This year as I pulled down our Christmas tree from storage, blew dust off the box, and brought it into the living room where my four kids were giddy with excitement, I thought, This is perfect.
My eight-year-old son found some Christmas music on Pandora and we set up the tree as Jingle Bell Rock and White Christmas played through a tiny smartphone speaker. Again, I looked around and thought, Yep, this is perfect.
When each branch of the tree was in place, my kids went to town in a flurry of activity. They wove lights, hung bulbs and exclaimed loudly, “I remember this one!” and “Hey, this is the ornament I made in first grade!”
Then my nine-year-old daughter stood back and said, “Mom, the tree looks a lot smaller than it did last year.”
“Yeah,” added my son, “and it’s kind of wobbly.”
And finally the icing on the cake from my six-year-old, “Mom, this isn’t such a good tree.”
The Ugliest Tree on Pinterest
To be truthful, my daughter is 100% right—it isn’t such a good tree. In fact, by Pinterest standards, it just may be the ugliest tree out there. It would never be photographed for a magazine, nor would it be featured in a selfie on Instagram.
But the tree has character. And a story.
Eight years ago when my oldest had just learned to take her first steps and my stomach was 36-weeks swollen with her little brother, we bought our first house. Every penny we’d saved for years went into the deposit for our starter home. We sat on lawn chairs in our new living room for weeks because we couldn’t yet afford a couch. Christmas was coming up and I knew it was going to be a simple one.
One day I walked into Rite Aid and there it was, in a busted up box on the ground with a big sign that said “75% off”—the world’s ugliest Christmas tree. Which of course I bought.
When I brought it home, my husband took one look and said, “Well, it’s a tree.”
That year we welcomed our first baby boy and as the four of us gathered around our wobbly little tree on Christmas morning, passing around a few presents, my heart was full.
Humble Beginnings
Since that simple Christmas, life only blossomed. Our savings started to replenish, we brought home another baby girl and a few years later, another baby boy. Four became six and the couch we waited so long to get had quickly become rumpled and furrowed from being jumped on.
Every Christmas I swore I’d buy a new Christmas tree. A nice big one with full branches and snow-tipped pine needles. We had the money; there was absolutely no excuse not to toss the old tree and replace it with something more grand.
And yet every year, that small, wobbly tree kept finding itself back in our living room.
Today, eight Christmases later, the tree is now swallowed up by all of the handmade ornaments my kids have made over the years. It’s been tipped over and tugged on, and probably has plenty of little boogers hiding in it. That tree represents my kids’ childhood.
And although it’s ugly as sin, every time I look at our derelict little tree, I smile. It reminds me of simplicity, of imperfection, and of humble beginnings.
When you search “Christmas tree ideas” on Pinterest, you will get elaborately decorated trees with beautiful matching bulbs and delicate trinkets. These are trees that can’t be touched. These are trees children aren’t allowed to decorate, not allowed to help.
I like to say that my tree is keeping it real.
The First Imperfect Christmas
So much of our holiday season is exhausted in the quest for perfection. We work frenetically to get the perfect gifts, have the perfectly decorated home, to create the perfect Christmas. And creating beauty and joy for the holidays is a noble pursuit—unless it makes us feel cranky, stressed, jealous, or inadequate. Don’t ever let unrealistic expectations interfere with pure and simple joy. It is okay for life to be imperfect.
After all, if we gauge the very first Christmas by today’s Pinterest standards, it would have failed. There were no lights, no garlands, no presents, and no elaborately bedazzled tree.
There was only a stable, a manger, and the greatest gift of all. Sometimes the perfect Christmas isn’t necessarily what you think it is.
Emilia says
I love, love, love your post! True motherhood is made out of “imperfections”. These “imperfections” make PERFECT childhood memories. Your Christmas tree makes me smile and reminds me of my childhood. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas with your family.
Nicolette says
Your words are the sweetest. Thank you Emilia!
Kathy says
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful tree in my 68 years of life. Tha
Njs for sharing your story and being a great mom. What wonderful memories you are baking for your children. 💕
penny says
The tree is not only beautiful it is simply perfect x x have a wonderful Christmas
Tawana G says
I love this post. Our best Christmas’ have been when we threw away perfect and just enjoyed the season for what it is, time with family! Merry Christmas
Tanya Derrey Bingham says
I cannot tell you how much reading your story blessed me today! Thank you and Merry Christmas:)
Magpie says
I love your tree! “Perfect” trees where everything matches are for department stores and show homes, not for people with traditions and kids.
We just put ours up and sprayed it with cat repellent (acv & orange oil) after they started chewing on the lower limbs. Here’s hoping by the time we decorate on Friday they’ll leave it alone!
Colleen says
Your tree is so full of memories and that’s what makes it beautiful! We have a nice artificial tree but it’s not color coordinated or as beautifully decorated as the Instagram trees I see. It is, however, covered top to bottom in ornaments that all mean something special. Even the wreath ornament made out of a paper plate! Enjoy your tree, seeing it made me smile
Denise says
Your post really resonated with me. And that is the most “perfect” imperfect tree ever! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Missy says
I agree 100%! My tree is bottom heavy with homemade kid ornaments…and I couldn’t love it more!
Rhonda Varkey says
This tree is about the memories, not perfection. Therefore, it is the most beautiful tree. A tree should be about the memories, not looks. All too soon the kids are grown and you are setting up the tree of your dreams.
Shelley says
This made me cry. Happy feels. And such a great reminder.
Terry says
Love love love… Same tree in our house. This year with my son becoming a teen he isnt so much into it. You know I’m growing up. Blah blah blah.So those hand made ornaments will be even more precious to me and my ugly tree.
Rose Tomlinson says
I absolutely love your tree filled with lots of wonderful memories. every ornament has a story. I no longer set up a big tree but I still have the ornaments my children made and I look at them each year and remember all the wonderful times. I’m sure you will cherish the wonderful memories.
linda says
there is never an ugly tree for Christmas ; each tree, each ornament, each time a child places an ornament on the tree captures memories that never fade. Keep blowing the dust off the tree , enjoy the Season Christ came to us through a tiny baby so we can celebrate
“He is the Reason for the Season” Thank you for your post !
Mona says
I do not think it is an ugly tree. In fact beautiful. Great that the children were able to have fun with it & all of their artistry put out to be seen.
Good job.
Gail says
Thank you so much for this. We all need reminding to quit competing with ours for perfection. This season is for celebrating…celebrating the birth of our savior. I love our tree decorations that we’ve collected throughout our marriage and wouldn’t exchange them for all the professionally decorated trees on Pinterest. Have a very merry Christmas!
Nicolette says
Thank you Gail. Much love and happy holidays!
Cindy Hastings says
I can’t imagine having any other type of tree! It’s beautiful. My children are grown and I’ve thought of having a tree with matching ornaments, etc., but I cannot bring myself to do it because of what you said. The memories are worth everything and I share the “stories” with my grands now!
“For unto to us a child is born…”Isaiah 9:6
Meredith says
I LOVE this post. Your tree is beautiful because it show your family’s love. You are right…Jesus is the Reason for the Season!
Carrie says
Thanks for sharing, Nicolette! Our tree looks quite similar – even right down to several of the same homemade ornaments thanks to having the same teachers as your kids had for a few years! I stop and think about how much effort and love and joy our kiddos put into making each ornament. The joy and pride they have when we take the ornaments out of the box each year is priceless! The time flies so fast; this is just a short chapter in our lives of having these imperfectly perfect trees. We have many years ahead when they’re all grown to have those glamorous looking Christmas trees. But I tend to think that no future “perfect” tree will ever have the magical quality that these trees do! Your neighbor across the neighborhood- Kellen’s mom, Carrie.
Lora says
That is my tree!! I have friends with “perfect ” trees but mine is filled with my kids picture ornaments and memories ….I LOVE it!
ShamellaG says
Yesterday I put up my Christmas tree. It used to look perfect from any direction you look at it until three (3) years ago when my Rottweiler jumped on the couch and flew on the tree. He and all the christmas decorations came crashing to the ground. The poor tree could never be perfect anymore. The branches are permanently out of wack yet this tree is a keeper. Why? Because my Rotty passed away earlier this year and now I grieve because the tree is still here but he isnt. This morning while reading this post all the feeling I felt yesterday came pouring back in. Before it was all about having the perfect tree, the cleaning done to perfection, trying to perfect the perfect christmas menu and in so doing so much time is wasted and I wished I had spent more time with my Rotty. Today my tree now stands crooked thanks to a most wonderful furbaby of mines but I love it immensely because it is a symbol of that memory of him and I will never trade it for the best pinterest christmas tree because my crooked imperfect christmas tree is not the ugliest tree in the world. In my eyes it is the most perfect of perfect christmas trees ever.
Nicolette says
I am so, so sorry for the loss of your sweet Rotty. This story brought tears to my eyes as I realized that there are so many of us out there that just get it. Sending all my love your way…thanks for sharing and I will remember this for a long, long time.
Marilyn Kitchens says
Love this! My thoughts, too.
Barbara says
I don’t think your tree is ugly!
Lori says
Thank you so much for this! My tree, is absolutely, my favorite decoration ever because its full of my children’s memories. I wouldn’t have it any other way. No matchy ornaments over here. Hope you and your family have a very blessed, Merry Christmas!
Shannon Finn says
I think this is the best Christmas post I have seen. You are a blessing to follow. I lost my Mom 2 1/2 years ago and I would give anything to put up our old handmade deciratiobs she saved over 50 years. God bless you.
Lindsay Fricks says
Wow! Thank you for this!!! I have a “ugly” tree and a big “pretty” tree I dread to decorate every year. It’s pretty but seems empty in a way. I may make a big ugly tree since I’m sure I have enough ornaments for that. Thank you fir the encouragement.
Renee Jaramillo says
I love this article. This year when I put up our tree my kids and husband thought it was an ugly tree. My kids are now 13 and 15 so they are too cool for everything. They don’t appreciate the years we’ve invested in our ugly tree. It’s not the first one we bought because that one legit died but it still has the 19+ years of ornaments that we’ve collected over the years. Plus I buy the kids an ornament every year to add to their collection one day. Each ornament marks that year in their life. I love our tree and think it’s beautiful because it’s my wonderful life with my family. Your tree is beautiful.