The Influencer Obsession With Over-The-Top Christmas Decor

[@thecatandrabbit6988]

I have had the same Christmas decor for YEARS. Every year I might add a thing or two, but that's it. I agree with what you said about the joy of nostalgia and the memories the old decorations hold.

[@stephaniet5448]

Same here. I have decorations that have been passed down from my parents and grandparents. And decorations I have bought thru the years. I treasure them much more than any Christmas decoration I could buy at Target or Walmart. 🤷‍♀️

[@jjwws48]

Same! I love making my home look as it did when I was a kid, it brings back so many good memories

[@stephaniet5448]

@ Yes! Holidays (to me) are a lot about family traditions and memories!!! It makes me so happy to see all of the decorations that my family & friends have shared thru the years. My favorite ornaments are some old glass ones that my mom bought in the 1960’s. 🎄🥰🎁

[@cinnamonsparrowdesigns]

Most of my ornaments are handmade by me or a friend that used to make stuff. I have ones from when my kid was little. I love my ornaments and cozy little tree. It's fun opening the box each year and having those memories come back.

[@tannazdolatshahi5142]

Same! I buy own or two meaningful ornaments (my sons first Xmas foot print) or a special holiday we went on that year. Xmas is already so expensive with the presents I can’t imagine buying so much plastic every year!

[@DarkNekoCrochet]

As a delivery person I have come across delivery person stations a lot and I fully appreciate them cuz sometimes you’re cold, thirsty and hungry.

[@missybuchanan9631]

That is really cool, I love that. At my job we get packages multiple times a day, and they are usually looking tired and even a smile goes a long way.

[@xerxestheimmortal1]

Same, it's less about the actual items than to feel appreciated.

[@Miki_Lynn]

This is so nice to hear. I’m inspired to set one up this year. 🤗

[@jennhirsch1601]

I’m a mail carrier and during the holiday season, a lot of houses put out snack “stations” even in the low income areas. It’s a nice little pick me up

[@susanjeffries5108]

One of the women on a podcast I listened to during the pandemic said she had started setting up little stations for delivery drivers with snacks and hand sanitizer and even toilet paper or paper towels. I slowly started to do seasonal snack stands at Christmas which then grew into having things like Gatorade and snacks in the summer. It has grown into something we do year-round and I love it. When it's a super hot day I try to put the drinks in ice so they're cold and I've had several delivery drivers comment how much they appreciate it. Not that I'm this perfect person or looking to be thanked. I just think it's a nice thing to do, especially when the weather is inclement and you know they've got to be so hot and sore from hoisting all those packages all the time. It seems to me that it may not always be easy for delivery driver to stop and get a cold drink or snack somewhere. I suffer from blood sugar issues and I know how it is if you're really hungry or thirsty and don't have access to food or water.

[@-nellie-m3711]

@@susanjeffries5108 is this here in Australia or do you live over in the USA 🇺🇸, I’ve seen stuff like that over in the USA but not here in Australia, if I’m outside and it’s a hot day and I see our mailman, I’ll offer him a cold bottle of water but they drive motorbikes mostly here and carry their own water. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@allibeth21]

I don’t think people should revamp their Christmas decor every year, but I will say as someone who lives in the Midwest of the United States, thanksgiving/Christmas is the start of a very grey, cold season. Christmas decor is so much more than just holiday decor to me… it’s settling in for the season and making my house a warm, happy place to be in the midst of sometimes depressing weather!

[@MarieAlessandra]

Amen to this ☝🏽 I live in Norway and it’s SO DARK here for SO LONG now and Christmas is the one thing that helps most forget about this sad dark season for a bit 🥹✨

[@seadragon1456]

I’m in MO. They call in the Midwest…. Idk. ANYWAY, ITS FREAKIN MISERABLE. It’s grey. It’s bone chilling cold. Sometimes it’s icy. Sometimes it’s straight freezing winds. For me winter means dry skin and busted knuckles. No amount of holiday decor will make me feel happy about 🩸 hands. 😂 Dec 10 is usually when the gloomy weather hits.

[@LALCS90]

Same

[@mulabarbie4366]

I agree! I think to have a nice balance it’s good to buy some good quality Christmas items that we can reuse every year for multiple years. I have Christmas decorations that have been in my family for generations & that way the true loving, family centred vibe of Christmas is brought to my home. I hate buying cheap Christmas things every year just for them to be thrown out over and over.

[@mariahwong5704]

I dont think the temu ad is saying that billionaires are shopping on temu, i think theyre saying "shop with temu and you can afford all the things you wanted like how billionaires can shop"

[@yuzu-tsuyu]

Yeah, that is definitely the meaning... I'm not sure how she didn't get it... 😅

[@samanthaorologio6866]

lol thank you. Came to say so. You were a lot softer than I may have been (unintentionally) so it’s for the best probably 😂 as adorable as she is and as adorable as IT was that she thought it, she definitely had it wrong. So cute though.

[@ashleyestes8232]

Agreed! That’s how I read that too.

[@sarahwales6276]

​@@yuzu-tsuyuNo everyone shops with Temu.

[@beautyandgrace7997]

I was about to say the same thing

[@camalcina]

As a grown woman who grew up loving xmas from the tv to the decorations to givings gifts we spend entirely too much money for this holiday and don't nearly show as much love as we should throughout the year.

[@CountryRoad2006]

I just realized that my family has gotten into $10k debt! Bouncing between credit cards to get the Bonus credits… I cut off all credit card use and we are actually spending about $1k over our income a month. Looking through the purchases are all over consumption. Crap. We’re in debt because I browsing online and it becomes almost a competition between me and my husband. Since I bought this for me, then he would feel he deserved something. Our savings slowly diminished when I became a SAHM. Our spending habits never changed. Money is thinner than water these days. The same things we were comfortably buying are outrageous to me now.

[@emma1540]

I need to write a second comment after that candle and lush haul... Lord, I don't think I'd be able to last 10 minutes in these women's houses. Instant headache 😂

[@Charbond]

I know. And their poor pets. One Christmas my cat developed some neurological symptoms and we are totally convinced it was brought on by burning scented candles. We stopped and he was better within 2 days.

[@emma1540]

@@Charbond You're right, I felt really bad for that dog when the Stranger Things wallflower was plugged in. Bless you for taking good care of your pet! Those scents probably affect pets more than we know.

[@pretty_things_styling]

You're doing important work! Overconsumption has taken over social media, and these influencers are normalizing it for us. We shouldn't think this is normal. It's not normal.

[@nicoledarling9646]

Somebody sounds broke

[@neuralsodar]

Some of the magic at Christmas is pulling out the same decorations every year that hold memories from the years before. I usually add one or two ornaments to our tree each year and that’s about it.

[@stinajones9847]

I agree 100% with you. Part of the magic of decorating is unwrapping the memories that come with most of my decor. I have some items my grandparents had out every year in their home. They aren't expensive pieces they are so priceless to me! ❤

[@seilanemsei]

Hi Caitlin I've been watching your videos for 4 years and I have to tell you that I love the content you've been putting out for the past year or so. Interesting topics, well researched, and eye opening. Your commentary is balanced and fair.

[@theladynextdoor313]

So a tree story for you, but I had a Christmas tree that I had had for almost 20 years. It was the first tree I got as an adult during a time my family was going through some things and my dad came over and we went shopping together. My dad and I always loved Christmas and doing the the tree, etc. when I was younger. Well he got me that tree we picked out together. It was a pre-lit tree with multi-colored lights, we didn’t have pre-lit trees growing up so it was a big deal but nothing fancy, but I loved it. It was from Kmart (aging myself here lol). That tree lasted through multiple cats and even when the lights stopped working (had one crazy cat that chewed wires 😂) I just strung other lights on it and kept going. My boyfriend asked one year of I was ever going to get a new tree and I just said no, that one was SO sentimental to me I couldn’t. I did finally work up the emotional capacity to let it go about 3 years ago. It was hard! He had to be the one to carry it out of the house because I couldn’t bear it. I found a new tree that I loved and it was a modest tree on sale. I do love it but the memories live on. I hope this one lasts me at least 20 years! 😅 I still have crazy cats 😂.

[@walking_on_sunshine1611]

This is such a sweet story. My heart warmed up. You described my future. My tree was a gift from my Mom. She has a desease now and is old so anyways. Thank you for the thought of a life where someone could be able to let go of all these things one day. Because I am so clingy sentimental to those kind of things. Keep going

[@Nora-dr8vs]

I was a hardcore shopaholic starting when I moved away from home in 2020. Now I find joy in purging. It’s an even better feeling! That and selling things I have secondhand.

[@emmakloppers1717]

I usually listen to your videos as like a podcast in the background and I wasn't paying attention and the temu ad came on, I immediately snapped into focus and I went to click skip ad as I've seen it so many times, put me in fight or flight fr😂😂😂

[@alisalavine1052]

I'm a Gen Xer. This kind of "shopping addiction for clicks" is so sad to watch. I see so many women that have some kind of hole inside of themselves that they try to fill with stuff. There is so much enabling and codependency. I think the pandemic only made it worse. And this may be unpopular but what this is doing to our landfills and thus, our climate, is repulsive. If you want esthetics, start a garden or go for a walk in the woods. Gardening is a fantastic way to nourish the natural world. Stuff will not fill the emotional hole in anyone. Sorry, not sorry.

[@yesterdayitrained]

It never did.

[@EconDude]

I’m 31 years old, born and raised in the U.S. October was always for Halloween. November was for Thanksgiving. The reason Santa was on the last float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was to kick off the Christmas season. And that was very different from what my parents did. For them in the 1950s and 1960s, they didn’t decorate until Christmas Eve. Then they would celebrate through January with the Twelve Days of Christmas. Anyway, the impulse to decorate for the seasons and various holidays stems from the need to show-off and brag. “Look at how much money and time I have to do this!”

[@sofiastj]

I cannot get over how the tiktokker 33:50 blurred out one of the worker's face "out of respect", but not the other's. It's like a red blinking light of "I only respect people who do what I want"

[@gillian9553]

Acting like that in front of her kid too

[@rowankennedy6510]

This made me think of something that happened to me a few months ago here where I live in Oman (Middle East). I couldn’t decide between 2 jackets on sale at Zara in my local mall. Finally decided on one and met a fellow customer ( a stranger) at the registers where we happened to be paying for our purchases side by side. I congratulated her on her great purchase (I’m Australian, we’re friendly 😄). She turned to me and said, “do you want it? I’m happy to let you buy it instead of me.” That is just how generous people are here. The total opposite of what I saw over the Hello Kitty purchasers in America.

[@loveleeZodi]

Are we being so for real right now? “Wahhhh I can’t over consume on crap I don’t need because this Marshalls employee wants it” you want to trade lives with them? You want to be working a minimum wage job dealing it karens like you?? One of the ONLY few perks of working retail is access to inventory before the public. Never mind working during the holidays you so covet and not spending any time with family. Never mind barely having any perks like health insurance or benefits. And Rich Karen’s like the last lady are saying “no. You can’t have that either. You can have losing a job bc I want your manager to reprimand you.” ARE WE BEING SO FOR REAL? Bring back Karen shaming. Run it back

[@jennifyliving5511]

I think the temu concept is more like “I can buy anything I want with no concern” because a billionaire has all the money but now with temu you can shop at the same level cuz everything is so cheap… Talk about keeping the middle and lower classes poor.

[@Mushroompanda648]

We just moved to a new house with way more windows than our last, and have been here for 4 months. I am just now purchasing curtains for our bedroom and found some really nice deep green curtains. They were listed as Christmas curtains.🤦🏻‍♀️ We've missed the plot if people are switching out their curtains during the holiday season.

[@withcharmtospare]

lol what. The difference between the same green in March and in December has to be the price point.😂

[@samanthaorologio6866]

The other day I saw a short of a woman switching out…. 🥁 🥁 🥁 …:: Her…:. SHOWER CURTAINS. BATHROOM RUGS. LITTLE CONTAINERS FOR SOAP AND TRASH CANS ETC!!!!!!!! Doooo HHHhHHHWHATTTT!!!!!?

[@samanthaorologio6866]

Omgsh I retract 😂 🤦‍♀️ she literally showed an exact video Like the one I was making fun Of!!!! What is with us!!!!!? What. Are we doing!!?

[@Miki_Lynn]

🙋🏼‍♀️Ooofff, guilty. Just in my front room. I change them out at Halloween and Christmas to match my theme. Nuts, I know.

[@Angelcots]

Remember, Thanksgiving is the second biggest holiday in the USA. This makes it feel like Thanksgiving is being skipped. It would be weird to me to have Thanksgiving dinner next to a Christmas tree.

[@pattycarljackson]

I and my family put our Christmas tree up before thanksgiving and always have it’s not about rushing the holidays its enjoying have the tree up and we enjoy it and i know a lot of people who do it to and it now have anything to do with what KZbinrs do these days just trying to make money off it.

[@softhorror8779]

Just started the video, but the statistics on how much people spend is really surprising me. I don’t think me or my parents have bought a single new Christmas decoration in a decade because everything we already own works. (Edit) the point about summer might be a reason too! I have summer Christmas as well, and we aren’t even decorating this year cause we’re taking a trip to the beach to celebrate there

[@akong331]

Yes!!!! We even exchange with friends on this so we switch it up lol we reuse everything!!

[@pimpgrizzle]

Still using my grandparents decorations from the 1940s. I might buy one sentimental bobble per year. Won't catch those buttplug lookin little modern art trees in my house. Edit: as i write on my hello kitty note pad i bought two weeks ago. I am part of the problem.

[@jessieb7290]

Wow, that sounds amazing and the fact that you have things from that era ❤

[@Raee225]

Hello from America! I think there is something special about reusing decor every year. That’s how my childhood was and it was a sense of comfort and nostalgia. I still have stuff from my childhood that I use as a 30 year old. I do buy new things occasionally, but I buy them with intention and choose high quality things that will be with me for years.

[@paigestephenson8968]

My thoughts on Xmas decor: The over consumption is possibly a response to young people trying to live and make the most out of their lives despite being unable to change most of the crappier aspects of today's world, issues such as climate change and the housing / medical affordability crisis for example, seem impossible to fix and cause anxiety when looked at hard enough (speaking from experience on the climate one). Aspects that can be controlled is the happiness surge you get from buying things. My second thought is that I have cats that I cannot train well enough it seems to not destroy the decor and so I do not decorate too much more than a few things that have special meaning to me like the things given to me by my mom or paintings me and my fiance did. Instead, when I go out I meaningfully try to enjoy public decorations like what the city might put up, or different 3rd spaces put up such as the local library or even the mall. This has saved me so much money and has helped me appreciate my surroundings a bit more.

[@mariayo4284]

Yess you name it. I have a feeling too that overconsumption is a reaction to all these crisis.

[@nehru.5429]

Yep to your first point, you're exactly right, and it even has a term: "doom spending"!

[@sarahwales6276]

There has never been a time when the Climate wasn't changing.

[@heidi1000]

I love Christmas and decorate my house every year. However, I reuse the same decorations and decorate with items that fit me and my style. I also love to thrift for Christmas decor. Finding vintage Christmas decor is the best- it creates a unique home! :)

[@geekelly000]

The delivery driver snack station is a very kind gesture. If you have the money for it why not bless service people with small gestures like this? The fact that she themed it almost gives the vibe of a little girl playing house. A lot of videos do.

[@sarahecho]

If I have to watch one more influencer tap her ridiculous nails on her 364 bottles of body wash, soap, or whatever, I'm going to lose my mind.

[@Charm313]

Those storage places have been popping up everywhere here in the U.S. it's almost competing with McDonald's

[@jaqlynlee1005]

Okay I am a traditionalist, no Christmas decorations or music till the day after thanksgiving! Also my family is a Christmas ornament collector type. Each member collects an ornament and each year you get a new one, and we take turns selecting different family members ornaments. I have a collection of rocking horses ornaments that are 3 decades full of sentimental and personal stories behind them. I definitely like more personalized trees than a prescribed theme that looks too formulaic.

[@yesterdayitrained]

There was a time when everyone was a traditionalist re: we all started declaring no sooner than the day after Thanksgiving. Maybe even a bit later. I don’t understand how retailers starting to sell Christmas decor in October pulled their customers to start decorating nearly a month earlier than they used to.

[@moomin1632]

​@@yesterdayitrained I put my decs up mid November, because i wasn't allowed to celebrate Christmas as a child so I go all out as an adult. Just to let you know that some people have a really good reason to put decs up 'early'

[@for833]

The racoon I have sneaking in my garbage everyday would love that delivery driver snack bar 😆 Also, Marshalls is crazy. A relative took me to a Marshalls store when I was visiting New Jersey and a lady literally took items out of my shopping cart because she wanted them for her!! I was dumbfounded.....and this was over 15 years ago, can't imagine what the zoo is like now!

[@staypolychrome]

I definitely think the idea behind the Temu ad isn't that this is what billionaires have, but rather that Temu is so inexpensive that you can buy as much as a billionaire would... but stuff from Temu is so cheap that I'm not sure how it would make you feel rich 😂😂

[@yesterdayitrained]

🎯🎯🎯

[@mamavibetribe8878]

I spent a fair bit on new decorations this year. After years of being on a tight budget as a SAHM, we splurged a little updating outdoor lights and pretty pricey decoration I have wanted for a couple of years, and that we saved for all year. It's large and something that will last years. I did want a new wreath and a few new baubles but honestly, we just put up the tree and it cast a spending freeze on me 😂. We have enough - it'll do, and the kids really enjoy what we have.

[@sunginval5755]

I have used the same Christmas decor for the past three years and will continue to so. I found my style and I love it!!!

[@KWSHOPS]

This last clip with the Hello Kitty is giving me flashbacks to my old job 🫥 THESE PEOPLE ARE CHILDREN

[@lilmorsecody]

i think a lot of people like to watch those stacking vids for the visual asmr. it is a bit hypnotic haha

[@MissFussbudget]

One problem I see with the "delivery driver snack station" is that some greedy dipstick who's not a delivery driver will stroll up with a cardboard box and clear everything out.

[@beatriz25ish]

That happened during Halloween 😑

[@MissFussbudget]

@@beatriz25ish Don't get me wrong, I think a snack station is a lovely gesture for delivery drivers, it's just that selfish people always seem to outnumber kind ones.

[@anautisticreader2963]

I work retail. Christmas has been my least favorite holiday due to how mean people get to those in the service industry. It has always gotten worse this time of year. I’ve decided I no longer want to dislike Christmas. I’ve been one of those that bought Christmas decor this year. I plan on using the same stuff for several years. Hopefully until I die. Just planning on getting one or two items each year to add to what I have. Only if that item makes me really happy, I can afford it, and I have space for it (without getting cluttered).

[@Miki_Lynn]

I’m so sorry that customers are so rude. I will never, ever understand that. I go out of my way to make the person working the register smile and laugh if I can.

[@anautisticreader2963]

@ I don’t understand the rudeness. Thank you for being one of the good customers. 😁😁

[@UsernamesForDummies]

I’ve been collecting horse and rocking horse ornaments for years, with the intent to have a full tree one day. Mind you, I’m not a horse girl. Never been on one, but I love the nostalgic look. My mother and friends gift them to me when they find one. I actually got one from Vietnam from a friend who travelled there. Each and every one means something to me - and that’s what I want my tree decoration to be like. Where I live, 90% of people still get fresh trees and most of us still use real candles. I think it’s very focused on tradition. How much tradition do you get when you buy completely new Christmas decorations every year? None.

[@Charbond]

Say it with me now, "I do not need more christmas tat". We havent bought any decorations in years. And we still have a set of table decorations my grandparents bought 80+ years ago.

[@isabellaross1472]

The restock videos drive me crazy! The way they all have the stupid long nails that they feel the need to tap on everything, I hate it😂

[@bshad2334]

The only christmas decor I've bought in the past decade is new lights for my tree when the old ones die. Whenever we get a bigger home, I will probably buy a few more items, but I grew up with the same decor every year in my parents home and I get all the feels every time I pull out ornaments that bring back childhood memories. While the aesthetics online are beautiful, I will always prefer my sentimental christmas and I want my daughters to have the same experience of getting to have a million wonderful memories connected to the items in our christmas box (yes... single box).

[@kiterafrey]

"I decided to do just 2 trees to not overwhelm myself." Girlie pop, I can hardly get myself to do 1. What do you mean 2 isn't overwhelming.

[@vi-anhnguyen1134]

That statement implies to me she normally does at least 3 trees, and that in itself feels mind boggling to me

[@susanjeffries5108]

I think it depends on the size of the tree, honestly. At least for me. We're all different. We have a really skinny pencil tree from Michaels that we put by the front door stoop and it takes 20 minutes to set up and decorate. Maybe 30? But here in Oregon the days can be kind of gray and wet in the winter and I like the cheeriness that a tree by the front door gives. I also like to think that its a little bit of festivity for the delivery drivers that come to our house. I love to put out snacks and hope it makes a difference for them in their busy routes. This year I was longing for a smaller tree inside the house as well. The larger trees are pretty exhausting to decorate. So I think if you've got 9 ft trees all throughout your house that could be a monumental undertaking, but a couple of smaller trees feels manageable for me at least. Although I will confess there have been years I would have been perfectly happy not to have any tree at all! My son and husband are horrified at the thought, however, and I'm always glad I took the time to put up the tree (after the fact). But I totally agree that sometimes just the task of going out and buying a real tree, or putting up and fluffing out and decorating an artificial tree can be so daunting! Some years I'm feeling like I want to do all the things, and some years I crave simplicity. I do appreciate the houses that get all decorated infested for the holidays. When it gets dark so early, it can bring a lot of light into the world. I love to go for walks in the evenings and look at everyone's outdoor displays. So while I may not go all out, I appreciate the people that do 😂.

[@kiterafrey]

@vi-anhnguyen1134 Right? I don’t think I even have room for 3 trees 😶

[@kiterafrey]

@susanjeffries5108 My mom in law is the same way. She has lots of little trees but they're ones with permanent decor so it's faster. I guess I was picturing the girl doing 4 or 5 huge live cut trees and I just couldn't. Especially space wise 😅

[@susanjeffries5108]

@kiterafrey Yes for sure it takes up a ton of space! I have an aunt who always has multiple trees and they are completely covered top to bottom with beautiful, pricey ornaments. I'm always afraid I'm going to bump into one and break it! It takes her hours and hours to decorate them and to put them all away, but she loves it and it's her favorite thing to do. I don't have that kind of patience!

[@skip4576]

I totally understand you with the Australian Christmas thing. I live in Florida, where it’s still hot during the fall when everyone on social media is switching up their decor and wearing cozy sweaters. The leaves on the trees don’t even start falling off here until January. It’s not even pretty. These people are living in a separate world from me I fear lol

[@MemoriesOfRain]

I love decorating for Christmas, but I just reuse the stuff my family has accumulated since before I was born. Occasionally we might buy something new every once in a while, but I can't imagine buying a whole new decoration rotation every year. My family's favorite Christmas decoration is this wooden Santa one of my mom's friends made her back when they were in college. It's so much fun to think back all the memories each item holds. Each ding and scratch has a story and we have a blast decorating our house.

[@pattycarljackson]

I love decorating for Christmas but I have decorations from years ago and will add a couple things but I’ll always use what I already have.

[@KayJoyy]

Influencers (and people in general) are extremely naive to how dangerous the internet and its predators are. It is terrifying how open these people are to exposing themselves and exploiting their kids to it. I have a friend who is a hacker that has told and shown me things that have given me nightmares. If influencer parents saw 5% of the things I have seen you would see them shut their channels down and never show their kids, or their location, again.

[@cherrypop41]

I’d love to know more about this. What has your friend seen/told you?

[@susanh2924]

Just because Influencers share their decor and benefit financially from the sharing, it doesn't mean that they and their families don't truly enjoy the beauty they create for their loved ones. The wonderful thing is, for us viewers, we can take whatever we like from their posts/videos and leave the rest. I'm thankful for all the beauty they share, I've gotten so many wonderful ideas over the years from online, but also from the Christmas home tours that I attend every year here in the southern part of the U.S. Caitlin, wait until you have children, you will go nuts decorating for them. It's truly the most wonderful time of the year!

[@stephaniem203]

GUILTY!!!! I will admit... Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I do put up multiple trees. It was always something I wanted to do since I was younger. However, I have been overwhelmed by the amount of STUFF I have accumulated. Albeit a lot of it was handed down or thrifted. Even my trees are second hand. We just replaced all of the bulbs that needed replacing and boom, like new! so this year I'm streamlining. I agree that it does take a mental toll and feelings of shame bc of the amount of stuff. So I'm downsizing by rotating what I use, not putting it all out. Not buying a ton of new things. Swapping items with family and friends. And it is VERY time consuming. Which ends up being stressful bc I feel like I have to get it all done by some imaginary deadline. I do think social has had a big impact on the "I Need THAT!" affect. So I stopped watching them. I've changed gears and have been watching over consumption videos and am working to find a happy medium... Sorry for the long comment. ☺️

[@JustKelsey2.0]

Same girl! My maiden name is Jolley and boy were we at Christmas. We had like 10 trees with different themes on each and don’t get me wrong it was wonderful. But when l got married I tried to do the same thing in my house and I just got overwhelmed with the amount of stuff and it just sucked my joy for the season because l spent so much time getting it all out and fixed just right. So l scaled down to one tree, stockings, a manger and 1-2 things in the bathrooms and kitchen. It takes me the length of time of the movie “White Christmas” so l just pop it in and l am done by the time for the last song to sit and enjoy. I have felt so peaceful and l honestly can’t explain why it does. Guess my brain gets overwhelmed with the busyness 🤷🏻‍♀️. But I get it.

[@stephaniem203]

@JustKelsey2.0 whoa 10 is a lot!! Lol the idea of it is fun but it's a lot of work! It's like a second job at times and I agree it takes away from time spent enjoying the season. I love that you can do it all while watching a movie. What an awesome idea!!!!!!

[@JustKelsey2.0]

@ yeah it really was a lot growing up and took the whole family doing a certain job to get it done. It was insane. Good memories but I don’t want that for myself. Yeah l started the movie thing a couple years ago and I decided that if it doesn’t get done during the movie then it’s not going up at all. I love it because it keeps me focused on important things I want to display without being stressed about how much time it will take. This year l want to forage for branches to do garland on my hearth(we love hiking and my family had a plant nursery growing up) as a fun new tradition instead of shopping. Stuff like that makes me excited now over all the madness that goes on now.

[@stephaniem203]

@JustKelsey2.0 that's a great motto!!! And it's attainable! I love using things in nature as decor. Definitely more sustainable!

[@HereticHousewife]

Re: storage unit rentals. I live in a formerly rural area thats undergoing development into an outer suburban - exurban residential community. When a new subdivision gets built, new storage unit rental businesses go in at the same time, anticipating the need for extra storage from the start. The houses are mostly fairly large, but obviously there's not enough storage space in them.

[@Rhi129]

28:15 as an American, I cannot comprehend the obsession with bath and body works for someone over the age of 15. Everything they make smells like cheap disgusting chemicals. I hate going into someone’s house and seeing a bath and body works soap because they genuinely make me nauseous. So bizarre to have such an obsession with a brand like this

[@drsdiva]

💯

[@atresearch]

I haven’t bought B&BW in years, but if I did, it would be for nostalgic reasons. My sister and I were in to certain scents when we were in our late teens/early twenties, and the scents correlate to some really fun times in my life. So it’s not because of the quality but because of the association for me.

[@Rhi129]

@@atresearch totally can understand the nostalgia! I just find it wild that people genuinely buy all the soaps and lotions and candles and use them every single day. It truly confuses me lol

[@atresearch]

@ I understand your point as well. I am old enough that overconsumption of anything is extremely strange

[@gabbyfringette7250]

Bath and body works smells like dollar store stuff

[@Fairly_Reasonable_Investor]

My dudes, it's time to go back to minimalism and bring that trend back in vogue again.

[@mariwhya]

Oddly enough, I grew up in a house where my mother would decorate the place for all seasons and certain major holidays. It came down to the plate sets we would use depending on the season. And every seasonal change, we'd redecorate the house. As a kid I hated it because of how much I set up and reset everything. But my mother kept the decor for decades. It's not like we were shopping every year for new decor. Maybe a new candle or something. Looking at this decor craze, I definitely know it's possible to do this in a healthy manner. But not this insane overconsumption. It's about curating a collection of home decorations that bring you genuine joy.

[@LisaLove-m4l]

We reused our decorations too. Our house looked nice.

[@theladynextdoor313]

So here’s my thing and I have always been this way: I love Christmas but NOT UNTIL AFTER Thanksgiving. I refuse to decorate for it until the day after Thanksgiving and will stick to it. I gave up black Friday shopping at least 10+ years ago and find that I’m much happier just relaxing doing some cleaning at home and setting up my Christmas stuff on that day or that weekend, then I am fully in the spirit of the season. I also refuse to watch any Christmas related content on YT until then too. I despise the super early bird Christmas content 😂. I shun all Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving as well. Having a nostalgic vibe to Christmas is VERY important to me. I have lost most of my family elders so memories are everything. Pictures and older items… I like to keep my decor for as long as I possibly can. I may add a few new things here and there but I set up the same things every year and I LOVE it (so does my family). We are very focused on our gatherings (Christmas movie nights and dinners, etc) and traditions not stuff ❤️.

[@mauishopgirll]

I do the same but do very minimal decor now as I’m in a small space. Nothing comes out until Thanksgiving. I do watch holiday movies and read Christmas/winter themed books from October though. Music is usually why I start decorating.

[@Jordan.elaine]

One of my favorite parts of each holiday (that I decorate for) is pulling out my storage box for that holiday and decorate with the things I have collected over the years (plenty of it is from my childhood). It’s nostalgic, I get to think of the people whole gifted me specific items, or the reason why I got some items, for example the fish Christmas decorations not because I fish or even like fish but because my dog loves fish, to the point where I actually like the smell of cod, because my dog gets so happy when I get him those treats 😊 Not buying nearly all, if not entirely whole new things and themes 😅

[@alisonr819]

That is so cute about the dog.😊

[@susanjeffries5108]

On the subject of storage units: I don't know if it's like this everywhere, but where I live those storage unit lots are popping up everywhere! I feel like there's always a new self-store unit complex being built. I can see the appeal for sure, but I don't see myself getting one. For sure some people need them when they are renting a smaller place and looking for a different house, or if they have a business that requires some storage options. It would be nice to have storage for some seasonal things for sure. That's what I always have to say to myself when I go shopping somewhere. I'll see something cute but then I think, "Where will I store this?" I'm a food scientist and I adore food technology and innovative ways for preserving food, and I've always been a gigantic fan of freeze drying. There's a freeze dryer I've been eyeing for literal YEARS for making backpacking meals and preserving food from the orchard and things like that but I always have to come back to the knowledge that it would not be easy for me to store something like that in my current home. It's probably a good thing I don't have a storage unit lol. I think it wouldn't take long to fill up something like that so I think it's sort of like "portion control" to not have one. 😂

[@markeebouback3028]

I seriously LOVE watching you. You make me laugh so much. Your personality is everything. Don't ever change, Caitlin! I can't wait to keep watching you grow on here:)

[@didralamond8145]

These influncers homes are so beautiful! But as you stated at the beginning of the video, they are sets and I wonder if they have a space or area where its just "theirs" and not for social consumption? Years ago when youtubing became a job for a lot of folks. I thought about it and for many reasons I didn't but two of the main reasons were the first being I didn't want to start a hobby for it become work and start resent it. The second was I didn't want to come up with content ideas especially back then. LOL When I was younger I over-consumed on a lot but mostly clothes. This year I have started to purge a lot of what I had and as I am going through my items. I see and have admitted to myself I had/have a problem. I had new "faux" leather moto jacket I never wore, shoes, pants, undergarments, never worn! Thankfully I am a part of my local Facebook group and asked where should I donate in my area. I am so thankful for all of those strangers who commented because I will be donating my new and gently worn clothing to women shelters and recovery centers! I think influncers have to move just as fast as companies with putting out their content! Even though I have cut down buying clothes, I still "window" shop online lol,, anyway I just noticed on Torrid a plus size retailer they already have swim suits out!! Its not even Xmas and they are already displaying bathing suits. When I worked in retail that is when I found out that companies are always a season or two ahead just to get the money because of how their business profits are projected.

[@colelynn8089]

My mother bought us one new tree ornament a year. It always said our names and the year. When I got my own house she gave them all to me. It is so fun to see them when I put up my tree each year. I am doing the same for my kid. It’s mixing old and new but not over consuming.

[@stephaniehuthmacher4214]

I have a three-foot original 1960s aluminum tree. I love it!! I change ornament colors every year (get my ornaments at thrift stores. Whatever's available). One year was red, then pink, had green, and blue. This year is gold. Next year will be multicolor! My aluminum tree brings me great joy.

[@mariasato2884]

22:20 yeah it’s not “billionaires sho here”, it’s “you can buy as much stuff as you want like if you had a billion dollars.”

[@barbr100]

I just had this conversation yesterday with my husband. I do not understand the concept of new decor for Christmas every year. Maybe replacement items as needed, but it’s out of control. I decorate less and less every year and give away more and more.

[@jasmineoakes]

I literally just wrap Christmas lights around an amplifier. I haven’t bought Christmas decorations in years. This time of year is normally very sad since my grandma died 3 years ago. With Christmas and thanksgiving coming up, I’m reminded of the holidays I celebrated at her house. It makes me sad and I miss her so much. She died the morning after Christmas in 2021. This time of year is normally just depression for me and my family. The tree I did the year she passed was the amplifier tree. It was the last one she saw.

[@yesterdayitrained]

I’m so sorry. I too understand how a loss changes everything, in ways we never imagined. I hope someday you and your bereaved family will find peace, and be able to express the same joy in Christmas your grandmother did.

[@lololpoppy]

Imagine having money for decorations like this as well as presents 😭

[@jessieb7290]

Every year as well.

[@CYouInSpain]

My parents had a tradition that my sister and I would each get to pick one new ornament every year growing up. I have most of them now and have continued on the tradition as an adult. Sometimes I thrift it and sometimes I buy new…but only one! I love opening up all the memories every year!! We are moving to Spain in march, and I can’t take them all with me. 😢

[@deannalikeshappiness]

I used to keep a basket of snacks for deliveries drivers (we get a lot of Amazon). Unfortunately squirrels kept steeling them, so I don’t do it anymore

[@z0ebella]

This made me chuckle and then think about Peanut (RIP lil homie)

[@theladynextdoor313]

Yeah, I could maybe leave a couple things out here and there on occasion, but the squirrels in my yard are greedy little savages and I could never!!!! 😂😂😂

[@yuzu-tsuyu]

lol I considered doing the very same thing, but exact same issue--our squirrels are HUGE, super agile, and way too brave... I'd be scared to leave food out, even if it's packaged...

[@drsdiva]

​@theladynextdoor313 😂😂

[@vanessahobson7095]

I just wanted to tell you that I absolutely enjoyed you’re video. I had many giggles. I love the 30’s… you finally know who you are and you calm down. Praying the 40’s is more of the same since next year is the big 4 0! Anyhow thank you for brightening my day. Truly made me laugh.

[@kfr8601]

17:44 I started feeling this way about Christmas gifts, honestly. One of the byproducts of not shopping very much for myself/cutting down my personal consumerism is that the gifts I receive at Christmas or for my birthday feel much more special. It’s kind of an exciting change of pace to receive things I wanted for myself and didn’t buy automatically

[@MaxsMom-bv6hf]

I decorate seasonally with the current holiday thrown in and my home interior has been carefully curated by thrift shopping over many years.

[@DuchessOfWales]

Another great video - thank you! About security cams - there are sites dedicated to security cam hackers where criminals and random creeps can watch, so another consideration, especially for indoor cam users

[@wandajarabo1793]

Im so pleased you made this video as ive been thinking exactly the same as you about the seasonal decor obsession spreading in the UK with young females.They are like children gerting super excited, and that's at the core of it, reliving their childhoods as adults with the money to afford to indulge to such a crazy extent. Im sickened by the childish over stocking thing in US which i only know about from watching your vids. How SM has irrevocably changed some people.

[@missdaolovely]

One year I went crazy for Christmas decor and I mean crazy hit up every store (Marshall’s, Michael’s, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, Target) I felt like I was Martha Stewart but in reality I was broke broke. I ended up just selling everything and now I celebrate Christmas with my church and my family. I don’t need to go all out for holidays. I’m just happy to be alive and get to live another year. Hopefully 2025 I will be cancer free.

[@drsdiva]

🙏🙏🌷🙏🙏

[@assleepyassayu4619]

the amount of non-biodegradable stuff is actually stressing me out, we create enough waste on this planet throughout out lifetime already... as Kyloe would say:"Kim there are people dying out there"

[@sallybrown5052]

Very insightful and well put. The whole thing is very sad.

[@Maddddddddy]

I really need this video. Im on edge trying not to a bunch of stuff. Ive done good the last few years just picking up free stuff and thrift store stuff. Nothing matches but it does the job.

[@yesterdayitrained]

Same here! I looked very closely at some new Christmas decor at Costco yesterday, and after careful consideration, put it in my cart. About 5 seconds later, I was “Nope, I don’t need (or even really want) this”, took it out of my cart and put it back on the shelf. And if you do end up buying something you later feel you didn’t want, return it. Returning is a pain, so it makes me that more thoughtful when I purchase something. Edit: Holiday decor doesn’t need to match- it never did. The joy is in the uniqueness, the memories, and the love. No one needs a ‘theme’ or an ‘aesthetic’ to decorate well. None of your items may match- which is typical, normal, fine, and (IMHO) special in a way ‘themed decor’ will never be.

[@ikimeht]

I have a cat, holiday decor's natural predator. Nothing will keep your house baubel free like a tiny apex predator running around

[@theladynextdoor313]

😂😂 true

[@NikaMaul]

In the US it's the nestled in front of the fireplace feeling cozy while it's freezing outside, that helps our Christmas aesthetic. I prefer tradition.

[@NikaMaul]

My tree and style looks the same as I was a kid in the 80s. I have all my mother's and my own childhood decor and ornaments. I will never change it up.

[@MushroomMoonbeam]

We’ve had the same Xmas tree and ornaments for 8 years. Hopefully they’ll last us many more years to come. We also do a wreath on the front door, a Xmas blanket on the couch, and 2 little xmas gnomes in the kitchen. Everything fits in one box including the tree. That’s good enough!

[@laurenmena6816]

Im a sahm and have been decorating my home mostly different every year for Christmas. I also do it for Halloween. I do use old items, but move it around so it looks different. I do not have social media, I do it for my kids. And to keep traditions alive and boosts a holiday mood.

[@drcandybonsu995]

Wow.. am overwhelmed watching her show us her decor bins.😮

[@Llamaface]

FANTASTIC VIDEO! yes would love a video from you on Hello Kitty & also Reseller culture as a whole (i see this come up a lot in the doll community as well)

[@beatriz25ish]

All of this reminded me of the chritsmas episode of the golden girls how dorothy gave a good lesson to stan. My sister and i buy a lot to give away to coworkers, and donating. Theres a lot of people struggling paycheck to paycheck and working homeless.

[@kyrakytana]

I still use some of the decorations my grandma and great-grandma bought. The basics (most basic baubles and christmas tree) I bought when I moved into my house 14 years ago. I will still get a few (high quality) items each year, but I do not have the energy to buy everything new each Christmas season. I also cannot imagine how much it all would cost if I stuck to my motto of not bringing cheap plastic stuff into my home.

[@Itsmaia683]

I just saw a fb post about suggestions for delivery drivers snack station and apparently it’s a real thing , many people posted their pictures and shared ideas …

[@daniellescherb3079]

As someone who does deliveries on the side, I can confirm it is a real thing

[@zinatarata]

When we were young and moved in together we got lots of cheap christmas decorations. But the last 15 years I've been buying just a few high quality decorations each year and now I have so many beautiful ones that we use year after year. And some I bought when travelling as souvenirs, so every time I put them up I remember that trip.

[@ArtVices]

as a former marshalls employee, work at Marshalls if you want it. to record minimum wage workers who just wanna buy something after shift, it doesnt matter. "customers dont have a chance" yea well employees are also customers at the end of the day. people just like being upset LOLOL

[@depilou]

As a former Marshall's employee I can speak to the hold situation regarding that Hello Kitty blanket... Holds are not allowed to be "in the back". The customer service desk is where holds go for customers AND employees alike. Just because you can see it, doesn't mean you can have it, if it's on hold. Perhaps the situation would've been different if they didn't straight up call out that the hold was for an employee, but still, some customers piss me off with the entitlement.

[@sarahalexandrra]

Just wanted to add, I’m not hating on Christmas decorating. Do what makes you happy and makes your home happy. We should just be mindful and not just buy because it’s impulse or we feel pressure to buy new things to wear, or buying the trendiest decorations. Buy what you love! (Think Marie Kondo. Think - this stuff all needs to go somewhere.) Living more as a minimalist has made me so much happier

[@leona6455]

You are so right! Christmas is all about nostalgia and it's also about the joy of giving,not buying/consuming. It makes me sad that people are getting their Christmas buzz from running around buying tat instead of making nice memories with the people around them...less is more, people!!

[@aprilnelson3771]

I occasionally buy some new things here and there but most of my decorations have been passed down and are several years old and I love them. I can't even imagine the financial strain and time consumption of purchasing everything new

[@abundantlyinspired]

Christmas decor used to be based on nostalgia..... maybe I'm old but I still look forward to unpacking the same things I had as a child or my son had.❤ I buy a few odd things each year to add to what I have but I never do an entire new theme every year.😮That Temu ad seems like adolescents created it. 😂

[@nataliet4293]

12:32 girl it's a set. The only person that's regularly being given all that is probably the trashman when he grabs it for the dump.

[@buntyjoy1800]

They decorate all year round, starts at Valentines, then Easter, then Halloween, then thanksgiving and of course any family celebration.

[@happymelodieart]

Oh no the Hello Kitty craze!! 😂 Imagine going out of your way to get a minimum wage worker in trouble over a Hello Kitty blanket... are these people insane?! In my opinion, these workers deserve all the Hello Kitty stuff they can get just to compensate the insanity these customers put them through over these items!

[@carenrojas602]

Hey. In response to the Temu ad question. I get that ad all the time as well. The ad isn't saying or suggesting that billionaire shop on temu. What it's suggesting is that billionaires can shop freely. Buy a bunch of stuff without worrying about the cost. So at Temu, a average Joe can "shop like a billionaire" because everything is so cheap that the cost is no longer a concern. That's my interpretation. As an American from a low income community, I get the appeal. I don't fall for it because, like you, over consuming is not appealing to me. But I definitely understand it.

[@susanjeffries5108]

We've had a delivery driver treat station for a few years now. It is nowhere near as grand as the one shown in this video, and we will only ever have probably six or eight items to choose from. They're not glamorous, and there's certainly not curated with a color scheme, but it makes me feel really good to go out and get the items that I will put out for the drivers as well as to see when they have taken them. A number of them have said nodded a thank you into our Ring camera. I think it makes a difference to them. It doesn't have to take a huge amount of time. I just have a little basket with a sign on it that I restock when it's running low. Probably takes about 5 minutes of my time per week. Also- about this particular restocking video: The crinkling and the shoving and the slamming... if they had shown that video without all of the quick cuts and the horribly accentuated sound effects, I wouldn't have hated it. As it was, I was cringing through the whole thing. I really want to know why people do that. For me, it's rage bait. But I can only assume some people really like it??? The only time I see restocking videos is on commentary channels. I don't have TikTok but if I did I would avoid those types of videos like the plague.

[@mariadaly4673]

I've had the same decorations for years some of them from my parents and grandparents which I love to bits and have sentimental memories and feelings attached. Being from Ireland where winter can be quite cold I find it so unusual to think of celebrating Christmas in the sun though. Im sure it's fabulous though ❤