I l-o-v-e Christmas.
I know it's fashionable to not care about it, but I am openly outdated.
However, against all expectations, this year I wasn't looking forward to putting up the Christmas tree as is usual around here (also usual around here is a hot pink Christmas tree...).
Thank you to these gentlemen for the photo
As I've been on epiphany - typical this time of year - and as gratitude is a recurrent theme in the research about happiness (one of my favourite subjects), last week I had another revelation about what would pass for a Christmas tree this year.
On the sunny Saturday we had, I went for a walk with my super-hubby around our town and we found the perfect branch
(yes, branch.)
It was hit against a pole (the branch, not the husband) until all the pine needles fell.
When we got home, we "planted" it in an Ikea stool, turned upside down and without the top, filled with marbles (gotta be creative when using the existing resources!).
The decor is limited to 2 elements: a passive one and an active one.
The passive element are the twinkle lights bought last year at Primark.
The active decoration element are the paper squares in different colors, we use to write positive messages, giving thanks for what we have,
"Thankful for the sun" "Thankful for you"
Some are more serious than others...
"Thankful for the grape's fermentation process"
The cool thing about this tree is that you can look for new messages every day and while you do it, you read the old ones.
And this is how you make a Gratitude Tree.
This is also how you make a more meaningful Christmas. It's a way to bring love and tenderness out, where everyone can see it (or read it),
It looks like this celebration isn't "just about consumerism after all", like so many people like to complain about.
You just have to want it to be different and do something about it.
Merry Christmas!
I know it's fashionable to not care about it, but I am openly outdated.
However, against all expectations, this year I wasn't looking forward to putting up the Christmas tree as is usual around here (also usual around here is a hot pink Christmas tree...).
As I've been on epiphany - typical this time of year - and as gratitude is a recurrent theme in the research about happiness (one of my favourite subjects), last week I had another revelation about what would pass for a Christmas tree this year.
On the sunny Saturday we had, I went for a walk with my super-hubby around our town and we found the perfect branch
(yes, branch.)
It was hit against a pole (the branch, not the husband) until all the pine needles fell.
When we got home, we "planted" it in an Ikea stool, turned upside down and without the top, filled with marbles (gotta be creative when using the existing resources!).
The decor is limited to 2 elements: a passive one and an active one.The passive element are the twinkle lights bought last year at Primark.
The active decoration element are the paper squares in different colors, we use to write positive messages, giving thanks for what we have,
"Thankful for the sun" "Thankful for you"
Some are more serious than others...
"Thankful for the grape's fermentation process"
And this is how you make a Gratitude Tree.
This is also how you make a more meaningful Christmas. It's a way to bring love and tenderness out, where everyone can see it (or read it),
It looks like this celebration isn't "just about consumerism after all", like so many people like to complain about.
You just have to want it to be different and do something about it.
Merry Christmas!
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