Yep, I took the tree down. I suddenly had a burning desire to get it over with, and when I get that desire I just have to do it quickly. I can’t let myself think too much, because then I start remembering how fun it was the day we got it, how excited we were, how all the Christmas fun was still ahead…
No! Out you go, tree. Of course the tree exploded about 10,000 dead needles on the way out- we’ll be cleaning those up for a while.
Meanwhile, my sister sent me a photo of her “January tree.” They took all the Christmas decorations off and put blue and silver lights on the tree. As I admired the photo, I realized that I should NEVER be allowed to have an artificial tree. I would make it into a January tree… then a Valentine’s tree, then Easter, 4th of July… I would never want to take it down. When the next Christmas rolled around, I would take the brown and orange decorations off the “Thanksgiving” tree and voila! The Christmas tree would be ready to go.
Much better for me to have a real tree that becomes a huge drooping mess by January 1st. We got the tree out and moved the couch back to its normal place.
And then I put up some New Year’s decorations!
And made some festive food.
I also made our traditional “clock cookies,” which are actually the NYC Black and White Cookies from this book:
I made a few “clocks” before giving up and making the rest of them black and white.
Overall the kids and I spent a cozy evening at home. The rest of our Christmas stuff (including plenty of white twinkle lights) is still up, and I’m enjoying it- but it’s a relief to have the tree gone. It was a huge chore hanging over my head, and it’s over for another year.
It’s 2025- HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Top photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash
19 Responses
Happy New Year Jenny! Well done getting the tree down and the family room reset- it looks great. And that new years spread looks yum 😋 Glad you had a nice night.
In the end we did not go to the fireworks with our friends, but we had them at ours to have pizza and drinks at home- the kids watched a movie with popcorn (and fell asleep by 10), adults had champagne and watched the Sydney fireworks on TV (11pm our time). And then went to bed before midnight 😁🙃
Your night sounds really, really fun! And you went to bed before midnight! We couldn’t do that here- SO many fireworks going off in our neighborhood.
It can be so pleasing to get your house back in order. I was thinking about keeping our tree up and making it a Valentine’s Day tree but with my upcoming surgery, I decided it’s best to take it down while I have the use of both arms. So it will come done next Sunday, the day before surgery. I am keeping it up as long as possible because I need the glow of a tree during these dark, gloomy days. It’s so gloomy here these days! I miss the snow which brightened things up.
Happy New Year!! Your spread looks great! I made chicken wild rice soup and Phil and I enjoyed some champagne. We also played a new game Paul got for Christmas – sleeping queens. It was so much fun! I love that our kids are in the games stage!
Well, you could take the tree down but leave up some “January lights,” like white twinkle lights on a mantle or shelf. I usually do that, and it keeps things more cheerful when all the Christmas things are gone.
The tree is down! I love how you keep up some fairy lights and still have a festive display. It’s the best of both worlds!
I spent NYE in a hotel room in Michigan and I went to bed at like 10:30. LOL. I also woke up at 7 my time (which is sleeping in for me), but it was PITCH BLACK OUTSIDE and I was so confused. How can one hour time change throw off so much?
UGH! It was pitch black at 7 am??? I would be confused as well. Sounds like this won’t be your most favorite NYE either, but at least you got a lot of sleep!
I am here to a be a bad influence. My coworker at my last in-office job had a small fake tree that she kept on her desk, and decorated seasonally. I have a picture with the St Patrick’s Day decorations that I’ll have to dig out. I think you should totally do that!
I love the clock cookies!
Happy New Year!
Ha, well we do have a little fake tree which is still up. The problem is- this is so annoying- it’s one with lights attached, and half of them have stopped working. Grr. I’ve been debating whether to add lights to it, or just take it down.
Happy New Year, Jenny! Am I an enabler if I think you SHOULD get an artificial tree? I mean, imagine the possibilities! Well, I guess we are all limited by space and so…but still! Imagine! This is an incredible idea!
Clock cookies! So much fun.
My tree is going down today and the house is going to be cleaned from top to bottom. This is my semi-recent NY tradition.
Can I also say I’m really enjoying your 12 days of Christmas blogs? I just thought “see you tomorrow, Jenny!” Isn’t that fun?
Ha, I’m glad Nicole! I’m enjoying it too. About the tree- our limiting factor is definitely space. As it is, we have to move the furniture around to fit the tree in (although, if we got an artificial tree we could get a skinnier one.) With the space we have, I think it would be insane to leave a tree up year-round. But now I’m actually running through possibilities in my mind… hmmm….
Happy New Year, Jenny!
Umm… You love seasonal decorating. I feel like you might enjoy having a tree to decorate all year long… Imagine the possibilities, as they say :D!
Maybe a tabletop-size tree? (I sound like such a pusher/enabler)
I like how everyone is encouraging me to have a year-round tree! Maybe it’s not so crazy after all…
I am so conflicted about when to take down our tree. As you know we have an artificial tree this year and so I feel like the potential for staying power is…literally limitless. I think I’ll leave it up another few weeks but take down the other decorations except the mantle and our wreaths. Both kids rooms are dismantled + the family room and I’ve stored the decorations by room this year, which should make it easier to find things next year?
I also think BECAUSE we have an artificial tree and it’s relatively compact and it doesn’t drop needles and I don’t have to water it, I’m not feeling as rushed to get it down? I also love the glow of coming out in the morning and seeing it lit up.
That said, I LOVE the feeling of having things back to their normal places and I also love your New Year’s decorations. Christmas is basically it for me for decorating, so I go “all out” (or my version of “all out”) and feel like that gives me license to leave it up a bit longer? Though, also, I’m an adult so clearly I could leave it up for months and months and months should I so choose.
Well, we have friends who leave their artificial (obviously) tree up until February. And it’s a large tree, right in their entryway. If we had an artificial tree, I doubt I would have been so anxious to get it down. And I have to say, when I got up this morning, my first thought was to turn on the tree lights… then I looked over and remembered it was gone, sigh.
Happy New Year! My family has always had artificial trees so we’ve never been in any rush to take them down. My parents still have all their Christmas decorations up and probably won’t start taking them down until this weekend or maybe later. My apartment decorations likely won’t be taken down until next weekend since I won’t get back until late on Sunday and it’ll be kinda nice to enjoy them for one last week.
I always have mixed feelings about it though — it’s sad that the holidays are over but it’s nice to have a fresh start too!
Ahh I FEEL you on the tree thing! I typically am in the camp of “leave my stuff up a long time” after Christmas, but for some reason, this year on Dec 26-27th, I just had this burning rage feeling of like “BURN IT ALL DOWN!” hahah! (Don’t worry, I didn’t). I just suddenly felt, after my family all left, like my house was DISGUSTING with stuff just everywhere, leftover cookie platters, clutter, presents and clothes and things that needed to be put away, blankets and sleeping bags piled up that my nieces used, etc etc. I recognize this is all normal, after having 11 people in my house… but for some reason the Christmas decorations everywhere just amplified it all! I ended up doing a massive “clean” last weekend and basically reset everything, and then I was able to calm down a little. I think I may consider taking the bulk of the decorations down this weekend though! Earlier than usual for me. But I put things up extra early this year, and I just feel like I want my house to look more minimalish, like a fresh slate.
Happiest of New Years to you.
I will be taking my tree down this weekend.
I hate taking it down. It is no fun but need to be done. I have the extra challenge of cleaning my decorations because I have real candles on the tree. Sigh. But I love my tree and so I will do it.
Happy New Year! It looks like a lot of fun. Those clock cookies are adorable, and I would have given up after one.
Woohoo, happy new year! I love my Christmas tree and all the decorations but man, it felt so good to put my apartment back to order and have more SPACE again, lol. I always forget how much my tree blocks natural light from my window.
I love your NYE spread. Sounds like it was a lovely night!