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!Â
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}”
I subscribed to your Youtube videos!
A favourite memory of mine is decorating my bedroom National Lampoon style (with all of my families extra & outdated decorations) when I was 10 or 11. I worked for hours and wouldn’t tell anyone what I was doing before the big ‘reveal’.
Also an IG follower and now a Youtube subscriber, too!
I also subscribed to your Instagram! Love your photos and videos.
Wearing our ugly Christmas sweaters to a local movie theater that only shows Christmas movies on one day during the holiday season! A Christmas Story for the WIN!!!
My favorite holiday memory/tradition  is driving around looking at Christmas lights! Thanks for the giveaway.  I subscribed to YouTube and i follow on instagram! (Awgrlj)
Favorite xmas memory has to be when I was 8 yrs old, my cousins and I were playing in a huge cardboard box and my Poppy Jack took the box later that day and painted it, cut “windows” in the sides and made it into a little “house”. Totally didn’t expect him to do that and his face when he saw us playing with the “doll house” was something I will never forget <3
My favorite memory is Christmas Eve at my Grandparent’s house. The dessert and food spread was bigger than Christmas Day! Our family and extended family would come together and listen to funny stories my Grandma would tell, my Uncles would make us laugh with their goofiness, and we’d eat too many cookies.Â
Already an Instagram follower ?
My favorite Christmas memory was painting ornaments with my artistic fiance (at the time, now husband) for our first tree together. We drank eggnog and played music. We were married the following December in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico and had a local artist make beautiful ornaments for our guests as wedding favors.
Also subscribed to your YouTube channel and Insta :)
Wow what a great giveaway!! My favorite holiday memory is sprinkling reindeer dust on our lawn on Christmas eve- oats and sparkles.. the best <3
I’m following on youtube!
I’m following on instagram!
Thats so generous of you! I’d love to get more into photography and this would for sure help me get started! My favorite christmas memory would be sitting around our stove on Christmas eve singing christmas carols with my family.
My favorite Christmas memory is receiving a corgi puppy in a stocking. I cried a little.
Following you on youtube now!
Been a long time instagram follower and now it gets me an extra entry!
Picking out our tree!
i follow you on insta (juliemac524)
Oh – and following on both Insta and YouTube! :)
I follow on instagram!
my favorite holiday memory is last year announcing my pregnancy to my dad and sister on christmas eve with a grandpa shirt and aunt ornament :)
I subscribe on youtube!
My favorite holiday memory is a tie between picking out the tree (we took turns each year: one year it would be as tall as my sister, the next year as tall as me) and decorating it, and then later when we were older, cooking Christmas Eve dinner together with everyone preparing one course.
… and I’m also an instagram follower <3
One of my favorite memories is making pierogi with my grandmother, which is always part of our Christmas eve family dinner.
Already and instragram follower too :)
Gorgeous! Â I’m so behind….
I subscribe to you on youtube!
One of my favorite memories/traditions is how on Christmas Eve, we would go to mass and then come back home to open one big present and have a bunch of food. That’s not something we do anymore but I love it as a kid. Santa would pass by when we were at church so all the presents would be there once we got back.
I’m subscribed on youtube!
My favorite Christmas memories are waking up on Christmas morning to see the house transformed! We kept things minimal until Christmas Eve, and then my parents were up all night going crazy with adding decorations and presents. Such a fun way to wake up!
Follow you on insta!
Your home looks wonderful! My mom is the same way, which is why I love decorating for Christmas. I have to say my favorite childhood memory is the house looking magical and the anticipation of Christmas. :) I subscribed to you on youtube a while ago and already follow on insta. I have been reading your blog for about six years, you have been such an inspiration to me. Keep doing what you do!!
My favorite Christmas memory is listening and dancing to Christmas music on my grandparents record player every year.
My favorite holiday memory…. So many great memories, where to begin… But if pressed to choose just one… my first Christmas without snow in LA… Walking around at the Grove Center in a t-shirt. So weird, yet so fun! But I missed snow so much!
Already following you on IG…
…and just subscribed to your youtube channel!
Venice… Where I Fell In Love ..
Drinking hot chocolate with my Grandpa waiting for the rest of the family at the Kitchen Table so we could go and see our stockings.
Subscribed on youtube but I don’t use instagram.
Beautiful!! My favorite childhood memory is driving around looking at Christmas lights in the neighborhoods.
I’m now following you on You Tube~woohooo!
I already follow you on IG!
Two wows – what a nice thing of you to do & goodness your house decorations are beautiful! Love everything! I’m on a specI also diet where I can basically eat nothing but still love seeing your creative recipes and reading your blog.
A favorite Christmas memory is Christmas day at my grandparents before they aged and things changed. My grandma decorated her upstairs and my pap-pap did his downstairs cave. I can still smell her plastic decorations and see it all at some it once was. It makes me tear up to think I’ll never again experience it but I have many years of Christmas memories that took place there.
My fave Xmas moment was the first time I actually got what I had chosen for my gift. Spirograph
My favorite Christmas memories were when our kids were little. Â It was so much fun to watch them come down the steps to see what Santa had brought them.
Your home looks amazing! I already follow you on instagram. My fav holiday memory is opening stocking and eating pumpkin pie in front of the tree Christmas morning!Â
How did I miss this??? Rats!
I love looking back to when my kids were younger and really believed. Seeing the magic and excitement on their faces when they would see gifts left for them by Santa was priceless. :)
Christmas Eve just before bed was my absolute favorite as a kid. Â Remembering our house decorated (my mom went crazy and still does) and the excitement for the next morning). Â It was also such a peaceful after coming home from celebrating with all my cousins and extended family at my Grandma’s and the Christmas Eve church service. Â
One year my mom somehow made a huge banging sound outside so my sister and I would think it was Santa’s sleigh. We immediately rushed trying to fall asleep so Santa would still come. It was the best because it was the first year I really didn’t believe in Santa anymore! (Also already subscribed to both!)
My favourite holiday memory is all the games played after christmas dinner!!
Oh Jessica! Your house is so gorgeous and Christmassy! Like your mom, my mom also used to go a bit crazy with Christmas decorations. She was a teacher so she regularly got beautiful, and sometimes not so beautiful, decorations from her students. I absolutely loved her decorations and as I got older, I loved coming home to see all of the beautiful things that brought back such great memories if my childhood. 10 years ago, my mom was diagnosed with cancer just before Christmas. 6 weeks later we were at her funeral. I miss her all the time but never more than at Christmas when I start to see decorations come out all around me. Nothing will ever compare to hers but honestly, your’s are pretty close. I wish you, Eddie and your little snuggle bug Max, a very Merry Christmas. xo