Decorating for the holidays has always been one of my favorite traditions. I love the sparkling lights, the cheery colors and the smell of pine (even if I have to get that last thing from my new Scentsy!). Part of the reason I get a smile when putting up holiday decor is the memories. Each decoration, and especially each ornament, signifies a person, place or time in my life that I’m happy to remember. Here are some of my favorites on the tree this year:

The Radio City Rockettes – This actually is a more recent addition to my tree. Last year for my birthday, my parents took me to see the Radio City Rockettes, just the three of us. It was so special to spend that alone time with them and go to a show that was so overdone and fun and traditional, it really gave me that feeling of being a kid at Christmastime.

Antique Glass Balls – The two ball ornaments toward the center of this shot are probably my favorite ornaments of all. They were given to me back when I got my first ever Christmas tree by my Grandmother Jaeger, who is the reason for  the “May” in my name. The blue glass balls are from my great-grandmother Sophie’s tree, and their hand-painted glitter and incredibly fragile material came a long way to get to my tree. The lighter clear ornaments were from my great-grandmother Rena, my grandma’s mom. I love having something from each of these women in my house and near top of my tree- and every time I see them I am reminded of my own grandmother and how much I love her.

Gnome Buddy- This is another ornament from Christmas last year. It was the first time I had ever lived alone, and I really let myself go nuts with the holidays. My parents gave me this ornament when they came by specifically to see my tree. I love that they were just as excited as me to see it- or at least feign the interest! We ended the night with coffee and dessert at one of my favorite hang outs (the Pied Cow on Belmont) and it makes me smile whenever I see this glitter covered gnome.

There you have it! I have about a million other special items in my house that evoke a memory or person, but there was just a few for today. Do you have special items that really make the season bright?