For the last couple of year , Will and I have been cutting down our own Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree at aChristmas tree farm in Southern California .
It ’s sincerely a novelty in our climate : 70 ° farad and sunny , palm trees swaying in the cinch , eager sept in sneakers and tetraiodothyronine - shirt winding their room through demesne of Monterey true pine and Leyland cypresses .
We ’ve always bring our whole family to the tree farm , which — until this yr — was just us and our two pug-dog .
The first class , we must have plow a distich of mile as we ambled through the farm in search of our tree diagram .
Last yr , we came to the farm when I was 6 calendar month pregnant and in full stretchy - waistband mode before all the holiday feasting even started .
And this year , we have a cute novel summation to our holiday custom ! ( The two - andfour - legged children were intelligibly distracted by all the people out of frame ! )
Also different this year : The pug-dog , now almost 15 and 14 years old , get to be pulled around in a wagon .
Our dear friends also joined us for the first clock time , and it was so fun to walk along the run-in of pine trees while their Kid draw the beach waggon and even carried the babe at one point !
This is one of the thing I ’ve absolutely loved since fetch Gemma into the family — activities that used to involve just the two ( or four ) of us have evolved into new traditions that only become merry and more meaningful .
Read more : bug out Our Oregon Christmas Tree Tradition
I already thought it was passably limited to spend an afternoon with my husband , walking ’ round and ’ round till we find the sodding pine , and take the yearly obligatory butt shot while he kneel on the ground and swerve down our Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
But being able to share that experience with Gemma ( even though she ’s far too young to remember it right now ) and continuing a custom that will hopefully be one of the highlights of her childhood … it all feel extra special .
Related : topical anaesthetic ’ Secret : Where to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree in Oregon ’s National Forests
And verbalise of traditions , we start another one this twelvemonth that I hope I ’ll be train enough to keep up every year !
We made family Christmas cards for the first metre , which is kind of crazy considering Will and I have been together for 10 years . But we had n’t felt a need to until we had a baby , and share an annual portraiture with a fiddling update seemed like a wonderful way to show our love ones ( especially the ones who were n’t on social media ) how our family had rise over the past year .
Mintedoffered us a complimentary set of cards to prove their service and tell you what we thought of the process , from initial design to finished product . I was already familiar with Minted from being on their mailing list , so I was excited for the opportunity to partner with them .
Since we skipped official nascence announcement when Gemma was bear , we determine to go all out on the Christmas cards and fill them with pictures of the sister . ( Because let ’s be honest , the family and friends who will be receive them really just desire to see her , not us ! )
We went with a surf - themed family portrait at our local beach ( which we involve ourselves with the help of a remote trigger ) and hallelujah , we establish a stroke where all of us were smiling with our eyes open at the same prison term !
Once we choose our depiction , Iuploaded it to Mintedthrough the “ Find It Fast ” option so I could see our pic sampled on all of their card designs . Ilovedthis feature , although it was goodandbad that there were so many to choose from ! I must have spend hours browsing their conception subroutine library .
The choice we chose for our shut down plug-in were touch paper ( a lovely lusterlessness cardstock ) , gold scintillation foil press , six range inside the card with a personal message , solid red-faced backing , gold glisten shift - in envelope liners , return addressing , and recipient addressing .
I especially liked the fact that Minted offers matching envelopes with destitute receiver address ; you either upload a spreadsheet with your mailing list or add them manually in the Address Assistant . The addresses remain in your explanation so you may order future cards more easily .
( I took the time to do this as I love leave and receive paper invitations and salutation , so hopefully hold my address leger already online will exalt me to air more of them later on . )
Because we were n’t able to include our pugs in the pic shoot , we determine to design a set of custom stamp stamp with their image on it . Seeing the stamps with the pugs in their festive red sweater makes me smile every time .
Our order arrived in a timely mode and was packaged attractively . They also included a stack of vellum bed sheet to slip inside the lineup to aid prevent ink transfer during postal manipulation . The envelope line drive did require assembly , but the hubby and I just set apart a brace of evenings to stick them inside the envelopes and write personal notes in the cards .
It was a satisfying and meditative ritual , and we loved doing it together while reminisce on the past yr and sipping merlot .
We already ca n’t wait to shoot and design next yr ’s cards !
