My mom died at 96 and I inherited all her Christmas decorations that she had collected over her many years. Even the artificial tree from 1954 which is still in good shape. Remember when things were made to last? I cherish her ornaments, many that I gave her. My favorites are the glass bubble lights . There's no cohesive color story or style just a tree full of happy memories in all it's eclectic glory. I love it. Just wish Mom was here to decorate with me. ❤
@04beni049 ай бұрын
Wait -- do you mean the long-ish lights that looked like they were bubbling inside? I ADORED those as a kid, and it broke my heart when I went to do Christmas as an adult for the first time and learned they weren't available anymore. Not ones that looked like my memories, anyhow.
@grouchostarx5319 ай бұрын
We had old bubble lights growing up in the 90s. My dad was born in 1941, and the bubble lights we had were probably from the 50s or 60s because he told is that he’d had them since he was young. They were mine and my dad’s favorite Christmas decoration. He died the day before my 11th birthday and, while my birthday seems to pass without much thought, Christmas always gets me because I have very distinct memories of decorating for Christmas with him. We had all his childhood ornaments, old glass ornaments from the 40s and 50s. We ended up moving to another state and I don’t know what happened to our decorations after that. (It’s honestly one of the things I can never forgive my mother for. She left the Christmas decorations behind, which was especially heinous since all of mine and my sister’s childhood ornaments were there as well. Like custom gold plated ornaments my dad commissioned with our names and dates of birth on them, for example. It was like she wanted to destroy every memory of my dad, which is ironic because now she can’t stop talking about how much she misses him and how she doesn’t have any pictures of him.)
@Not2daysatan9 ай бұрын
This is wonderful! Carry of her traditions if it fills your heart!
@venom58099 ай бұрын
Glass bubble lights are iconic.
@olliejilliangil83829 ай бұрын
Loved bubble lights
@Julies-in-a-mood9 ай бұрын
As kids in the 1960s our job was to remove the tinsel from our live Christmas tree, to be reused the next year. Then one year we saw a discarded tree on the curb covered in tinsel. We were amazed at the extravagance!
@flower-ss2jt9 ай бұрын
Like you I keep my tinsel, which I really like, from year to year.
@karenholmes65659 ай бұрын
My mom didn't make us do that. But she was psychotic about how trees needed to be decorated. Her mother taught her that tinsel had to be added one piece at a time, each strand to be laid just so. It took all day just to put the tinsel on. She tried that with me and my siblings, we would never comply to that level of perfectionism so she gave up on it. When she got older she hated Christmas. She quit celebrating it for years because of this perfectionism that he mom drilled into her. She only got over it when she had grandkids. She'd still come over and rearrange my ornaments because they weren't perfectly placed. That was fine with me, I was never offended by it and I just was glad she came to be with my kids. Was my grandmother OCD to instill this in my mom? I don't know.
@Jules_Pew9 ай бұрын
Yeah, I remember collecting every strand for next year as a child. I prefer the garlands these days.
@ruby119 ай бұрын
Same. Saved the tinsel! When I was a little kid, tinsel was made of lead, not plastic.
@jd93519 ай бұрын
Us, too!
@JasmineBrownOttawa9 ай бұрын
Ah Nick, you deliver once again. Not even one minute in, "I'm not here to ruin your Christmas. Like, if you love it, if you love your little holiday ugly crap, then you just keep that in your own home. You just go nuts." SLAY, Nick, SLEIGH 🎅
@NicoleAZ1459 ай бұрын
Omg I snort-laughed when he said that. 😂 Nick, you’re a treasure!
@silviaanguiano35979 ай бұрын
😂 hilarious! 🤣
@amibatth9 ай бұрын
😅😅 nick you made us laugh. I love your disclaimers then u go on to be your true self. 😊😊 another lovely video.
@viramandybur9 ай бұрын
Yep, this is the line that got me...🤣
@trishrobinson15239 ай бұрын
I love it . I watched a guy this week on homeworthy talk about “trashy “ outside Christmas lights and immediately changed the channel. He is not for me. If I want to be classy great. If I want to be cheesy and trashy that’s also great. I am not a fan of pretentious.
@Catherine33859 ай бұрын
My husband and my first Christmas as a married couple many years ago (many) we put the music on, decorated the tree with second hand and home made ornaments, covered the whole tree with tons of tinsel. Then cuuddled with our eggnog happily talking about our first Christmas together. So romantic. Then my cat walked over played and ate and choked on the tinsel. Had to reach in her mouth and pull out the beautiful glittering tinsel from deep down her throat while she (and us) gagged. We spent the rest of the night pulling off every bit of tinsel from the tree and have never used it again. Don't miss it. And neither did the cat
@theprousteffect97179 ай бұрын
😂😂 I realize it's been many years since then, but for anyone reading this, it can potentially be very dangerous to remove anything from your cat's mouth yourself. Particularly if you don't know exactly how much they've swallowed and how far down it goes, pulling any long strands out of their mouth could fatally injure them by getting stuck or wrapped around something internal. If it's possible, it's best to take them to an emergency vet.
@rspen21429 ай бұрын
🤣🤣🤣
@Catherine33859 ай бұрын
@@theprousteffect9717 That makes sence.
@NicoleAZ1459 ай бұрын
Oh my goodness, poor cat. I’m glad she was ok. Sounds like a lovely Christmas before that though!
@beverlynorris5579 ай бұрын
Tinsel is so bad for the environment.
@arraine9 ай бұрын
One of my favorite things about being in my 30s is understanding ornaments. When I was a kid I HATED that our ornaments were so mismatched and our tree didn't look like the ones in the stores. I really wanted a tree that felt like a store display (my grandma had a cardinal-themed tree). Now, I unpack my ornaments and I see the memories from my own life and marriage and all of the affection that ornaments were gifted to us with over the years from a variety of people. It's really pretty magical.
@ah57219 ай бұрын
I've feathered cardinals on my tree too. Glad I'm not alone.
@arraine9 ай бұрын
@@ah5721 they're lovely birds for a Christmas tree 🥰
@kilgore_trout_379 ай бұрын
YES
@Erica-en2qz9 ай бұрын
My daughter and I have a tradition where we buy a new ornament each year, so ALL our ornaments are mismatched, with the exception of a set of simple round colorful ornaments that look like the old fashioned glass ones. I love the memories each year as we trim the tree. 🎄
@MJ-sy2en9 ай бұрын
Nick definitely keep us informed about the inflatable arms race. 😂
@fiddlersthree84639 ай бұрын
Weapons-grade Santas!!!! 🤣🤣
@FrinkyBaby9 ай бұрын
Nick would hate my ever-growing family of inflatable Christmas dragons! 😂 Love ya, Nick!
@monkeybusiness19999 ай бұрын
Totally get the humor :) My previous neighbor had a mass of HUGE tacky yard inflatables & moved away this year ~ Hallelujah!! 🎶 Unfortunately, he left them all behind for the new resident to use... 😂🙄 (Actually, I could care less - it's Christmas & only for a few weeks. And the stuff makes me smile. Mostly because I don't have to deal with setting it up or storing it! 😉)
@Patrick-kt5mc9 ай бұрын
In early March those inflatables will still be in people's yards mostly deflated.
@rhondawest68389 ай бұрын
There was a drive-by shooting of an inflatable Santa recently. The war is on!
@flowersfrom73119 ай бұрын
Our first Christmas. We bought a real tree for the kids, but didn't have money for the decorations. So i bought white cotton yarn in Walmart and crocheted leaves, flowers and stars. They looked beautiful against the dark green needles. Very quaint minimal look. :)
@dianeangelo22279 ай бұрын
I bet it was beautiful ❤
@andreaharrison77779 ай бұрын
I agree. I treasure the white crocheted snowflakes Mom Harrison made for us. They look great as you say on the dark green and truly with everything.
@janicelindegard66159 ай бұрын
So many memories were triggered by this very fun video. As a kid in the very early 60s, we had a real tree and covered it in tinsel. I sound like a cranky old woman saying this, but back then tinsel was made of lead. It hung beautifully because it had weight and didn’t get full of static. Plus you could roll it into balls to throw at your siblings or lay it on the electric train tracks to make sparks. Good times.
@mtnshelby70599 ай бұрын
I totally forgot about the tinsel spark😂😂😂
@Suleclo9 ай бұрын
Yes! We used to roll it up in balls, I had forgotten that. I thought it was some type of aluminum, not lead, but we were disappointed when it became all plastic.
@AnnNunnally9 ай бұрын
I was a kid in the 60’s. Maybe our lead tinsel is why I am the way I am now! 😊
@KatjeKat869 ай бұрын
When I inherited some of my grandmother's Christmas decorations there was a Garland of tensil, it wasn't lead but it was more like tinfoil definitely metal not plastic. The string which was cotton to reinforce the core is starting to break down but the actual metal tensile still in beautiful shape I used it outside for years.
@tiffytattoo24509 ай бұрын
Yes, tinsel was once made from lead, then came the aluminium and then plastic.
@StayAtHomeMeme9 ай бұрын
Also my tip…AFTER Christmas when stores are trying to get rid of all the rest of the decor items, you can get some amazing deals and then next year when you unpack your decor you’ll have a bunch of brand new stuff and it’ll feel like you don’t have to go out and buy new stuff!
@marionvanessen9059 ай бұрын
In the Netherlands the prices go down in the days leading up to christmas! Allways try to find some nice trinkets then
@susanma48999 ай бұрын
One year either right before or after Christmas I went on the Macy's website and was amazed at the infinitie variety of trees on there--all marked down. There were probably 200 different trees on their website. I bought some beautiful pre-lit garland that I still use.
@Afrinaturality9 ай бұрын
Very true. I always buy my gift wrap after Christmas.
@marieo3059 ай бұрын
I'm a big fan of 3rd christmas day. When all the chocolate and decorations are on sale😂
@sharondalynnewton75629 ай бұрын
That’s how I’ve accused a plethora of stuff!!
@potts79769 ай бұрын
As someone who has had to chase a dog around the house because it was dragging a poop garland of tinsel out its rear end, I hate tinsel! Love your channel.
@chrystalbrown96009 ай бұрын
😮😂🐶
@patriciamay63969 ай бұрын
Been there!
@dcgelinas19 ай бұрын
You just made my day! 😂😂
@shelaghf9 ай бұрын
mine was a cat, no more tinsel
@Lara-he4dp9 ай бұрын
Been there, done that with my cat (more than once) 😅
@terryruiz74179 ай бұрын
Our tree ornaments date back to my childhood, and I'm 77. I've built the collection over the years. I told my daughter one day she'll asked why her mother saved all this crap. She said, "Oh Mom. This is the good stuff." Nothing could have made me happier!
@rhodastephens-yoder56939 ай бұрын
I have been collecting Hallmark ornaments for almost 50 years. Each year, the day after Christmas, I would get up at the crack of dawn of dawn to go to the after Christmas sales. I was a college student and very poor. Now, every year when I open up my tubs of Christmas decorations, it is like visiting with old friends. I love it. (This year, my first since retiring from teaching, I was able to decorate my house before Thanksgiving and get to enjoy the festive look much longer. ) Merry Christmas 🎄🎁
@creativefierce9 ай бұрын
The only non-gross thing to do with tinsel: Drape/wrap the trunk of the tree with a tinsel garland before you put the lights on. It reflects the lights back from deep inside the tree and it's really beautiful. Doesn't matter how patchy it gets because you don't see it, you just see this reflecting soft sparkle behind all the other decorations. If the garland is gold, it also helps to warm up the light from not-warm-enough LEDs.
@TreasureDeal9 ай бұрын
What a cool idea for the tinsel ropes!
@calypso45549 ай бұрын
We have christmas tree decorations that are over 100 year to maybe 70 years old. We inherited most of them, and if we see some old ones, we buy them, but very carefully and not a lot. We use them every year, it's a beautiful collection of multicoloured decorations, baskets and baubles and pearls and birds etc. Every year the tree looks the same and still so different. I watch it with the eyes of a child. 😊
@kathleenm50269 ай бұрын
"if you love your little holiday ugly crap" .... you're hilarious!
@jangriffiths80139 ай бұрын
The trick to tinsel on the tree is "less is more". I have re-used my tinsel for the last 15 years. That's right. And before vacuuming, I make sure to pick up any pieces off the carpet -- it's easy to spot. And my tree is gorgeous!! Thank you.
@mynameispeaches9 ай бұрын
Love the sugar coated shade! “If you love this you keep them.” Followed by a mafia hit on our fave decorations!
@bernadettevanderploeg95519 ай бұрын
HaHaHa🤩
@goconnor03049 ай бұрын
Well said!
@creativefierce9 ай бұрын
"Sugar coated shade" is so Nick.
@jennifergraham37529 ай бұрын
I must admit that when I started to decorate for Christmas this year I put some candles in cylinder vases etc up the stairs. It looked beautiful. I imagined people walking into the house with the stairs looking lovely and welcoming….and then I pictured all of those people trying to walk past them with their bags and gifts and dogs 😜. I immediately took it all away.
@amsteensberg16539 ай бұрын
Being Scandinavian I swear by real candles . ..but for the same reason as you I use battery- candles on the stairs
@cynthiafialka9 ай бұрын
Agree with Christmas decor being a journey. I’ve been collecting decorations for years and I try to buy elegant things that last. It’s like pulling old friends out of the box.
@SojaSojaSoj9 ай бұрын
Oh interesting! I didn't know that tinsel was different in Canada. In the UK tinsel is long strands of sparkly plastic stuff (the tinsel garlands you show next) - the stuff you show we called lametta. My parents loved both and covered the tree and every surface with it, it was such a pain to take all the strands of lametta off everything every year to re-use. I haven't seen lametta for years, but tinsel is still popular. I don't have lametta or tinsel, I guess it put me off for life! Even funnier, auto-correct changed lametta to laments throughout this comment!
@ah57219 ай бұрын
I lament to getting tinsel off the tree too !
@JennaFowler19 ай бұрын
I got some lametta from Ryman's a year or two ago. I can remember when it was made of foil. It was textured and very thin, so draped much better than the plastic stuff. The textured pattern made it sparkle!
@Duffy729 ай бұрын
When I take a box of Christmas decor out I pack my ‘regular’ stuff in that box 😊
@valeriehowden4719 ай бұрын
Rebecca R is the one true queen of Christmas! Her new staircase is amazing. I have strings of beads on my trees instead of tinsel garland. So easy.
@katie77489 ай бұрын
I LOVE beaded garland! We have a couple different colors of it. One of my favorite Christmas gifts was from a few years ago. I was given (handmade with love) beaded crocheted garland. It doesn't tangle (it literally CAN'T) and because it's white, it looks like someone drizzled frosting on the tree. I can't wait until I have enough ornaments to do a gingerbread tree, a peppermint tree, and a sweets tree. (I do a different theme every year...see my other comment lol)
@lisapurzak7229 ай бұрын
I got twinkling lights for my tree this year from watching her videos. Wow what a difference it made. I look forward to watching them and I notice she uses alot of her same stuff year to year but changes how she uses it and maybe adding a new color so it always looks different.
@jamenne9 ай бұрын
Nick, you are such a hoot. I love watching your videos. i was laughing so hard when you showed the clip of that lady with the Christmas room in February. I never even heard of her
@PandoraRoman9 ай бұрын
We only have tinsel garlands in Australia and I also hate them on the outside of a tree, but recently a friend recommended that if you have an artificial tree you should wrap the middle of the tree in the tinsel to reflect light and give it fullness. And you know what, she was right. It definitely adds to a cheap or dodgy tree. But never on the outside where you can see it!!
@anitas58179 ай бұрын
I’m 65. I have been collecting Christmas ornaments since junior high school. One for occasions, one on vacations, one for each year, each pet, book club annual ornament exchange, etc. I love bringing out decorations we’ve collected over the years, even if they’re not as nice as things we would buy now.
@skhjs92469 ай бұрын
We are trying out “Victorian Christmas Tree Tinsel” from Lee Valley this year. It is made out of metal just hooks onto the branches. Should be easy to put on and easy to remove. I picked up some of their stars a few years ago and love the old fashioned look they add to the tree. I’m not fond of the look of the plastic tinsel, and with a pup roaming around it feels like an expensive vet bill waiting to happen.
@sandrajewitt60509 ай бұрын
They're sold out now. Looks good though.
@tiffytattoo24509 ай бұрын
Super easy to diy. Some metal strip, get some plyers and twist. Done!
@skulker19839 ай бұрын
THANK YOU for recommending these!! I've been trying to recreate an 80's/90's style Christmas tree, but without tinsel strands it didn't feel right (and it was out of the question due to pets). After reading this comment, I rushed out to our nearest Lee Valley store this morning and grabbed two bottles! The tree looks like it blasted out of my childhood and I'm obsessed! Thank you again and Merry Christmas!
@skhjs92469 ай бұрын
@@skulker1983 I had a couple elves come over and help put up the tree this afternoon and the tinsel worked out beautifully. Ours is mostly wood and felt ornaments, with the tin stars and tinsel for sparkle. Every year it gets better. You’re welcome and Merry Christmas to you too!
@bluewren659 ай бұрын
As a vet I can tell you that it's mostly cats that get into trouble with tinsel. They just love to chew it. Mostly it passes through (so they do festive poop for days!), but it can get caught around the base of the tongue while the rest passes to the intestine, causing the intestine to bunch up and become necrotic. Not good and yes, a very expensive surgery, often made more expensive because it's happened on the holidays.
@jengirl29 ай бұрын
“Inflatables arms race” 😂😂 Loved this video.
@reejan81099 ай бұрын
Suggestion for another video - Teach people how to properly "fluff" their artificial christmas tree. Years ago, as a merchandiser, fluffing the display trees at Home Depot and Walmart was my job. It's not as easy as just taking the tree out of the box and standing it up.
@einahsirro14889 ай бұрын
😄You were a fluffer??
@imageisn0thing9 ай бұрын
Oh yes, 100%! I fluff my tree obsessively before a single ornament goes on it!
@andreakrueger78519 ай бұрын
I need this. I just bought my first artificial tree ever.
@floraidh40979 ай бұрын
My mother trained me from a young age to make sure the tree was properly fluffed. I absolutely hated how scratchy it was to have to bend and spread all those branches, but it really makes a difference 😄
@vivianblack29519 ай бұрын
I turn up the branch ends up slightly to give it an more realistic look.
@seriouslyreally54139 ай бұрын
You are so right, Christmas decor is a collection of a family's history over the decades.❤
@mbirch15939 ай бұрын
Got to love how Rebecca Robeson does Christmas. She goes ALL in!
@anitas58179 ай бұрын
Her style is beautiful, but it’s all waaay too much for me and way too impersonal.
@EmmaHacker-kj9un9 ай бұрын
I’m so excited Nick is a fan. I would never go that maximalist but I love the chaotic Christmas spirit.
@wdwexploreandchill9 ай бұрын
years ago my cat ate some tinsel and was walking around with half a string hanging out of her booty so as she walked by I held on to it and she ran off… I will never forget how she howled and I still feel bad about it. That was the end of tinsel for me!
@leannebarrett35269 ай бұрын
That happened to our cat too in the 1970s. We brought her to the vet and he told us to just trim it off as it came out of her butt! Which we did. No tinsel for me.
@bethanyweber39899 ай бұрын
I never experienced this myself, but when I was a kid we had an old box of tinsel icicles in the bottom of the Christmas decoration box and when I asked my mother why we never used them, she told me a story just like this.
@wdwexploreandchill9 ай бұрын
@@leannebarrett3526 I’m so glad I’m not the only one but I wish I had been smart enough to cut it off!
@wdwexploreandchill9 ай бұрын
@@bethanyweber3989 Yeah, once you witness that there is no desire to mess with tinsel again!
@bluewren659 ай бұрын
That's actually a really dangerous thing to do. The tinsel can be caught up the other end around the base of the cat's tongue. Pull on that bit coming out the butt and you risk bunching up the intestine and the tinsel cutting through the folds.
@zeldafitzgerald4379 ай бұрын
I’m so glad you gave a shout out to crazy town Rebecca! She’s completely over the top and somehow it all just works beautifully. I have to admit my heart skips a beat when I see her first Christmas videos come into my KZbin feed 🎄❤️💫
@AnnNunnally9 ай бұрын
My grandmother painted some sand dollar Christmas ornaments for me 40 years ago and I love putting them on the tree each year.
@erinkaufman63639 ай бұрын
Watching this as I'm decorating our tree. Still picking old tinsel out of it after all the years.😂 Plus the stuff can destroy cat's stomachs.
@anniebeanie7109 ай бұрын
What about the good old paper garland to teach the kids how to use glue and scissors?
@dawnreneegmail9 ай бұрын
popcorn and cranberry strings!!
@melissaweyrick53119 ай бұрын
My Dad's Cousin had the best Tree. All the ornaments were from Hallmark, collected over decades. It was truly stunning 🎄
@dianeshelton95929 ай бұрын
We buy a new really nice decoration each year. After 25 years of marriage the tree look lovely every year and has so many memories
@karenholmes65659 ай бұрын
My aunt had a tree like that. They'd get a yearly Hallmark ornament with the year on it. Each kid would get an ornament each year. My uncle would buy one for my aunt each year from my cousins. It was quite something. They'd get ornaments representing the special interest of the child that year. If a kid did ballet they'd get a ballet ornament. If my cousin did football that year they'd get a football ornament. So each year they were adding to the story of their family, like an ornamental history. Really quite personal
@donnafulford83269 ай бұрын
I love ya Nick ! Your humor tickles me . The shout out to Rebecca should make her proud….. I’m a senior, my decor is sentimental! Old crap to my grandkids I’m sure but they seem to like the stories attached. Thank you for being you ❗️ & your great content too ! Happy Holidays
@peggriffin63639 ай бұрын
You truly make me laugh! We used to throw literally throw the tinsel on the tree in the 70’s …I think there is Kids Christmas and adult Christmas…I appreciate you!
@susanpera21319 ай бұрын
Exactly. We started out putting it on one by one, but then got tired of it and ended up throwing it on.
@juliegauchay42199 ай бұрын
Nick, for a retro-loving girl like me, your tinsel talk stung a little! That being said, I keep a box of it in my decorations, but I don't ever use it! 😂 It's all about the nostalgia for me, as we would use it now and then when we were growing up. I take one look at the box and it makes my heart happy, but I don't have to deal with the mess, haha!
@karendavis78809 ай бұрын
OMG...I just realized I do the same! 😂
@samrittenhouse9 ай бұрын
Great video! 100% agree with all of these, especially the yucky cheap xmas candles. -oof. The other stinky XMAS decor I loathe are those wretched fake-cinnamon scented pine cones. OMG whenever I walk in a store selling them it's an instant migraine. Also prefer trees featuring ornaments collected over time, ornaments with sentimental value, etc. Trees that are too "new" or matchy-matchy make one's living room look like the restroom lounge area at a Macy's.
@amyshatrick66339 ай бұрын
I appreciate that you always seem encouraging even when explaining a "dont".
@seriouslyreally54139 ай бұрын
The tinsel attraction is a mid-century modern, retro 1960s nostalgia. 😂 something you have to be old enough to understand Nick.
@sheilagravely56219 ай бұрын
Yes!! Thank you. ❤❤❤❤
@calinavanpelt72209 ай бұрын
"...the hell from whence it came..." seriously what I'm here for. almost laughed my tea out my nose!
@irishmclass20429 ай бұрын
Nick, our neighborhood has gone bonkers with inflatables up and down the street! We have a lighted wreath and white lights with lighted garland around out front door. Simple and elegant.
@liddybird36089 ай бұрын
We neatly layered a strand at a time, and then removed it the same way. We used the same tinsel through my entire childhood. One trick to using it is to have an old fashioned tree with open branches so it can be layered without laying on the branch below. I prefer that kind of tree even though I don't bother with tinsel anymore. I love love love the ability to hang ornaments inside the tree and not just laying them on the outside.
@virvegeorgeson11769 ай бұрын
I love your videos, so much common sense and straight talk. Antidote to everything being hyped everywhere, thanks for your work on behalf of good design and less trash.
@nataliaserhiienko93339 ай бұрын
We have quite an old little artificial Christmas tree that is literally made out of silvery tinsel. So it's shiny enough, to say the least. But my 6-year-old son decorated it with other colorful strings of tinsel. I thought it was going to look awful, but it looks surprisingly cute😁
@joecity99 ай бұрын
Maybe not the best tree ever, but there was a certain army base hospital unit that put a tree up in their Medical Inspection Room and decorated it with samples of every known body fluid all in their own little kind of glass sample bottles. Cheerful - in a 'Dr Adams' family sort of a way.
@ah57219 ай бұрын
ew!!! I'd rather have dead spiders on my tree than vials of fluids.
@susanhaney34379 ай бұрын
When I was in chemistry grad school we had a tree that was decorated with little vials of chemicals, including also a the skeleton of a goldfish that had accidentally been brominated during a lab accident. Weird stuff, 0/10 do not recommend
@robynhillier40022 ай бұрын
I’m not a farmhouse style gal for my day to day home decor, but some farmhouse style Christmas decor I do like. It’s cozy. 🎄🎄
@annmoore3219 ай бұрын
💯 agree about the overpowering candles. If the fumes are making you high, and making your head hurt, you’re doing it wrong. It’s something that I have gotten careful about because my husband and son struggle with sensory processing disorder, and too much smell, even if it’s nice, is VERY triggering for them. Plus there are people who are allergic to certain smells and perfumes. Understated truly is underrated.
@kailovi9 ай бұрын
I just have a more sensitive smell and I cannot even walk through the cande section at Ikea without holding my breath. I stepped into LUSH once with a friend, and just step back out again letting them shop alone because I just can’t handle the smell. Oddly I’m fine with burning insense and walking around in a bulk spice store, so I think it’s just the artificial fragrances that get me. Even if it’s just one candle, it’s just not pleasant at all.
@katie77489 ай бұрын
Yes and you don't even have to have any of those issues to get a headache from them. Part of it is what they use to make those.
@TheWillOfJ9 ай бұрын
Thats a great point about bannisters! Garlands and stuff do look gorgeous wrapped around them, but think of accessibility: my father is disabled and NEEDS to hold onto the railing when going up stairs to be safe. Make sure people can hold onto it for support!
@ngquan12479 ай бұрын
I love that mention about building up your Christmas decoration. Great memories and great stories to share from that whole experience
@bethd47399 ай бұрын
Thank you, Nick! I grew up with regular plastic tinsel in the 60s/70s, but now I have tinsel made from tin scraps that I got at a historic colonial village -- I think Williamsburg in Virginia. I get the lovely sparkle and don't need to worry about the cat eating it, plus, history! Much easier to save and store from year to year. I agree with having the holiday decor be a journey rather than a sprint. Every year I pick up and ornament or two during travels or just something I love that is weird and vintage looking. Thank you so much for a great channel with lots of inspiration!
@nicoletaylor9339 ай бұрын
Great video! So agree about the tinsel. My grandma put up tinsel every year. She actually saved it from year to year by taking it off the tree and laying it flat in folded newspaper.
@julialivingston57039 ай бұрын
Love this! I beg to differ with tinsel, but I get it. I don’t use it on my tree because we have four cats and would rather not have Santa bring an expensive vet bill. I think the biggest problem with tinsel is that most people weren’t taught by my mom how to use it properly. 😂
@meganc7699 ай бұрын
Yes! Or my Dad. He took tinsel very seriously. I used to hate it as a kid but now that he isn't around I love it and I teach my kids how to properly put it on the tree 😂
@Sweet_CarolineB9 ай бұрын
Thank you for addressing the candles!!! I love making a pot of mulling spices. Natural, no toxins floating around in the air, and smells both amazing and REAL (because it is!)! Also love that you addressed building on your decor over the years. Much more sentimental and economical!
@ah57219 ай бұрын
and if you put it in cider you've something tasty to drink !
@lesliegooch75659 ай бұрын
Omg, hilarious. You're kind of an artist at delivering soft, sweet-sounding criticism.
@reginakeith81879 ай бұрын
The thing I've found that looks beautiful and gives sparkle in lieu of tinsel is clear plastic icicles. They're easy to find inexpensively at the Target bargain bin or even the dollar store, you get a whole bunch for like $3. They just make my tree twinkle in the light while not making a mess or being a hazard to pets like mylar tinsel strands are.
@cynthiajohnston4249 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing the very important fact that the tinsel can harm pets !! 🐾🐾💙
@amymullen2969 ай бұрын
I found a bunch of plastic icicles at a thrift store, and now they're my favorite thing on the tree.
@JessieBanana9 ай бұрын
I agree Christmas decor should be collected. It’s nice when you get to the point where you can pick and choose out of your own stash.
@AB-ol5uz9 ай бұрын
1000% support the anti-candles segment. Light unscented candles for the ambiance and leave the scent of the fresh Christmas tree, food and all othe cologne/perfume the attendees will be wearing. Don't even have unlit smelly candles in the common areas because some of them (looking at you Scentsy brand) are so obnoxiously strong that it's impossible to avoid getting a headache.
@alepolait89519 ай бұрын
Most of the popular brand candles do this!, they smell extremely strong while unlit, and then you light them and the scent is just underwhelming and off. Like they just create the fragrance and approve it without testing how it will behave with heat/wax/smoke. A couple of years ago, i found a small brand that makes the most amazing soy candles, no obnoxious scents, and smell beautiful while lit. I suggest checking local stores, farmers markets, etsy and stuff like that, if you really want candles.
@montananerd82449 ай бұрын
And candles are sooooo often involved in very traumatizing holiday fires...just not worth the risk when there's so much extra ephemera around. Except for unscented table candles, candlelight meals are a favorite of mine in December, I grew up observing religious Advent.
@montananerd82449 ай бұрын
@@alepolait8951totally agree, esp with scented products, local producers are so much better and often less expensive or much higher value at the same price point. They def tend to use higher quality fragrance!
@montananerd82449 ай бұрын
I was so mad at Target, they had a lovely smaller, less dense greenery wreath then stuck a big spray of cheap faux pale green new growth. Why 🎯? You could have made it perfectly classy ! I had to buy it, it was the only one that fit a particular door at work, but it drives me crazy how cheap tacky ickkkk it looks up close
@grouchostarx5319 ай бұрын
I cannot do most brands of scented candles. I can barely do scented candles as it is. I own 3 scented candles out of the (probably) 4 dozen candles in my house. Two of said scented candles have lids, while the third is a predominantly sandalwood scent, but very mild, which stays on a shelf far away from everyone. I totally agree about scented candles giving people headaches. I have an animal nose, like my sense of smell is very hyperactive. So I have to be very very careful about scented candles or I’ll be angry and in pain constantly. 😂
@susanbland67909 ай бұрын
Fun video Nick! My husband and I have had 42 Christmases together. We ditched the tinsel several years ago, although we still have a couple boxes, but we can't seem to give up the tinsel garland. We have the same string we bought for our 1st Christmas and yes it's patchy but it's just tradition. I hate it but I live it too❤️ Our tree is a collection of family decorations collected or inherited over the years and every year the tree looks the same, with maybe a new piece or 2. Our kids would kill us if we changed anything😆
@xallthecolorsx9 ай бұрын
My mom always told me, don't have fake greenery in your house unless you think it's real the first time you see it. And if you have some that doesn't look great, just use it on a high shelf!
@Not2daysatan9 ай бұрын
I low key love tinsel. It reminds me with a full heart of my long passed southern glitz grandma💖
@dearbh17369 ай бұрын
I remember being in a very posh friends house back in the 1970's in Ireland and seeing that kind of droppy-down tinsel for the first time and thinking it was so faaancy! Our family only had the regular stuff that was years old and that was the swathe type. When I finally had my own tree in the 1990's and found the tinsel for sale I bought it in bulk to re-create the 'posh' look I had always envied - OMG, what a disaster. I'm with you Nick - hate tinsel now. Thanks for the video and for a great year. Have a very happy Christmas and hope 2024 is a better and brighter year for you all round Nick
@ramonamcnutt9549 ай бұрын
I have added real lead tinsel to our tree the last couple of years. It is a little messy but does NOT fly around like the mylar tinsel of today. I love it. It reminds me of the trees my grandparents had in the 1960s. I do have other trees in my home that are decorated in the modern style. Just wanted to bring back some nostalgia.
@NinaCasali9 ай бұрын
I have to say I love your videos, it's like sitting down chatting with a friend who probably has better taste than me.
@susanma48999 ай бұрын
During the past few years, I have become convinced that tinsel was going to stop being produced at any moment (btw, growing up our family called tinsel "icicles"). So I've hoarded a bit of it and probably never need to buy any ever again. I even have some gold tinsel icicles--v 80s! Weirdly, I often don't even use it. I just have it. But when you look at old photos and watch Christmas movies from the 1940s...I mean, that super drippy tacky 1940s tinsel tree holds a soft spot in my heart. And those pictures you showed? Gorgeous. Wonderful.
@sp-bl1sl9 ай бұрын
The really good tinsel is lead. It doesn't get everywhere and hangs straight. Tinsel moves a bit and makes the tree glimmer.
@rebeccah37159 ай бұрын
Ok. Yes. I distinctly remember decorating our tree back in the day with some sort of metal tinsel. You had to be careful or it would break. That must have been what it was.
@bridgettoomey98269 ай бұрын
I love the advice about building your collection/decor. When I haven't had money and just wanted a "thing" i settled for something that would do. Now over time, I have donated those items and replaced them once I have been able to spend a bit more - or find that perfect vintage piece. it's so fun to build the decor over time and then get to see it again each year!
@exhibitdesign9019 ай бұрын
Love your sense of humor and yet common sense. I especially liked what you said about adding a bit each year. Too many people just toss stuff because it wasn't trendy this year. I still use the old ornaments my parents had that date back to the 30s and 40s. Truly as you said, Christmas means so much more than having the over the top in decor. Thank you Nick and Happy Holidays to you. Look forward to all of your videos!
@soniacordero41589 ай бұрын
I used tinsel for the first time this year by I used the party tinsel connected lines. Easy to wrap around and take off the tree for reuse next year. I spent only $6 on decorations this year.
@Telcomvic9 ай бұрын
I just started putting up some decorations yesterday. Talk about nostalgia! The macrame wreath I made in the late 1970's still looks as good as the day I made it. It now has battery powered led mini-lights and a newer red bow, but the rest is original.
@amandabehnke58259 ай бұрын
The Bay is truly amazing for greenery for Christmas! YES YES YES!!!
@valeriemcdonald4409 ай бұрын
According to my parents, tinsel looked beautiful when it was made of lead. According to my cousin, hanging icicle ornaments look phallic. Thought I'd share.
@louisepeterson66269 ай бұрын
Your parents were right. I was a child in the 40’s and 50’s (I was born in 1940. ) The lead tinsel did look great. It had to be spaced out just so on every branch. Be sure not to miss the inner branches and the backside. Our tree wasn’t against the wall until decorating was done. Always ONE strand at a time. It was gorgeous’
@skippymagrue9 ай бұрын
I collect ornaments when I travel and I have a lot of fun memories hanging from my Christmas tree.
@vickyschieman26949 ай бұрын
My cousin did the same. I have a few ornaments from my travels as well. I'm all for a pretty themed tree if that's someone's thing but I myself prefer a tree with mismatched ornaments that have history behind them.
@aleksandracomolaola9 ай бұрын
my mom is a xmass freak. she has a collection of ornaments build over 25 years, since I started to gift her a coulpe of ornaments every year. she has glass, wooden, textile rich decorative things for her xmass extravaganza. this year she will get a black peacock made of velour with silver stiching and pearls :D
@wendyherbert79369 ай бұрын
I still have a Christmas tree bauble from our first Christmas together, 25 years ago. Loving the build up of memories, which are enjoyed every year.
@suemiller34059 ай бұрын
Great video! Growing up in the 50s and 60s, tinsel was a very time-consuming family activity -- putting it on and taking it off one strand at a time. Raising my kids in the 80s, no tinsel at all. And I totally agree that Christmas decorations should have meaning and be memory-filled. Personally, I don't like the beautiful but sterile decorations unless they are in store windows.
@Caren-bo4uw9 ай бұрын
I agree with most of these things, especially tinsel. However, I don’t decorate every room in my house, just the rooms we use - as I say that I have never have decorated the laundry room😂
@pmjohnston79879 ай бұрын
I love when you say the it's my channel & I can say what I want line, which I hear in Leslie Gore's voice, and I punctuate it with a razzberry at the end.
@jeanne-marie81969 ай бұрын
Have a relaxing, joyful holiday, Nick! But, oh dear! I am that tinsel person who reuses it! Getting it to not wrinkle for the next year, was taught to me by my mother, who I’m sure learned it from hers. The strands are put on one by one, and sparingly! For me, the bunch of strands all together, just doesn’t work. My Nana’s were made from crimped metal, perhaps tin. The Great Depression and WWII rationing played a big part in my relatives saving and reusing time after time.
@nutmeg2089 ай бұрын
So true about the stairway clutter. I'm a homecare nurse, and have to remind some of my senior clients that what they are doing (overdoing!) is actually a serious hazard. Even public spaces go too far - old museums and libraries love to use wrap-around garland on their railings, but they forget people need to actually use these railings for support.
@auntiesam84899 ай бұрын
❤❤❤❤ Your message is snarky, fun, & delivered with love. Merry Christmas Nick.
@dorothymyers60749 ай бұрын
I use to decorate the tree with the kids but it was Santa that put the tinsel on so the kids were always in awe when they came down in the morning. It wasn’t much but added the magic. I haven’t found tinsel in years (the good kind) and the kids have grown so it’s not quite the same. Still good memories. I also believe in adding touches throughout the house but don’t go crazy as it is harder to get out and put away. It’s a great way to sort through, give a few items to kids (if they wish), throw the tattered items away, and then see what I can look for on after Christmas specials.
@Beardlybeloved9 ай бұрын
I’m definitely someone who likes to curate Christmas decorations over the years, but last year someone broke into my storage locker and only stole my Christmas decor! All my ornaments that I’d collected for the better part of the last decade, gone. So I’ve been hitting up lots of vintage and thrift stores trying to find things that feel like I’ve had them for a while. It’s hard starting over, especially since the sentimentality isn’t there but I’m looking at it as an opportunity to find new pieces I love.
@anitas58179 ай бұрын
Aww that’s sad. But you can start again - life is (hopefully) long.
@dtierney61376 ай бұрын
When the heat of the lights made the tinsel dance, magical ❤❤❤❤ I'll never be swayed to think otherwise
@CornbreadOracle9 ай бұрын
I hate yard inflatables! During the day when they’re deflated all through a neighborhood it looks like Santa dumped his trash as he flew over!
@michelehafey26079 ай бұрын
Yes to decorating throughout the house!
@isagoldfield73939 ай бұрын
I just ♥️U Nick! You’re so right on so many levels. Scented candles gives me headaches, that is why I ♥️ the TJ Unscented Ivory Pillar Candles 🕯️ I buy a bunch when it comes during the holidays & I use it all year round. Thanks Nick🎄⭐️🪅
@nutmeg2089 ай бұрын
I'd like to add something about what to do if you have a small space. I have a two-room condo, and I bought a fake green tree that was tall but very skinny, that was used in the store to display ornaments (I convinced them to sell it to me). Best investment ever; It's tall enough to display all my folk art ornaments, but so narrow it takes up very little space.
@sbffsbrarbrr9 ай бұрын
Cannot agree with you about the tinsel. Years ago, when I used to have real trees, I would take days to put on single strands of tinsel all over the tree. Loved the shimmer. And I actually did try to take off as much as I could before I put the tree out for recycling....and yes, it was the 90's 😁
@anitas58179 ай бұрын
I recycle Christmas trees for coastal wetlands erosion and they won’t take a tree with any tinsel at all.
@bablumenthal97039 ай бұрын
Retired and tired; I have a 5 ft skinny tree and just wrap it in a sheet and move it to a closet. I'm done putting stuff on and then off the tree. It suits me fine. Love your videos.
@w.w.w.n9 ай бұрын
Happy holiday season + Love me some Nick's brutal honesty/ funny vibe 😂😂
@sally82349 ай бұрын
Every time we went anywhere or visited a new state attraction, we purchased an ornament from the gift shop. Now when we put up the tree and pull out ornaments we can remember when we camped in Yellowstone or took a boat to Tangier Island or visited Glacier National Park. We also have lots of hand-blown ornaments from a local craftsman. Some ornaments were gifted and some were bought but they are now 35+ years old so seeing them again is almost like reconnecting with a long-lost friend. There is no color scheme but our tree is full of memories.
@kathywiseman79449 ай бұрын
We put LOTS of tinsel on our tree growing up because my dad bought so many bad ones. After all us kids went to bed my mom would rearrange everything including the tinsel. 🤣
@michelehafey26079 ай бұрын
Thank you for saying it takes time. It's too hard to get it all at once!
@arlenerivera-gw4st9 ай бұрын
My father took charge of decorating the tree. He laid tinsel strands across each branch evenly and then trimmed the tinsel with scissors into even waves so it was in perfect harmony. A bit neurotic, but it was quite beautiful.
@montananerd82449 ай бұрын
I work in a history museum and one of our volunteers, who used to run the art museum, decorates our tree. She uses tinsel but lays every strand with intention and basically works with our old 70s decorations to create a light spiral that is something to behold. Takes hours tho. My own tree is purely sentimental, it's all family memory ornaments & just a string of lights added lol...
@deedsh62809 ай бұрын
I think you got to the root of most tinsel issues---being cautious with how much and where vs, 'last thing on the tree, let's toss it on and be done with it'. I actually like a light tinsel appliation with the lights in terms of reflection and glow. To each his/her own.
@arlenerivera-gw4st9 ай бұрын
@@montananerd8244 I have not put up a Christmas tree for a few years. A wreath, table decorations, and my fireplace mantle are more than enough for me!
@dod23049 ай бұрын
You're so kind in describing your father. A "little bit neurotic"?? Oh my! Taking away the fun of decorating the tree from the children is one thing. As I read I realized it's obvious that he was completely OCD about the tinsel...but, to then "trim the tinsel with scissors"??! I'm sure he loved you all very much, but I can't imagine what life with him was like! He obviously couldn't bear a single thing out of place, at the "wrong" angle, anything not done "correctly". He must've have been extremely stressed out in the messy and haphazard world. Seriously, he had a mental health disorder called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. You probably know that by now, but it can be extremely debilitating to the person and everyone in their family. I'm sorry. PS I'm sure it was beautiful though. So often when my kids were small they'd decorate the tree and it'd be a mess! I'd wait until later and move some ornaments up where they could 't reach or move the tinsel a bit. ;-)
@brandivermillion34539 ай бұрын
I don’t have a problem with tinsel garland. I roll them around empty rapping paper tubes when I put them away. I’ve been using the same tinsel garland for years and years.
@emiliaescobar76529 ай бұрын
Totally agree with over powering candle scents, just too much!
@oliveoil2x9 ай бұрын
I do that. I tinsel my tree after Christmas in preparation for our New Year’s shindig. I pull it out of my tinsel box- where I carefully laid it after de-tinseling last year. It’s gold - it’s shimmery & my Christmas tree (14’ and real) becomes the glittering center of the party. My branches on the tree are very tiered and the tinsel does create a more filled in effect. Yeah. I tinsel … every year & I save it- in the fear that they will discontinue making it…
@sbffsbrarbrr9 ай бұрын
Sounds beautiful
@hehtac9 ай бұрын
Lordy, you are an absolute hoot to listen to, you have this incredible ability to give great advice lovingly (with wonderful wit and kind humour)...love listening to you!
@traceywiseheart64249 ай бұрын
I am obsessed with her Xmas decor too. She is the Queen of Xmas no doubt.
@terri43539 ай бұрын
Tinsel never dies. It’s the craziest product. If I used tinsel I would still find it around the house in April.