Disclosure: I was sent a sample from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
Each and every year when we put up our Christmas tree, it becomes a memorable experience. We put up an artificial tree -- I know real trees smell and look nicer -- but a fake tree is easier to maintain with kids and pets running around in our house. My husband will do the big part -- or so he says -- by bringing the tree in from out in the garage. Then, I will spend an hour or so fluffing up the branches and making it look nice. The girls then decide which side is the fuller side as I am down at the base of the tree, twisting and turning it to set it just right. If you ask me, I think they spend a lot of time on this part not because it is hard to decide the best side of the tree to display, but because I am down there struggling below all the branches, trying to move it an inch here and then an inch there, and then back again. But, once we position the tree just right in the front window, the real fun is had, as we grab a few boxes of ornaments, and take turns picking ones we want to put on the tree. With each and every ornament we find ourselves talking about the importance of the ornament or why we like it so much. Every year my mother and I get the girls new ornaments based on their likes for that year, or to commemorate a special moment or achievement, so that down the road when they move out and are on their own, they will have a box full of ornaments ready to decorate their first tree, and continue the tradition of adding ornaments to their growing collection and having a story or meaning behind each one.
And, now that the girls are teenagers, I can finally pull out some of my favorite pre-kids glass and fancy ornaments to add to the tree, as well as splurge on some new ones. But, this year, my favorite new ornament ended up being one sent to me for review from Danforth Pewter. It was their Christmas Waltz 2024 Annual Ornament. and boy was it a beauty.
"This ornament is crafted by hand—from the hand-carved mold to the molten pewter pour, polishing, and even the hand-painted garland and hand-tied ribbon."
(Add a flannel storage pouch for only $2.00 more)
I was given a few of my grandmother's Danforth ornaments she had picked up and collected after she passed a few years ago, but didn't get around to displaying them on the tree as I didn't want them to get damaged. But, now that the girls are older and I can trust them with my delicate and precious ornaments like this, I was finally able to share my grandmother's love for handcrafted Danforth Pewter ornaments with my girls through her ornament collection, and continue her tradition of collecting the annual ornaments to display on our family Christmas tree.
(These were some of the Danforth ornaments I was able to have from my grandmother's collection)
I knew there was a flagship store in Middlebury, VT and a few others scattered around VT, but I never knew there was one in Mystic, CT, near us. Last week while in Mystic for the day to walk around, we stopped in the store and I let my girls each pick out an ornament for me to gift them this year. At first both of the wanted this year's annual ornament as they liked seeing Mr. and Mrs. Claus dance around after another successful Christmas Eve night delivering toys to boys and girls across the globe. Even though my girls don't believe in Santa anymore, they still like the magic of the holiday and ornaments like this remind them of their youth and how they looked forward to Santa's arrival and trying to stay up to catch a glimpse of him, but never could. But, after looking at all the ornaments in the store, they each settled on one - a cardinal for my oldest daughter and the rustic tree ornament for my youngest.
My oldest loves birds, but after having lost pets and loved ones over the years, she like so many others appreciates the spiritual symbolism of the cardinal to remember loved ones no longer with us.
She liked how this ornament reflects the light outside
As for the rustic tree choice for my other daughter, she said she loves putting up the tree each year and sharing that quality time with the family. And, once she is married and has kids of her own, when she shows off this ornament, she hopes to use it as a way to start the same tradition of gifting ornaments to her kids so they will have a starter collection when they are on their own and celebrating with their first Christmas tree.
We were waiting until this past weekend to put up the Christmas tree as my husband really wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving to put it up, as Christmas already felt so rushed beginning in September with decorations and that popping up alongside Halloween stuff. So, we waited until December 1st -- which by the looks of many cars we passed while out and about today with trees strapped to their rooves, it seemed like the perfect time. My girls let me add my new A Christmas Waltz 2024 Annual Ornament to the tree alongside my grandmother's Danbury ornaments, before my girls found the perfect spots on the tree for their first (with many more to come) Danbury ornament.
And, once all the ornaments were on, we took a step back and admired our beautiful tree which tells a story with each and every ornament on it -- and that is what makes the holidays and especially putting up the Christmas tree with my family that much more special and memorable. I cherish these memories and know the girls do, too! And, yes, my husband can pat himself on the back for another job well done in lugging in the Christmas tree....until it comes time to pack it away again! :-)
If you love collecting ornaments or buying ornaments that tell a story for your family, I highly recommend you check out the Christmas ornaments available from Danforth. And, if you live in the New England area and live near a Danforth store, I also recommend you check out the store and see all the ornaments and other handcrafted gifts made by the skilled Danforth artisans up close. They truly are stunning, especially when you see up close all the work that goes into making the ornaments, etc. The new A Christmas Waltz 2024 Annual Ornament would make for a great starter Danforth ornament if you have never owned an ornament from this brand.
"When you buy from Danforth, you are buying from a company that values quality, community, and tradition. Each and every product is made with care by many hands in our Middlebury, Vermont, USA production workshop."
You have to start somewhere, right?! This year's ornament really is one to be cherished, and a reminder to stop and be in the moment, even with all the craziness of the holidays. If Santa and Mrs. Claus can find time to dance by the fire and enjoy each other's company, so can you. You can purchase the A Christmas Waltz 2024 Annual Ornament and other ornaments and handcrafted gifts from Danforth on their website -- https://www.danforthpewter.com/. Happy holidays!
Disclosure: I was sent a sample from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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