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You are here: Home / Holidays & Seasonal / The Christmas Rules

The Christmas Rules

November 27, 2020 By Karen Cooper 3 Comments

Being the former lawyer/type-A/rule-follower that I am, I have certain, ahem, “rules” about Christmas. These Christmas Rules are to be followed by all at HQ (and everyone knows it!), and now have become part of our family’s decoration and celebration.

our tree - The Christmas Rules - dogsdonteatpizza.com

Rule #1: You don’t believe, you don’t receive.

Neither of my children still believes in Santa. That said, we have a rule: “You don’t believe, you don’t receive.”

stockings hung by the chimney with care - The Christmas Rules - dogsdonteatpizza.com

The magic of Christmas still lives on at our house. We always manage to surprise each other with unexpected gifts. And we always leave out cookies and milk for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer. You know, just in case.

Rule #2: Give to Get.

Rule #2 is that you have to give in order to get. Every year, before Christmas, we go through our toys, games, and books and give away any that we don’t use any more. We donate them to organizations or thrift stores that benefit causes we love or, when possible, we take them to the children’s hospital directly.

Ornaments in a vintage tart tin - The Christmas Rules - dogsdonteatpizza.com

Rule #3: Ribbons on the Tree.

OK, so this is mainly my rule: I love ribbons on the Christmas tree.

Ribbons on the tree are a must - The Christmas Rules - dogsdonteatpizza.com

We didn’t have ribbons on our Christmas tree growing up, but for some reason, since I’ve had my own tree, I’ve loved having ribbon on our tree. I tie ribbon at the top of the tree and then let it flow downward. It’s almost like the tree itself is a present.

Ribbons on the tree are a must - The Christmas Rules - dogsdonteatpizza.com

See? This was our tree in 2014. Click HERE for our holiday home tour 2014.

Rule #4: One New Decoration Each Year

Each year, I try one new decoration in our home. Last year, I hung wreaths from our curtain rods throughout the house. This year…

A new decoration each year - The Christmas Rules - dogsdonteatpizza.com

I added LED Christmas lights to my antique dough bowl, then put large silver ornaments on top. It glistens and glows and makes me smile.

Rule #5: Lots of Love.

This year has been a hard year for many of us. It’s been full of major change, not-so-nice discourse, and challenges for us, our family, or our friends.

Mistletoe on the banister - The Christmas Rules - dogsdonteatpizza.com

Maybe especially this year, I want to make sure Christmas is filled with fun and love. We are going to make Nana’s famous fudge, watch lots of Christmas and other movies, play games (reindeer and otherwise), and just enjoy being together.

Even though this has been a strange year, we have so much for which to be grateful.

Vintage Santa's Mail to hold Christmas cards - The Christmas Rules - dogsdonteatpizza.com

Vintage Santa’s Mail to hold Christmas cards. This was my grandmother’s.

Peace and love to you all, friends.

And to all a good night.

Dog under the tree - The Christmas Rules - dogsdonteatpizza.com

(Someone really should tell the dogs that the tree skirt isn’t a blanket.)

Want to get some of the looks from our holiday home? Here are some similar items (note: these are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission to keep my blog running if you buy something from these merchants – thank you!):

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Filed Under: Holidays & Seasonal, Stories from the Bungalow Tagged With: Christmas, holiday 3 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

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Comments

  1. Linda says

    December 20, 2016 at 12:01 am

    Merry Christmas to you and yours! Look forward to hearing from you after the holidays.

    Reply
  2. Karen says

    December 20, 2016 at 12:30 am

    Merry Christmas to you and your family! Enjoy some holiday time off with family and friends. Your readers will be doing the same, and we’re not going anywhere! “Read” you in the New Year!

    Reply
  3. Mickey Wood says

    December 20, 2016 at 4:29 am

    Merry Christmas, Karen.

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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