first christmas / first christmas with newborns

**jIM_Ohio** · 10-09-2013, 09:51 AM

Originally posted by edg126 View Post

We moved into our new house last year, and this is our first christmas home. I'm surprised at how expensive decorations are. I guess people accumulate over the years, but I bought items for just the tree (lights, star, a box of generic ornaments, and stand) and I think it was close to $200. I didn't buy the cheapest since I'm hoping some of the items will last a long time/forever, so I went off of reviews online.

From searching previous threads I've seen target and other stores have clearance prices the day after christmas. Looks like we'll do that this year for the rest.

It'll be interesting to hear comments from my family about our underdecorated house. We also have two newborns, and are already planning on not buying them anything for christmas (we will wrap diapers and formula for some pictures). Their presents are the 1600 a month we spend in daycare and $600 a month in formula and diapers.

I can totally understand how people go into debt so quickly this time of year.

What are your experiences with your first christmas in your first house, or first christmas with a newborn?

and yes this is a bit early, but with two babies, I was already at lowe's and saw the items so figured I'd get them while I had the time.

Life is more about memories and legacy than the money.
Kids don't need toys per se, but they do need attention, and they will remember events. I have memories of things around age 3-4, and see pictures of things much earlier.

**hamchan** · 10-09-2013, 10:24 AM

This wasn't my first Christmas but we had just movdd across the country and had nothing. My dad decided we needed a tree for some reason, so he bought us an inexpensive artificial one at Big Lots. I made origami cranes to hang on it, and cut out snowflakes from white paper to hang on the windows. We all survived just fine.

**disneysteve** · 10-09-2013, 11:37 AM

I'm not Christian but I do know that nearly every yard sale I ever attend has a table or two of Christmas ornaments and decorations so check for that source. When people move, this is often something they unload rather than packing up. Check thrift shops too, especially as the holidays approach. I know the Goodwill stores will have a whole section of the store devoted to Christmas items if it isn't there already.

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 10-09-2013, 04:10 PM

My oldest is 3 and we have bought one tree from lowes the only year we've been home. This year we'll be at my parents so yeah! No tree no present. My mom will get them. We get the girls one big gift. Even at one we bought her 1 present and by big I mean like $20. Just to be symbolic.

**scfr** · 10-09-2013, 04:59 PM

My first "decorated" Christmas was a small tree decorated with free hand-me-down ornaments and the ornaments I brought from my mother's home. She had a tradition of giving us an ornament in our stockings each year, and when we left home we could take them with us. After Christmas that first year, I bought some lights on post-Christmas clearance. I used those lights for over 15 years and then sold them at a garage sale when we were prepping for a big move.

Now I have a pretty decent pre-lit artificial tree, but that didn't come until about 15 years into marriage.

When I travel, I often buy an ornament as my trip souvenier (small & easy to pack, something I actually use, and I get to remember all the great trips I've taken while decorating the tree).

I have purchased other ornaments on post-holiday clearance. Have also gotten some free when people move.

A roll or two of ribbon from Costco (50 yards each) fills up a lot of the tree, is pretty, and is very inexpensive. I have a roll that I save and use year after year.

I use things that I already have and give them a "holiday twist" rather than buying special Christmas decorations. Not only does it keep the cost way down, it means much less to have to store. For example, I salvage gift tie-ons (plastic holly sprigs, etc) and put them in cut-glass bowls. And if you tie a bit of red ribbon around a stuffed animal or animal figurine ... voila, that generic animal is suddenly sporting a snappy winter scarf! And there is nothing wrong with handmade paper crafts, even 3D snowflakes cut out of regular old copy paper strung on a garland or hung from the ceiling.

Finally, don't forget that a beautifully wrapped gift makes a terrific decoration. If you wrap up those diapers early and set them in front of the tree or on a coffee table, that's one less space to decorate!

Enjoy your first Christmas with the babies!

**feh** · 10-10-2013, 05:29 AM

Originally posted by edg126 View Post

What are your experiences with your first christmas in your first house, or first christmas with a newborn?

As you said, there's no need to get "everything" (tree & house decorations) the first year. You can buy a little bit each of the first 3-5 years in your house, at which point you'll have all you need for the rest of your life.

For our son's first xmas we got him a plant (he was 2 months old). We've watched both of them grow together, and he is now responsible for taking care of it. When he moves out, he'll take it with him.

**disneysteve** · 10-10-2013, 05:33 AM

One thing college friends of mine did when they got their first house is they had us all over for a holiday party. The invitation asked that instead of bringing gifts, everyone please bring one ornament for the tree. They continued to have a holiday party each year for about a decade and we continued the tradition of adding ornaments to their tree each year. It was fun to try and pick something that we knew they'd like and over the years it was fun to look back at the ornaments that had collected over time.

**hamchan** · 10-10-2013, 07:17 AM

And if you tie a bit of red ribbon around a stuffed animal or animal figurine ... voila, that generic animal is suddenly sporting a snappy winter scarf!

I love this idea.

**fruitbowlk** · 10-10-2013, 07:46 AM

The first Christmas with my daughter she was four months old and we didn't buy but accepted gifts from family and friends. She has no clue what was going on so we didn't want to make too big of a deal about it. We was just happy to have a new member in the house. We always decorated so nothing change in that area. I brought my Christmas tree when it was on sale because Christmas was over and I have had it for over 10 years. I have also collected oraments over the year from family and friends so I haven't had to buy in in over 10 years. And if I decide to buy anything new I always wait for that holiday to be over so that I can get it a great discount.

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 10-10-2013, 10:21 AM

DS I love that idea from your friends.

**snafu** · 10-10-2013, 04:08 PM

There are so many craft books on making Christmas decorations they could likely fill a library. I remember red and green colored popcorn strings, starched crochet stars, paper chains and styrofoam balls sprinkled with glitter that gran had us make when we were kids.

Loved D Steve's friend's having visitors bring a tree decoration. Surely the charity shops have a huge array

**dojo** · 10-10-2013, 10:43 PM

Christmas is more than just decorations, as others said already. We're gonna have our first Christmas with our daughter next year and we don't plan on going crazy. She'll be just 10 months old, she'll care more about us being near her than presents and decorations. We'll probably start buying stuff slowly in the next 3-4 years, so that we track the sales and get something set up for when it will really matter to her. Going in debt over Christmas is really not smart at all, IMO.

first christmas / first christmas with newborns