One of the things I love most about Bronner’s is how it is a family tradition for SO many people, including myself. Whether it’s buying that special ornament or driving down Christmas Lane, this store is filled with old and new memories.
It’s been a tradition for my husband, James, and I to visit the store yearly and pick out an ornament that represents a milestone moment for us during the year (even before I started working here in 2015). This year’s big and exciting change was that our family grew by two little baby feet. So we jumped in the car, drove to Bronner’s and continued our family tradition, this time with our daughter Ellie.
I have to be honest, I’m not the best at sticking with a tradition! When I had Ellie, last December, I was determined to be one of those cool hip Mom’s that takes a professional month to month photo on this adorable mat we received. Well…when I started taking her 4-month picture when she was 6-months old and her 7-month picture when she was 10-months old…my husband laughed and said, “I think we can say we have lost all credibility with these photos.” So…I’m not great with the month to month traditions! But, I have been dedicated to coming to Bronner’s for the past 7 years!
My Christmas tree is filled with personalized ornaments from Bronner’s. They are my favorite and most cherished ornaments. In 2012, when James and I bought our camper, we bought an ornament for that. When we got engaged in 2014 (on a horse-drawn carriage around Frankenmuth 😍) we found an ornament for that and when we were expecting, in 2016, we definitely picked out an ornament for that. It’s a joy to relive those memories every time I place those ornaments on our Christmas tree.
The “We’re Expecting” ornament was extra special because I used it as a way to announce that I was pregnant to our families. I bought the ornament and penned it myself (you can definitely tell that!). I couldn’t ask anyone at work to pen it because I didn’t want them to know yet.
When our parents came over for dinner, I handed them the classic Bronner’s box and said I bought them both a little gift. Their reactions . . . I’ll never forget. Now, each year I’ll be able to hang this ornament on our tree and always have that memory to look back on.
Adding a new member to our family has given us more of a push to start (and stick to) new traditions. The Elf on the Shelf® has been a popular and well-known family tradition for many and one we are excited to begin. Scout Elf is the perfect addition to any families holiday season. You place him where you’d like around the house and each night during the holiday season he reports back to Santa. There are now, even more, options to cloth your Elf in and also an Elf Pets® Reindeer.
A classic but always great tradition is setting out milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. I’m a huge fan of our ceramic milk bottle that also doubles as a cookie holder!
Music: Deck the Halls B Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
If you’re looking for a simple Santa cookie plate, don’t fret, we have that too! BUT we must not forget about Santa’s reindeer. They need their treats to nibble on as well! 😊.
You never know . . . you might just catch Santa eating a cookie himself!
Music: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
What traditions are you looking forward to continuing or beginning this Christmas season? Share with us in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!
Decoratively yours,
– Erin Kuch
(Bronner’s Blog Team)