirit!

 

I love to get my Christmas cards out right away.  Typically, I like to get them in the mail the day after Thanksgiving.  Many years, I am on top of it, but sometimes, well…..it doesn’t happen quite on that timeline.  Either way, I have found a way to streamline a personalized card that is easy to put together on line and turns out absolutely great in person. The Stationery Studio has an awesome selection of templates to get your started if you want to add your own personal touches.  I was able to design my own cards with one of my favorite family photos on a thick weighted red card highlighted with gold foil lattice.  It is really pretty! Designing them was so simple and fast–it just took minutes, actually. When they arrived (so quickly) they were in a very nice box, ready to address.  I am really happy with my cards this year and highly recommend designing your own holiday cards with The Stationery Studio.

 

I love to have unique Christmas decorations on display.  I have always been fond of nutcrackers, especially.  But this year, my son has gotten me interested in Russian nesting dolls. I’ll be honest, I never really associated them with Christmas, but throughout our travels, I am seeing them on shelves all over the place.  Along the lines of the nutcrackers from Germany, I have quickly grown fond of these nesting dolls from Russia.  I think having items on display from around the world is a pretty cool way to show that we universally recognize the importance of Christmas in different cultures, in different ways. I love the nesting dolls available at The Russian Store.  Whether is is a beautiful traditional Red Roses one or a festive Christmas tree with dolls like Santa Claus, snowmen, within, I am very excited to start a new collection to build upon every year.  The Russian store offers a huge assortment of hand crafted, hand painted dolls that you will adore, for every budget imaginable.  They are stunning and well made.

 

One of my favorite traditions is giving our kids a Christmas ornament each year that represents something they did or enjoyed that year. Always, we pick up ornaments from places we have been throughout the year, as well as an individual ornament for each child.  It’s fun to look at our tree to see the things our kids love so much represented on the tree.  When they grow up, they can take their ornaments with them to start their own family Christmas trees.  I have found a great place to pick up some of their ornaments is at Hallmark, since they have their yearly keepsake ornaments.  I am loving them this year, especially Ollivander’s Wand Shop from Harry Potter. You can also find ornaments for every interest, including sports fans.  Pick up this Odell Beckham Jr ornament to celebrate your New York Giants fan.  You can find tons of great ornaments that will suit your family at Hallmark!

 

 

 

On the note that I love Christmas ornaments, I found the best Etsy shop, ArtistryByAli,that specializes in handmade polymer clay ornaments.  These aren’t just any ornaments, though, they are completely personalized.  For example, I was able to share a picture of my family with the artist behind this adorable shop and tell her the interests that we have.  She was able to create a one of a kind ornament that spotlights every member of our family, including our pup, and infuse personality into the ornament, showing our interests next to our faces.  All of the faces and accessories are placed carefully along a wreath, ready to hang on your tree. I will absolutely treasure the ornament she created for my own family.  I can’t rave about her talents enough!

 

If you like to give neighbor gifts or even to have favors for any entertaining you will be having over the holidays, consider getting these hand poured candles from etsy shop CharminGifts. I love, love, love these mini candles, made in the United Kingdom (my favorite place, ever!)   So unique, these handmade soy candles are scented  and can be customized to match any theme, topped off with sweet ribbon and pearls to add the perfect holiday touch.  This shop is wonderful and does high quality work.  I highly recommend them!

 

 

To get the house decorated with just the right touches for the holidays, check out Etsy shop ParamoreArtWorks.  This banner is the perfect addition to any place you want Christmas cheer to be the focal point.  This arrived quickly and looks amazing!  A great gift for someone or addition to your own holiday decor.  The banner is handcrafted and is quite sturdy so you can reuse for years to come.  I love it!

 

 

*products were received to facilitate a feature, all opinions are my own.