We bought a little Christmas tree at the exchange today. We were going to buy all the trimmings but I hesitated. The exchange can really be a rip off sometimes. We got a little 6.5' Charlie Brown looking tree for $39.99 - which isn't too bad, but when we went to figure out how to decorate it, we discovered that ornaments would end up costing us no less than $70, and ONE string of 200 clear lights would run us $20. $100 to trim a dinky little Christmas tree in ornaments and lights I don't really care that that much about just didn't feel right. I mean, I have a collection of meaningful Christmas decor back in the states in non-temporary-storage.

So the tree is bare. I put the gifts underneath it and that helped a little, but the branches are so green and empty and dark. So, I've been searching the web for good ideas on inexpensive Christmas decorations. I can work with this. I was considering doing popcorn and cranberries... But the cost of produce here is no joke, and I don't feel like having moldy cranberries hanging out on our Christmas tree. Plus this building is kind of old and gross and there is like a perpetual roach problem waiting to be stirred up. I don't want to give them a good reason to hang out in my living room, like popcorn on my Christmas tree.

So, I decided I MUST have this candy garland. It's a bunch of brightly wrapped junky candies STAPLED together! How awesome is that? I am super excited about it. I have a box full of staples. I just need the candy! So now I'm on a quest to find brightly colored candies and peppermints. And then I can put up colored lights, hang a bunch of candy canes and such from the branches and we'll be set. Amaris ends up trying to eat the ornaments anyways. Well, she did last year. I don't anticipate this year to be any different. She's no fool, she knows what candy canes are. We went to the Holiday Bazaar today and they were passing out candy canes. She cracked that thing open so fast I didn't even know what happened, and then she kept telling me - very matter-of-factly - that it was a "special candy". So I figure the lower 3' of branches on our Christmas tree will be bare anyways by the time we get to December 25. That's how it worked out last year!

So I'm excited. I have purpose again. I'm figuring it out.