12 Days of Christmas! I Christmas House Tour Video & Giveaway. {CLOSED}
Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas!
I am SO excited to share with you guys that every day for the next 12 days, I’ll be vlogging (think day in the life, waaaay oversharing, Q+A videos), sharing the video here on Crumbs (and on youtube!) and holding a giveaway of my favorite things!
Here’s a peek at some of the Christmas decor in our home. So sorry if I make you nauseaus with my shaky camera skills and poor editing – I’m still learning! There are a few things I left out because I have constant #mombrain and either forgot or wasn’t able to get it together in time. Things like my favorite mini Lenox nativity set (I have no idea where to place it this year, since Max will shatter it), the Pottery Barn Kids advent/Christmas countdown calendar (that is sewn completely crooked but I refused to send back because I opened it ON the first day of advent and was determined to have a cute calendar… ), our favorite Christmas pillows and outdoor lights, etc. I wanted to wait until everything was perfect, but if I waited, I knew I’d never do it and I’ve wanted to make videos FOREVER now.
The first year we were married, Eddie surprised me and bought a tree, decorated it and made his man cave apartment a winter wonderland for us. It was actually the second tree he bought, because the first was waaaay too big, but final sale. So we ended up with two trees! That year, we put up two trees and bought lots of ornaments at Michael’s and Joann’s. That’s where the majority of our ornaments are from, along with a few Martha Stewart from Macy’s that are about eight years old and some new ones from Michael’s this year that I bought for the white tree.
I bought the white tree last year at Treetopia on sale after Christmas. The copper/blue tree is from Target this year, and by far my favorite one. The red/green decorated tree is from Frontgate and will hopefully last us a million years.
My mom made our house incredibly magical when I was growing up. In fact, she still does and I’m hoping that I can get a video of hers before these 12 days are up! She’d stay up all night for days to turn the house into a Christmas wonderland for my brothers and me. It was the most magical time EVER.
Needless to say, I’ve been a complete Christmas freak since I was a kid. When school started up again, I’d wake up early and go downstairs just so I could sit by the Christmas tree in January before we got on the bus. It was my absolute favorite!
Eddie and I were determined to make our house as Christmasy as we could for Max this year. Eddie decorated gingerbread houses for eight hours because he is a perfectionist, and even set up his own tree downstairs in the basement that I didn’t get to capture. It has been so much fun and I love sitting under the lights every night.
Enjoy! And scroll down for giveaway #1!
GIVEAWAY!
Every day for the next 12 days until Christmas I’ll be giving away some of my favorite things. I want to show every bit of my appreciation for you guys sticking here with me for over seven years, reading the rambles that I write and making my recipes and leaving comments and supporting me 100%. Even when I write horrific run-on sentences and use 34 exclamation points in one post. And say “literally.” Ugh.
THANK YOU so much for being here. You changed my life and I am forever grateful for you.
Today I’m giving away a mirrorless camera! If you read my favorites post, you know I use one all the time and I even shot a few pieces of the video here with mine. I was super excited to giveaway the Samsung nx300 that I always talk about, but unfortunately it’s no longer available. Instead, I’m giving away the comparable Sony alpha a6000, which I’ve even considered switching to. This giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated with anyone and is given by me. It is open to EVERYONE EVERYWHERE! Wahoo.
To enter: leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite holiday memory!
For a second entry: SUBSCRIBE to the howsweeteats youtube channel. There is a red button on the right side and you will only be notified when I upload a new video. This is the best way to be notified of a new video/giveaway in these 12 days too! Leave a comment telling me you did so.
For a third entry: follow howsweeteats on instagram. Leave a comment telling me you did so.
The giveaway will only be open for 24 hours (!!) so be sure to enter and share! A winner will be picked at random. Come back for a new video and giveaway tomorrow. xoxo
1,439 Comments on “12 Days of Christmas! I Christmas House Tour Video & Giveaway. {CLOSED}”
so simple but I just loved going to bed on Christmas Eve and seeing no presents under the tree, then waking up Christmas morning and seeing that it had filled up overnight! Christmas and Santa magic! (But mostly, thanks mom for waking up in the middle of the night to drop presents off)
My favorite holiday memory is from last year. It was the first time I really took an interest in learning how to cook. My mother taught me how to make her rustic spaghetti and meatballs while I meticulously wrote each step down. We hosted a very impromptu, but absolutely wonderful, family dinner and it was the most relaxing and seamless family gathering I can remember.
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My Grandfather’s birthday was on Christmas Eve. My whole family would gather to celebrate him, and after the cake and his presents, to celebrate Christmas and eachother. My mom was one of 9 kids so all the Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins would combine for an enormous party. I looked forward to it every year, it was a crazy good time.
My father used to read us Christmas stories every Christmas Eve until he passed away in my teen years. Every time I see something about the Polar Express I still remember those memories.
And I already follow on instagram! (@cupcait6)
My favorite Christmas memories all involve cookies and presents!
My favorite Christmas memory was the year my husband proposed to me on Christmas Eve in 1986!
Subscribed on YouTube and Instagram
One of my favorite holiday memories is driving around our city to view all the Tacky Lights. Richmond, VA has at least 20 houses that compete every year to put up as many lights as possible (like, thousands) and my husband and I make it a tradition each year to drive around with hot chocolate to see them
I have so many wonderful holiday memories but I think my favorite is from last year when my husband proposed to me at Christmas Eve dinner. I knew it was coming but had NO idea he was going to do it in front of all our family!
I subscribed to your YouTube channel and have been following you on IG for a LONG time. ;)
Thanks for such a wonderful blog!
I’m an instragram follower!
babies in the house at Christmas time – son born 11th Dec and then daughter 18th Dec
(not good timing really lol)
One of my best memories of Christmas is the first one we had with our beagle Joey, now 8 yrs old.. He was the cutest puppy and since my wife and myself have no children, we spoiled him rotten with toys and treats. Now every year we make sure to have a couple gifts under the tree for him or he is disappointed!
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trimming the tree and midniht mass!!!
When I was 8, my family was in an accident right before my birthday, everyone ended up ok, but my mom got crutches. So Christmas Eve night, after I go to bed, I wake up because I hear something in the living room. I keep listening and realize it’s my mom putting our presents under the tree with her crutches!
I follow you on Instagram: laurimw86.
Cool! My favorite Christmas memory is having dinner at my grandparents house. It was something of a tradition to have dinner there on Christmas day with my whole extended family. Circumstances have since changed and I definitely miss it!
I follow on YouTube and IG!
Favorite memory is christmas decorating with my mom!
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Attending the opera in Vienna – an absolutely magical evening during Christmas time!
My favourite memory is baking Christmas cakes on Christmas Eve with my mother. Most bake weeks before. We were always late.
My favorite memory is my brother and I getting up super early (like 4 or 5 usually) on Christmas morning to separate all the gifts into piles..and then waiting very impatiently to wake my parents at a more reasonable hour!
Your home looks GORGEOUS! Love it!
When we were younger, before any of us could go downstairs for presents my dad would grab a belt and “have to chase away the reindeer”! Hilarious and so strange, but a pleasant memory indeed!
Best Christmas memories were spent with my mom’s side of the family in Norway. Always a white Christmas, lots of second cousins, cookies and food. To this day, Christmas to me is the smell of clementine oranges in the house and gingersnaps from those years there!
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My favorite holiday tradition is an odd one – my family hides a glass pickle ornament on the tree (it blends right in) and challenges everyone to look for the ornament on Christmas morning. If you find the ornament, you get one extra present! I subscribed to you on YouTube and I’ve followed you on Instagram forever (@kaitlyneliza)
Probably my favourite Christmas memory is making a gingerbread house with my siblings (and trying to hide the candy bowls from my dad!)
My favourite is last Christmas when my then 2 and 3 yr old woke up and found that Santa had been. They didn’t really get it the year before, but this year is going ot be even better
Watching national lampoon Christmas vacation with my sisters on Christmas Eve!!
Also subscribed to your YouTube channel and already follow you on Instagram! ?
@cnquinlan on instagram
One Christmas Eve my sister held a party. I eventually fell asleep on the couch in the living room. The next morning her kids were up much too early hoping to get the presents from under the tree, but were too scared to enter the living room because there was a frightful snoring coming from the monster guarding the presents!!!
My favorite Christmas memory is sleeping in my brother’s room and waking up early together to get dressed up and pretend to be elves!
I’ve subscribed on youtube
I’m also following on instagram
I subscribed to your YouTube. Can’t wait for more videos…a day in the life would be so fun!
Favorite holiday memory was always reading the Christmas story in our pajamas and then opening one present on Christmas Eve. :)
I’ve already followed you on Insta.
I just subscribed to your Youtube channel.
Your house is stunning! So full of Christmas cheer <3 And your video is so so cute.
My favorite holiday memory is either reading "'Twas the Night Before Cat-Mas" (yes, Cat-Mas) with my brother, or watching the Jim Carrey Grinch after putting up the tree!
I subscribe via YouTube :)
I follow you on instagram!
Insta is followed!
Christmas dinner with family
My favorite memory is Christmas caroling every year with my family.
One day when I was in fourth grade, I stayed home sick. It was also the day my mom had planned to make cookies with my great-grandma. My mom brought me with, and I still remember the warm kitchen as the three of us ate cookies and my great-grandma told stories.
Following you on Insta! Username: Caryn.Smith
I subscribed to howsweeteats on youtube
One year the power went out on Christmas Eve. We cooked over the fireplace, told stories in the candle light and watched the big snow storm roll by. It was magical. (Luckily, it came back on later that night!)