5 Things I Learned About Christmas This Year...and 1 Big No-No

While some people would argue that this was my second Christmas as a mom, I was only mom to an "inside baby" last year, so this is my first as far as I'm concerned. Luckily, I've learned a few things to get me through.

I got 5 minutes to myself while making lunch and he was napping. QUICK WINE STOP!

1. It feels terrible to try to blow off decorating once you have kids. Even though he'll never remember this, and can't talk I was unable to give up on the tree this year. I threatened, but couldn't bring myself to it. Even though we didn't really have room and our pre-lit tree had all dead lights.

When it doubt - decorate the baby!

2. Santa isn't a thing for a couple of years. I mean, we've said the name a few times and we brought him to see the big guy, but I'm pretty sure we could have ignored the entire concept this year - and potentially next year too. 

3. Baby Christmas outfits are FREAKING ADORABLE! I was just mostly going to not bother - maybe one long sleeve onesie saying "First Christmas." Boy, I was wrong. Not only did his GiGi go a little crazy...I've been having a ball dressing him up in them since about the 3rd of December. I figure this is the only month he gets to wear them and he only has maybe 3 fun other outfits in this size anyway.

Except non-dairy milk in this house!

Sometimes you have to traumatize the dog too...and I didn't even have a treat for this photo!

4. Buying gifts for a 6 month old isn't really fun. It seems totally silly to buy him the puzzles and push carts and walk-behinds this year because he won't be needing them until he's a little less than TWICE this old, and I want to get him Christmas gifts he can enjoy RIGHT AWAY. Granted I know that's only a couple of months away...but the idea of him opening up a bunch more baby toys seems silly though because he has about a bajillion already and is still more entertained with water bottles and cloth diapers (I only give him the clean ones, I swear!). This goes double and triple for stocking stuffers - I can't even give him candy and still doesn't need more little tiny toys. Next year...well I hope we avoid total diabetic shock.

This is our pile of toys taking out the living room - and he really plays with one of them. NO MORE baby toys needed!

Yes, my stocking faces backwards, and no Legan doesn't have a full size yet, because he can't have anything fun. The sapphire blue belongs to the dog. I might add that he ONLY gets a stocking from me though.

5. It's fun to enjoy my last Christmas where I can take him with me while I shop for him and I know he won't notice. It's potentially the second-to-last year I can even shop for other people with him - I'm guessing at 17/18 months he won't be old enough to spoil any surprises yet. But after that - it's totally going to be Amazon and other online shopping ALL the way to save from spoiling. To say nothing of trying to manage to wrap secretly with Mr. Doesn't Sleep at All. 

Little man helping out at Target this year. First time in a shopping cart like a big boy!

But the most important thing I learned this year........

never buy another pre-lit tree. 

Unless it's a fiber optic, or the lights are LED - I don't even care about the cost. 

Our tree is now 7 years old and so the original light strands were barely flickering maybe 20 bulbs total. I figured I'd just get some super cool awesome huge LED lights and cut the old ones off - NBD, right?

Or not. 

The lights were mostly on with clips that were too thick to easily cut even with my awesome scissors. They were also slightly too thick for me to just break. So I had to delicately twist them slightly open just enough to yank the branch off, then untangle the wire off of said branch. This is a 4.5' tall, maybe 2' wide tree. It's pretty tiny. I think there was the equivalent of about 5 - 10' long strands. Hundreds of lights. It was a 2 hour job to get them all off. I did cut all the zip ties I could, and cut the strands a bunch for ease, but STILL. Then my fingers hurt for days - did I mention that the clips were thick and difficult?

Oh well, it was worth it. Check out these massive C9 LED color change lights, on our SUPER AWESOME black (yes, black) tree. Maybe it's a little unconventional and tacky, but I love it just the way it is. If only I could get it bigger, I'd be happy never replacing my black tree.

Just the lights!

Fully decorated - and shoved in between end table, computer desk, and plants!

Spoiled much?

Do you have any totally out of the ordinary decorations that no one else fully appreciates but you think are the best?