Every year around this time I think it would be really nice to have lovely Christmas decorations like the kind you see in home decorating magazines. But then it gets hot and the days get busy and the bank balance gets depleted and the shopping centres get crowded and I think “Bah phooey to that!” and drag out the old tree and the old ornaments and we slap them on all haphazard and sit back and drink a beer and feel much better. Phew!
Which is why my tree doesn’t look like this –>
Instead we have a nice mish mash of old ornaments, individual ones that I have come across or been given (like the adorable Sister Mary Christmas decoration from Nun of a Kind – nothing says Christmas like a floating nun’s head) and schoolmade creations.
As the kids get older the calibre of their contributions improves somewhat, and I no longer have to keep a straight face while decking it out in all manner of paddle pop sticks, CDs covered in tinsel and my personal favourite: the paper-mache green alien poo: 
The white paper has the artist’s name on it, in case he ever tries to deny making this awesome feat of decorating genius.
What does your Christmas tree look like?