I am a self-proclaimed Christmas whore. Sounds harsh, but I’m not one for censoring myself.

Yes, it’s true. I honestly LOVE Christmas, but not for the typical reasons that one might think.

It’s not about the presents, it’s not about all the things you can do during the month of December, out and about.

It’s honestly about the home for me.

It all started 8 years ago when I moved in with Matt. We had one simple tree in the middle of a huge construction zone of a house.

We literally had no floor (the house was cold as sh*t), a pipe sticking out of the middle of the ceiling where the fireplace used to be (also another reason the house was cold as sh*t), and I couldn’t have been more in love.

In the years following, I would add a little decoration to the Christmas holiday. (And yes, we did finish renovating the house and eventually did get a floor!)

The year we moved into our dream home (the one that we currently reside in), moving day was literally December 31st, so we did not have the time or reason to decorate for Christmas.

That was THE most depressing Christmas ever, mostly because we were supposed to move in December 4th and the buyers of our old house pushed it until the 31st, so it did NOT feel like Christmas at all.

I remember telling Matt that next year I would triple the amount of Christmas. And I did.

Poor Matt… I kept my word! That year, I had 3 Christmas trees. ‍

But, why, Lisa? WHY are you SO excessive?!

As I said, Christmas is about the home for me. I had a beautiful home with a loving husband, and I felt compelled to make Christmas reflect this special time in my life.

I live by this motto that I need to reside in EVERY bit of my home. I try to spend time each day in each room of my house because I feel like a home is meant to be fully lived in.

And so during the Christmas season, wherever I am, I want Christmas to be with me!

Every year I tell myself we will go out and do a million Christmas activities, but the truth is, I hate them. I do. I hate them all.

I do the Santa pictures because I feel like I should, even though Ava ALWAYS cries and Matt reminds me that we’re here under my wishes (fingers crossed for this year!).

It’s miserable going and looking at Christmas lights. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Christmas lights, but the elaborately decorated neighborhoods are always SO packed. People are walking everywhere and it’s miserable to drive through. And I hate the cold, so you won’t ever find this mama walking.

I enjoy Christmas parties, but now that I have kids, I’m paranoid. Matt and I used to throw themed parties EVERY year. It was so much fun. And then kids arrived. I feel guilty throwing them out of the house for a night, and with young children, it’s hard fighting away the illnesses that people bring with them.

And with my brother almost dying from RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection), when he was young, I think I’m extra paranoid. (Actually, as I type this we are currently going through a round of colds here, so now I’m living by grocery pickup and heavily vetting anyone that comes or goes from our home!)

So, needless to say, I’ve become quite the hermit with my little family, and I’m completely OK with that!

Having a reclusive Christmas does NOT mean I skimp on the festivity… On the contrary, because I believe Christmas resides in the home and in the importance of spending time in every room of my house, I now have adopted a tradition of having 5 Christmas trees.

Yep, you heard me. 5 DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS TREES. Let me explain...

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Each of the main rooms has a tree, so that makes 5. I hope to coax Matt into doing an extra one in our bedroom next year. (The poor guy has to carry every Christmas box from our shed each year into the house and grumbles the whole time, but now I’ve got Ava on my side about Christmas, so he’s really outnumbered.)

From a Grinch-themed tree in our living room that features our family milestones, to a musical tree in our library/piano room, I try to do a special little theme on each tree to make them different and unique. And the color schemes match the colors in the room.

As I’m typing, I have my Happy Holidays gold and blue tree next to me in my office.

Sadly, I used to have a wine-themed tree when my office was the dining room, but I still need to find somewhere I can bring that back!

Now that I have two little girls, I’ve carried on the tradition of putting up all my trees the day after Thanksgiving, and I’ve now roped them into it. This year, Ava helped me decorate while Mia watched.

So yes, I get asked why I’m so “over-the-top” for Christmas, and it’s really because I bring the spirit of Christmas to us in our home, so we don’t have to seek it elsewhere.

And I love being home for the holidays.

What is a holiday tradition that you can’t live without?

Make sure you follow our Instagram for more detailed photos of the trees for inspiration!