Have you noticed? Halloween hadn’t even arrived yet and the Christmas decorations were already starting to take up shelf space in the stores.

One of my favorite holiday pastimes — in fact it is really one of the only times I enjoy window shopping — is shopping for Christmas decorations, especially for the Christmas tree.

Each year, I usually have to retire some of my ornaments. After a few years of hanging on the tree and then being stored in a box, they give out. So I need to replace them.

One of the easiest ways to purchase decorations for your Christmas tree is to visit one of your local department stores. Department stores are nice because they sometimes double as discount stores; meaning you should be able to purchase your Christmas tree decorations, whether they be lights or ornaments, for a relatively affordable price. Also, depending on the size of your local department store, you should be able to find a fairly large selection of Christmas tree decorations.

Stores where I’ve noticed a decent selection include Target, WalMart and Big Lots. Dollar stores sometimes have a nice selection, as well, and are good for stocking up on basics like tinsel, garlands and the like.

Then, of course, there are the specialty Christmas shops. Depending on where you live, you should have at least one specialty Christmas shop in or around your home. What is nice about specialty Christmas shops is that they specifically focus on Christmas. Essentially, that means that if you are looking for the largest selection of Christmas tree decorations, you may want to do your shopping at a specialty Christmas shop. The only problem is that their items tend to be higher priced; however, the quality is often better than what you would find in most department stores.

If you’re looking for keepsake ornaments … Hallmark is the most obvious choice. And you can usually find a Hallmark store in your local mall. Chain drug stores also often carry a line of Hallmark ornaments.

If you are looking for high quality, elegant Christmas tree decorations or ornaments, but don’t have access to a local specialty Christmas store, you can do your shopping online. Online, there are a number of retailers who specialize in selling Christmas tree decorations.

In addition to the Christmas tree decorations that you may find in your local department store, you may also be able to find individuals or companies who specialize in creating unique, handcrafted Christmas ornaments. As you might expect, handcrafted Christmas ornaments, especially those that are customized, cost a pretty penny, but it could be worth the extra cost to get exactly what you want.

While it is fun to shop for Christmas tree decorations, the fun part starts when the tree decorating process actually begins. For the best memories, decorate your Christmas tree with someone that you know and love.

Christmas Ornament Resources Online

• OrnamentShop.com
• Russell Rhodes
• Christmas Ornaments World

The feline form, with its svelte predator compactness, its calm – almost wise – demeanor, as well as its general, all-over furry lovableness — is one theme that many adore for the holiday season. So it is not a surprise that you will find plenty of Christmas decorations that feature the cat.

Above and beyond that, since cats love to play with baubles, not only are there plenty of tales of cats creating havoc with the holiday decorations, but there are plenty of Christmas toys for cats, too.

In this post, I’m going to share an idea that cats and cat-lovers who appreciate unique cat Christmas ornaments are just going to love.

Hand Painted Art

Hand painted Christmas ornaments are a small way that you can have exquisite are hanging from your Christmas tree. If you’re lucky, you can find an ornament that has been created in the form of a cat. The cat’s face is painted right on the glass bulb. Two soft ears are glued on to the top of the bulb. This adorable item comes in many different styles and each kitty has a cute expression. None are identical so this cat Christmas ornament is truly one of a kind.

Make Your Own
What You Need:

• Plain Glass Christmas Ornament
• Glass Paint
• Some felt in the color you want the ears
• Glue (the kind that will adhere to glass)

Paint your cat face on the body of the ornament. Set it aside to dry.

Cut two triangles from the felt. Once the ornament is dry, glue the triangles to the top to form the ears.

Ta da! You’ve got a hand-painted cat Christmas ornament!

You’ve heard of the 12 Days of Christmas, right? Well here’s a fun take on it: The 12 Things You Never Knew About Christmas:

1. Yes, it was a fire hazard, but Christmas trees were originally lighted with actual candles. As a result containers filled with water had to be kept near the Christmas tree.
2. Who started the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition? Construction workers! They are credited with placing an undecorated tree at the site in the early 1930s.
3. Who keeps the White House properly adorned with Christmas trees each year? The National Christmas Tree Association, which has maintained a presence in the White House at Christmas by donating a Christmas tree to the First Family since the mid-1960s.
4. The first manufactured Christmas tree ornaments were sold by the former Woolworth department store in 1880.
5. Lead was once used in the manufacture of tinsel, causing it to be prohibited. So, now-a-days, it is manufactured from plastic.
6. The first Christmas greeting cards were developed in the late 1830s. In Britain, John Calcott Horsley started to produce small cards that had festive scenes and a holiday greeting written inside. Around the same time in the U.S., R.H. Pease, in Albany, New York, and Louis Prang, who was a German immigrant were creating similar cards. However, the idea of sending these out during the holidays didn’t gain popularity for another 10 years, when new postal delivery services started.
7. Where did the term “Xmas” come from? Some believe that it came from the Greek word ‘Xristos’ which means Christ, and the short form has been popular in Europe since the 1500.
8. For 200 years, candy canes were only white, says the National Confectioners Association. It wasn’t until the 1950s that this holiday confection was able to be mass produced.
9. In England, the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day. Several stories exist for the origination of the name. It is believed to have originated from the practice of boys who would be about collecting money in clay boxes. Another thought is that the term is derived from a custom in the Middle Ages, about 800 years ago, when churches would open their ‘alms boxes’ and distribute the contents to poor people on the day after Christmas. Alms boxes are boxes in which donations of gifts and money would be placed. Yet another belief is that it comes from a custom of masters giving their servants Christmas presents in boxes on the day after Christmas.
10. Before Christianity started, people would hang evergreen branches over their doors and windows because evergreens were believed to ward off witches, ghosts, evil spirits and illness.
11. Christmas is celebrated in December, in part, because the holiday would coincide with the winter solstice celebration of sun god worshipers. Doing this would make it easier for them to make the transition to Christianity. The ancient peoples celebrated the winter solstice because they believed that the sun god was starting to regain strength after falling ill … something he did every year, bringing on winter.
12. In the earlier years of the U.S., following the American Revolution , it was unpopular then to observe and take part in English customs … including Christmas. In fact, Christmas celebrations were barred in Boston from 1659 to 1681 — anyone caught participating in any event or activity related to Christmas had to pay five shillings. So, it might not surprise you that in 1789, Congress did business on Christmas Day, the first one to be observed under the country’s new constitution.