SEATTLE — Just walking by our house, you can tell there is some serious Christmas spirit inside. We've got candy canes out front and even giant lollipops, and Christmas Tree #1. There’s even more inside where you're going to find a tree around every corner, literally!
Tree #2, The Red Tree: This is one of the trees my husband had before we even met. But we've added to it over the years. One of the tricks my husband taught me is to add a little flair to the tree, and you can see that flair here.
Tree #3: The Pink Sparkly Tree: This one is my creation and I love it! It's all pink and sparkly and fabulous. I got about 100 Christmas balls from Home Goods for like $30 and then my husband added cute little reindeer for a fun whimsical feel. I think he got those at Michaels and he added a fabulous furry Christmas tree skirt.
The Snowflake Bathroom: Even a bathroom break can be festive, right? My husband decorated the bathroom in a snowy kind of theme. I have to admit, sometimes the snowflakes get in my way when I'm getting ready, but it’s a small price to pay for being festive!
Tree #4, The Barbie Tree: Now, not all of our trees are big. Our kids actually have smaller ones. Fun fact: I bought this Barbie tree when I was 20 and it was my only Christmas decoration until I got married. My daughter Lucia has now taken it over and added her own favorite ornaments.
Tree #5, The Nutcracker Tree: Not to be outdone, my son got to pick his own tree and he's decorated it with nutcrackers!
Tree #6, My Vintage Aluminum Tree: This is actually my mom's tree! It has a real retro feel and I love looking up at it when I’m lying in bed.
The Candy Cane Kitchen: The kitchen is one of my favorite rooms because we decorated it with candy cane accents. So fun to wake up every morning and drink coffee with some sugary delights.
Tree #7, The Purple Tree. When it's time for dinner, we have a sophisticated purple tree. I love this tree so much. This is one of the trees my husband had before he ever even met me and I used to tease him so much for the ornaments on it, but when you put them in the tree, they create magic. And of course we’ve added to it over the years - I added fun little sparkly peacock feathers.
Rustic Family Room and Tree #8, The Bronze Tree: We wanted a really comfy cozy vibe, so we turned our entire family room into a rustic wonderland. Around the room we have garland that we lit up with lights and pine cones and beautiful burlap bows. We have a mini little Christmas tree farm and above the windows we've added garland lights and bows, and it's all centered around the Bronze Tree.
Tree #9, The Toy Tree: Not all of our trees are serious. The Toy Tree is where we hang the ornaments given to us by family or the ornaments the kids make by hand, It’s decorated with with miniature vintage toys like Connect Four and even Gumby and his pony pal Pokey.
Tree #10, The Silver and Gold Tree: Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, we won't be having a Christmas party this year, but when we do, it's usually centered around the upstairs living room. We wanted it to have a real classy and cool feel to go with a midcentury modern style. The Silver and Gold Tree is inspired by my daddy's gold record that hangs on the wall.
Before I met my husband, I didn't like Christmas at all because that was around the time I lost my dad. But my husband “Chris Kringle” helped transform it from a sad time to a time of magic and wonder that the kids love. Here are his top 3 tips to making your home a Holiday Wonderland:
- Be Frugal! You can spend a lot of money on decorations so I like to actually wait until after the holiday where you get 75 to 90% off it is well worth it.
- You can do more with less! With less you have to be more creative. Think about different ways you can utilize what you've already got in your house. We switch up everything every single year and it makes it fresh and new and the kids absolutely love it.
- It's about the kids! They absolutely love each year when we start decorating for Christmas and get so excited every single year about what rooms they can decorate. Seeing them walk outside and pass the lollipops or the candy canes and seeing all the lights and the twinkle in their eyes - they love it. That right there is what's worth it!
From our family to yours, Happy Holidays!
Segment Producer Amity Addrisi. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.