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Heartfelt Holiday Cards | A tradition Worth Holding On To

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

In this day of instant messages and overflowing inboxes, a handwritten card can mean so much. Sending heartfelt holiday cards is a tradition worth holding on to.

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for an exciting giveaway from Artifact Uprising!

This year I’ve been making a conscious effort to slow down and minimize the holiday hustle. I want to enjoy a simpler holiday season and focus on what really matters most to our family. I’ve been carefully weighing some of our favorite traditions trying to decide which ones to keep and which ones we can let go for the sake of simplicity.

Heartfelt Holiday Cards Mean So Much

We typically mail out Christmas cards and I thought of saying no to sending them this year in order to eliminate one thing from my to-do list.

The more I thought about it the more I realized how much I love sending and receiving traditional Christmas cards. There’s just something special about opening the mail and finding a warm greeting from family and friends.

In this day of instant messages and overflowing inboxes, a handwritten card can mean so much. Connecting with loved ones is so much more meaningful when done the old fashioned way – and so I decided that sending holiday cards was a tradition worth holding onto.

Remember to Keep it Simple

When it comes to holiday cards, there are so many choices available and that can become overwhelming. Elaborate, flashy or expensive cards aren’t necessary to send our love.

If you want to send holiday cards this year, but the thought is overwhelming to you, my advice is to keep it simple. Pick one photo, pick one simple (yet beautiful) design and be done.

To the recipient it’s the greeting and seeing your shining faces that means the most after all. It’s not about beautiful typography or how sparkly your card is – it’s about connecting with family and friends and letting them know you’re thinking of them this holiday season.

Focus on What Matters Most with Artifact Uprising

The beautiful holiday card designs from Artifact Uprising characterize exactly how I want my holiday season to feel this year – simple, with plenty of white space, purposeful – yet memorable in every way.

I picked this simple, hand lettered design and I’m so pleased with how beautiful they turned out. The focus really is on sending a message to friends and family that we love them, we’re thinking of them and that we wish them all the best this Christmas!

Enter to win a $50 Gift Certificate from Artifact Uprising

Today I’m so pleased that Artifact Uprising is offering one lucky Simple as That reader the chance to win a $50.00 gift certificate to their beautiful site.

From meaningful holiday photo gifts to stunningly simple holiday card designs you’re sure to find something pretty to spend it on. Good luck and a special thank you to Artifact Uprising for sponsoring this giveaway.

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Photo Tips to Help you Focus on Family this Holiday Season

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of OshKosh B’gosh; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This year, do you want photos that capture the magic of the season without requiring you to be stuck behind the camera during all of the fun? Do you want to focus on family this month and be IN those memories, instead of always watching them through the lens?

These tips will help you capture the photos you really want while still allowing you to be present and focus on the joy of family during the holidays.

Christmastime provides so many picturesque photo opportunities, and as moms, we can sometimes get a little over-zealous about capturing the holiday magic. We want to remember this fleeting time, and what better way to do that than with photos?

I’ve been that mom—believe me. One Christmas, we were squeezing in a quick Santa visit between a holiday party and some Christmas shopping. I had this vision in my mind of the perfect photo I wanted to capture. I was on a mission.

Four grumpy kids—ages 7 and under—climbed up to tell Santa their wishlists. When my 3-year-old hopped off his lap, I was so determined to get a cute photo of the baby that I completely missed the excited expression on her face when Santa gave her a candy cane and she tried to show me.

By the end of it all, two of the kids were in tears, I was frustrated, and the holiday magic… well, it wasn’t a magical moment at all.

I was so focused on getting the perfect photo that I forgot about all of the reasons I wanted that photo to hang on to. Since that experience I’ve tried to maintain more balance when it comes to capturing the holidays.

Of course, it can be a difficult line to walk, the line between capturing it all and being all there. I hope these tips help you take memorable photos and be a part of those memories with your family.

Create Some Holiday Photo Traditions

Create holiday photo traditions that family members can look forward to.

We take photos in Santa hats each year, because it’s so fun to look back on these yearly photos and see how much the kids have grown and changed.

Making certain photos a tradition inspires more cooperation thatn you might usually get, magically changing it from “Mom wants these photos” to “we want these photos.”

As a reminder, make it more about togetherness and having fun, and the memorable photos will follow. Even if they aren’t perfect, the memories will be.

Put your expectations aside and be okay with “good enough” vs. “perfect.”

Whenever Possible, Work Ahead of the Calendar

I do make a special effort to take some posed photos this time of year, and in order to not to disrupt my desire for a simpler holiday season, I try to take them as early as I can.

Whether it’s family photos with a professional photographer or photos at the mall with Santa, plan to take them earlier in November or December to allow yourself to focus on the other reasons for the season later in the month. Getting them done ahead of the game allows you to truly enjoy and take in the moment.

Make Photos a Special Occasion

For these photos of my girls, we made it a special outing. The temperatures are starting to dip here in North Dakota, and these girls can hardly wait for the first snowfall. They didn’t need much of an excuse to get dressed up in their cozy sweaters and warm flannels from Oshkosh B’Gosh.

The clothes they’re wearing this winter are a far cry from the sandals and t-shirts they were sporting last holiday season when we were living in Arizona. The novelty of hats, mittens, warm sweaters and socks are not lost on these kiddos! For our first winter in North Dakota, it’s all about staying warm, and I’m so excited with how stylish, cute and functional these clothes are!

The cold is no joke here, and while dressing my girls cute for holiday photos is fun, we need to be practical and dress for the weather. I love that these outfits from Oshkosh B’Gosh and so many of their other winter pieces do just that.

Find an Oshkosh B’Gosh Store near you!

Add a Seasonal Touch

Add a seasonal touch to your photos to make sure they have “place,” or a point of reference. A photo by the Christmas tree or kids in cozy, Christmas-colored sweaters, holding a favorite ornament. These little details are what make this time of year so magical. Be sure to include them in your images.

This red truck served as the perfect backdrop while we sang carols, snuggled up to keep warm, and then went home to enjoy hot chocolate.

Capture Connections

Photos help me remember the feelings of the holidays long after the Christmas magic has faded, the carols have stopped playing, and the tree is packed away.

Looking for moments of connection and taking a quick second to capture them— whether it’s with my phone or my big camera—help pull my mind away from my endless to-do list and back to what really matters this time of year: family.

Here are a few keys to capturing these moments of connection:

Watch for them. Have your camera or phone handy at all times and be ready to pull it out at a moment’s notice. Practice a quick draw. 😉
Facilitate moments of connection. When taking photos. I’ll ask my kids to snuggle up, give each other a hug, tell each other one thing they love about the other, or whisper a secret to each other. Sometimes when a camera is pointed on them, family members need a little push in the right direction to demonstrate affection and admiration.
Don’t force it. If it’s not working, if kids aren’t interested in being in photos or sitting next to their sibling (let alone giving them a hug!), let things go and revisit in a few minutes, hours or another day entirely. Wait for the right moment. A lot of what goes into capturing a memorable photo is patience, while you wait for the right moment to present itself.

Bring It All into Focus

Pulling out my camera instantly heightens my awareness of family togetherness and the small details of the holidays I never want to forget.

Allow your camera to be a tool that helps you slow down and really see the holidays through a new lens. The lens of excitement that your children have for Christmas day. The lens of gratitude for blessings that surround you every day. The lens of love that helps you see your family members’ very best sides.

In the End, Put the Camera Away and Be All There

Be mindful of when enough is enough, and be ready to put your camera away. There’s only so much holiday magic that can translate in photos. The rest of the magic is in the moments with family closely snuggled on the couch reading Christmas stories, discussing the magic of Santa while tucking little ones into bed on Christmas Eve, and in watching a loved one’s face as they open that special gift you made just for them.

Don’t miss the real magic, while trying to capture it. Make a list of the photos that are a priority for you to capture this Christmas, and once you’ve crossed them off your list, be content to turn your camera off and give your family your undivided attention.

Chocolate Covered Reindeer Pretzels

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

A cute and delicious treat to make with the kids this holiday season, these chocolate covered reindeer pretzels can be put together in no time at all!

The holidays wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t spend time in the kitchen together baking yummy holiday treats. My kids love making Christmas goodies with me this time of year so I like finding recipes that are easy for little hands to help with.

These Chocolate Covered Reindeer Pretzels are just the right amount of holiday fun while still being easy to make and easy on the budget!

If you’re looking for something you can make in bulk for a school party, for your kids friends or to hand out as gifts to neighbors these little reindeer pretzel treats are just the thing!

Ingredients

Wilton Light Cocoa Candy Melts

Mini and Regular size Pretzel Twists

Wax Paper

Candy Eyes

Milk Chocolate M&Ms

Clear Cellophane Gift Bags

White Cardstock

Bakers Twine

Instructions

Break mini pretzels into small pieces to use for reindeer antlers.

Melt chocolate candy melts in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring well in between until chocolate is completely melted.

Dip pretzels in chocolate, covering generously. Place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Fill in entire pretzel with melted chocolate.

Add eyeballs, red M&Ms and pretzel pieces while chocolate is still warm.

Place in refrigerator to cool. Remove when chocolate is completely hardened and they’re ready to eat!

This batch of reindeer pretzels disappeared quickly at our house and my kiddos are already asking when we can make some more to share with their friends!

Here’s a quick how-to video showing how to put these pretzels together start to finish!

You are Deer to me Printable Gift Tags

I’m all about easy to make handmade gifts and it doesn’t get much easier than these cute pretzels. package them up with these cute “You are DEER to Me” gift tags that I created and you’re all set for neighbor gifts, kids friends, teachers, etc.

Click to Download –> You are DEER to me Printable Gift Tags

Simply download the gift tag printable PDF by clicking the link above. Print on white cardstock and cut them out.

Place reindeer pretzels in a small cellophane bag. Tie closed with a length of bakers twine. Attach printable tag, tie in a bow and voila – an adorable and equally easy Christmas gift!

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Simple Christmas Treat Cups

Silly Reindeer Christmas Hairdo

Free Buffalo Check Plaid Christmas Printables

Jo Totes | Stylish Camera Bags for Women

Sunday, November 20, 2016

As moms and photographers we need a lot from our bags! We need to be able to access wipes, a hat or a snack as quickly as we do our cameras.

I’ve been using Jo Totes camera bags for years now and I can’t say enough good things about them! From stylish backpacks to trendy satchels – Jo Totes bags can easily accommodate my essential photo gear, my laptop and all of my mom essentials.

More about the Jo Totes Brand

Jo Totes has been creating stylish camera bags for women since 2009. They provide a fashionable way for you to safely carry your camera bodies and lenses, along with your regular purse items, every day—whether it be to a photo shoot, while traveling or just when you are out on a regular day. For hobbyists, having your camera in a Jo Tote will mean no more missed moments.

Giveaway from Jo Totes

I’ve got exciting news!

Today Jo Totes is giving one lucky Simple as That reader a $150.00 Gift Card to Jo Totes! Follow the prompts in the rafflecopter widget below to enter. Good luck!

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DIY House Ornaments in White and Gold

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Have you been looking for some DIY ornaments to add to your Christmas tree this year? Because I have!

It’s Jennie from The Lovely Little Nest here, and I’ve got a cute little tutorial to make these DIY house ornaments in white and gold. I’m loving these, they are so cute anywhere I decide to put them around the house.

Supplies:

Wood Scraps
Pencil
Ruler
Saw
Drill
White Paint
Gold Marker
String

Instructions:

1. Find some wood blocks or scraps. I dug through the pile in my Dad’s basement and found a few small pieces of 2″x 4″ pine, and it worked just fine. I only ended up using one little piece for three ornaments, so you really don’t need much wood.

2. Using a ruler or a straight edge, decide how big you want your houses to be, how pointy you want the roofs, and draw them on to your block of wood. I did a few tall and skinny, and one shorter and stouter to add some interest.

3. Cut out all of your blocks, and be careful! I clamped my blocks to a little work table, on top of another block of scrap wood, so nothing would move around on me and I wouldn’t cut through the table. Safety first! I used a hacksaw to complete this step by hand, since the edge was a lot smoother than what I got with power tools, but it takes some serious elbow grease to slice through the wood, so stay committed, it’s worth it. Next, lightly sand any rough edges until it’s smooth enough to paint.

4. Next, just give them a good couple of coats of white paint, and let them dry.

5. Wait until the paint is completely dry, then use your gold marker to draw on little windows. You can also add details with a fine-tip black pen if you wish. I couldn’t decide which way I liked more; both simple and gold and detailed with a marker were very cute.

6. Next, I made a little mark in the center of my roof, and far enough in from the edge (so the wood won’t crack), and drilled a small hole through the top for a string.

7. I had some gold thread on hand, so I doubled it up and threaded it through the hole. I used a needle because it was so much easier than trying to poke it through on my own. I tied the string into a loop, and then I was finished!

I’m kind of obsessed with them now. Think of how cute these ornaments would be on a window ledge! Or sitting in a wreath, or hanging in a tree…The possibilities are endless, I think I need to make a few more.

DIY Mini Canvas Christmas Tree Ornaments

Friday, November 18, 2016

Make DIY mini canvas Christmas tree ornaments as a beautiful reminder to focus on the little things this holidays season.

Our tree last year was decorated with photos, keepsake ornaments and little reminders to focus on collecting moments, not things. I made these mini canvas ornaments and they have quickly become one of our favorites to hang on the tree.

If you’d like to see how to make these head over to Thirty Handmade Days today where I’m sharing the full tutorial and free printable canvas art!

Maple Walnut Bars

Thursday, November 17, 2016

A yellow cake mix and maple syrup are combined to make these sweet maple walnut bars. Set aside the chocolate and fruit to try the nutty maple flavor.

When you’ve had a frustrating, unaccomplished day at work or a long day at home with cranky kids, sometimes you just need to drown your sorrows in something sweet. Because sugar makes everything better, right?

Normally when I think of a comforting dessert, chocolate immediately comes to mind. But there’s one time of year when I veer off the chocolate and peanut butter dessert track. And that is during the fall – the Thanksgiving & Christmas seasons.

This time of year, I’m all about the warm flavors of cinnamon and maple to cure my “long day” woes. These sweet and simple maple walnut bars are a not-often thought about combination that just totally whispers comfort food on these cozy fall days.

What I love about these maple walnut bars is that they start with a box yellow cake mix.

Some of my favorite cakes are semi-homemade as this one. There are just so many things you can do with a cake mix!

You mix this snack cake recipe up in two different parts. One part as a base, then a fluffier “topping”. It all kind of bakes together in the end, but the maple syrup soaks down and makes the bottom kind of “gooey”. Super soft and extra moist.

It reminds me of a cake. It reminds me of pancakes. Which makes it a perfectly appropriate way to start a day and prevent bad days altogether.

Oh…and I recommend a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream on top of this warm cake.

Goodbye stresses of the day…hello smiles.

Maple Walnut Bars

A yellow cake mix and maple syrup are combined to make these sweet maple walnut bars. Set aside the chocolate and fruit to try the nutty maple flavor.

Author: Julie

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 15

Ingredients

1 package yellow cake mix, divided
⅓ cup butter, melted
1 egg
1⅓ cups maple syrup
3 eggs
⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon maple flavoring
1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
Reserve ⅔ cup dry cake mix. Set aside.
Combine the remaining cake mix, butter and egg in a large bowl. Stir until blended.
Spread this mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
In another bowl, combine the reserved cake mix, syrup, eggs, brown sugar and maple flavoring in a large bowl.
Beat at low speed for 3 minutes.
Pour over the bottom layer.
Sprinkle the top with walnuts.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set.
Cool completely, then cut into pieces.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Faux Wood Burned Christmas Tree Ornaments

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Create faux wood burned Christmas tree ornaments without any special tools. Below you’ll find the complete how-to, including printable templates to make these easy, nature-inspired keepsakes!

I put together an Outdoor Adventure-Themed Christmas Tree this year highlighting our family’s most memorable outdoor moments. When it came to decorating the tree I wanted to find a nice balance between store-bought and handmade ornaments.

I also wanted said ornaments to have a rustic, outdoorsy feel. I love the look of wood sliced ornaments – you know the ones? They’re just so pretty and I really love the wood-burned images! But how to make them on my own.

As much as I love look of wood burning, I just didn’t feel like they’d be easy to make. I tried my hand at wood burning at the Michaels Makers Summit in September and it wasn’t as easy as it looks. I needed an easier way to get the same look without learning a new skill or purchasing special tools I may not use again.

Faux Wood Burned Christmas Tree Ornaments

I set out trying to recreate the look of wood burning without actually wood burning and you know what – I love the result!

These ornaments are made with nothing more than a brown sharpie marker and some templates I created then traced onto these thin wood slices!

The look of wood burning without any specialized tools! These ornaments added just the right touch to our outdoorsy tree and I want to share with you exactly how I made them!

Supplies

Wood slices

Brown fine point sharpie marker

Brown ultra fine point sharpie marker

Twine

Lead Pencil

Scissors

Instructions

The first thing you’ll need to do is download the wood slice ornament template. Depending on the size of wood slice you’re working with you can scale the page larger or smaller using your printer settings.

Click to Download –> Faux Wood Burned Ornament Templates

Print out the template the size that you need and select a design to work with. You’re going to flip the paper over and with a lead pencil color heavily the entire back of your selected design. This is what will transfer the design onto the wood slice in the next step.

Next cut your design out, place it face up on the wood slice. The pencil coloring you just did will be against the surface of the wood.

Now trace along the edges of the entire design being sure to press hard in order to transfer the image to the wood slice.

When you’ve finished tracing, remove the paper. You will be left with a pencil rendering of the design on the surface of the wood slice.

You will then take an ultra fine point brown sharpie and trace the outside edges. When finished, fill in the remainder of the design with a slightly thicker, fine point brown sharpie.

Some wood slices come with predrilled holes, if yours did not, drill a small hole in the top. Cut a length of twine and thread it through the hole. Tie in a knot and you’re done!

That’s really all there is too it. No, they’re not wood burned but they sure look like they were! I think they turned out beautifully and the best part is they’ve easy to create.

These ornaments would make great gifts for teachers or neighbors. They’re inexpensive and easy enough that the kids can get involved and help make them too!

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Free Buffalo Check Plaid Christmas Printables

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Add a little rustic, outdoorsy flair to your holiday decor and gift wrapping with these free buffalo check plaid Christmas printables.

I love decorating for Christmas but it has to be simple –festive without being over the top.

One of the easiest ways to add some holiday cheer to your home decor is to switch out one or more of your current framed photos for Christmas prints.

Free Buffalo Check JOY Deer Head Print

This past week I put together an Outdoor Adventure-Themed Christmas Tree highlighting our family’s love of the outdoors. I wanted a print to go with the tree that I could hang in our home so I designed this Buffalo Check JOY print with a fun, faux-wood Deer Head in keeping with the outdoorsy feel of our current Christmas decor.

Click to Download –> Free 8×10 Buffalo Check Joy Printable

I love how it turned out and I wanted to share it with you. This print comes in 8″ x 10″ size and can be framed and hung in your home. It would also make a lovely handmade Christmas gift for a friend or neighbor. Just download, print, and place it in an inexpensive frame for easy gift giving!

Free Buffalo Check Printable Gift Tags

To coordinate with our tree and the joy print I also created this set of 6 printable gift tags. They add just the right touch of rustic, outdoorsy flair to your holiday packaging.

Click to Download –> Buffalo Check Printable Gift Tags

Wrapping gifts doesn’t have to take a lot of time. With minimal effort you can package them beautifully. I like to stick with basic wrapping paper (think red, kraft or white) then accessorize with twine, sprigs of greenery and a cute gift tag!

Print these tags on 8.5×11-inch card stock, cut out and attach. These gifts took me minutes to wrap and look so pretty!

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Our Outdoor Adventure-Themed Christmas Tree

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

This year, my family is celebrating our most memorable outdoor adventures with an adventure-themed Christmas tree!

If you’ve been following our blog for any length of time, you’ll know how much our family loves spending time together in nature. Hiking, camping, rappelling, snow shoeing—we’ve gained so much from these experiences. Because of that, it seemed fitting that we use these outdoor moments to inspire this year’s Michael’s Dream Tree.

I love the idea of filling our tree with ornaments that reflect what’s important to us. The holidays have taken on a whole new meaning for our family since living on a remote island for 18 months.

We’ve tried to make a noticeable shift toward collecting moments, not things, and many of those moments, for us, involve being outdoors.

I wanted this tree to reflect our family’s emphasis on experiences and to highlight some of the memories we’ve made in our favorite national parks. A memory that stands out to me, all the way from childhood to adulthood, is my grannie’s love of birds. Our family spent a lot of time with my grandparents in Waterton Lakes National Park.

As we explored, Grannie would always point out birds and helps us listen for their different calls. Her home is decorated to show her love of birds: Her bookshelves are lined with bird figurines and wooden bird sculptures, and she often has birds on her Christmas trees.

I remember being in awe of these birds as a little girl, so I always love to incorporate some when I’m decorating my own tree.

Today I’m sharing a peek at our tree, and details of all the handmade ornaments will be coming soon, including step-by-step instructions and video tutorials.

Free Buffalo Check Plaid Christmas Printables

I’ve also got some fun, free printables that I created to coordinate with our tree but would go well with any Christmas decor you have planned this year!

This print comes in 8×10 size and can be framed and hung in your home. It would also make a lovely holiday gift for a friend or neighbor. Just download, print, and place it in an inexpensive frame for easy gift giving!

I also designed this set of six coordinating Christmas gift tags. Print them out on 8.5×11-inch card stock, cut out and attach to gifts wrapped in simple white or kraft-colored paper. They add just the right touch of an outdoorsy, rustic Christmas.

Handmade Outdoor Adventure Christmas Ornaments

For the ornaments on this tree I wanted a rustic, organic feel—like something out of nature. A few of these ornaments were actually made with sticks we collected on a nature walk one Sunday a few weeks ago.

I love how these ornaments bring a little touch of the outdoors inside. None of these ornaments cost much to make, and the supply lists are minimal. When you’re duplicating them to fill a tree, it’s nice to keep handmade ornaments simple.

I think these wood slice ornaments have to be some of my favorites and you won’t believe just how easy they are to make! As a child I always loved the ornaments that had a story to go with them.

I remember my mom telling me where she’d bought one of the ornaments and why. As we’d pull ornaments out of boxes, the handmade ones were always met with, “Oh, remember when we made these!”

I wanted the ornaments on this tree to serve as reminders… Reminders of special hikes we went on, significant challenges we accomplished on difficult trails, and time spent with family in our favorite national parks.

I want my kids to pull these ornaments out of a box one day, years from now and say, “Remember when….”

Faux Wood Burned Christmas Tree Ornament Tutorial

Create faux wood burned Christmas tree ornaments without any special tools. Get the complete how-to, including printable templates to make these easy, nature-inspired keepsakes!

I hope our simple, handmade, outdoor adventure tree inspires you to create an ornament that holds meaning to you and to get out and enjoy nature with your family.

What sorts of ornaments are your favorite to hang on the tree each year? Do you enjoy making your own?

Tired of keeping up with the holiday hustle? Would you like to *enjoy* the holidays, not just endure them?

Take a look at my new 12-day course for women who want to simplify the demands on their time and energy so they can focus on what the holidays are really about.

12 Days to a Simpler Holiday Season

Michaels has their largest tree assortment this year, including colored and flocked trees. Check out all of their trees, ornaments and coordinating holiday décor on Michaels.com.

Inspired to start decorating your own tree? Make sure you visit Michaels’ blog, The Glue String, to see the rest of the Michaels Makers’ dream holiday trees that were created this year.

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