Hallmark Keepsake ornaments

Thank you to Hallmark for sponsoring this post and sending a few ornaments to love. All the other Hallmark Keepsake Ornament designs pictured are ones we bought on our own and love.

For me, the holidays are not complete without little boxes holding a special Hallmark Keepsake ornament for each of us. Growing up, we eagerly awaited our annual Hallmark ornament every December and we would speculate about what we would open that year. Sometimes, we received a theme ornament in our specific Hallmark series. And sometimes, we got something that was a special reminder an event or accomplishment of the previous year.

But, either way, we were getting a special ornament was just as much a part of Christmas as opening presents each December. One might say even *more* so. I can vividly remember what ornament I got when I was 8, but I have no idea what I opened that Christmas morning!

With as much as I adored my family’s Hallmark covered tree growing up, I knew I was going to miss that immensely when I moved out. The thought of putting generic bulbs and tinsel on the tree made me incredibly sad. So, I was absolutely thrilled when my mom gave me a few of my special ornaments of my youth as a housewarming present. 

Continuing the Hallmark tradition

It really was no question that I was going to continue the Hallmark tradition with my husband as well, and eventually we would continue it with our children. Even though my husband didn’t grow up with a Hallmark tree, once he saw my mom’s tree with all our adorable miniature reminders of years past, he was very much on board with starting our own Hallmark tradition.

We each went out to surprise the other with a special keepsake ornament every year, and it became a favorite tradition of the two of us. Then, our first Christmas in our own house was much merrier when we added my ornaments of my youth as well as new ornaments to symbolize our year.

Of course, we had the keepsake “first Christmas together” ornament and the “new home” ornament with the key. And, since that Christmas over 20 years ago, we have collected quite the array of Hallmark boxes, each labeled with the date and the recipient. 

They started out symbolizing the things we were doing as a new couple, focusing on our travels and our many adventures, and then in 2007 we got our first “expectant parents” ornament. Now, every branch of our tree is literally covered in Hallmark memories that the five of us have collected, and as the years pass, they only get more and more sentimental and irreplaceable. 

Christmas can’t start without Hallmark Keepsake ornaments

There’s just something really fun about decorating for the holidays with the family, singing Christmas carols and oohing and aahing over all our special ornaments. Every year we bring them out is like taking a quick trip down memory lane to remember all that we were celebrating in years past. It will always be one of my most cherished memories of the holiday season. 

This year, I was thrilled to add not just 5 new ornaments to our tree, but a whopping 20 new Hallmark Keepsake ornaments {yes, yes, I know. We went a little crazy}. This is partly because I literally have no self-control when it comes to ornaments, but also because Hallmark surprised me with a little box of holiday goodness this December that included two ornaments I had been searching for.

One of those ornaments is the new 2020 School Days ornament that tells the story of your school year. Since this school year is anything but normal, I love that my kindergartener can have this special ornament to remember the year. We had looked at 3 different Hallmark stores hoping to find this, so I was thrilled when it arrived at my door. I know this ornament will always be special to her as we remember this crazy year and her first year in school.

Starting your own Hallmark Keepsake ornament tradition

Thinking about starting your own Hallmark Keepsake Ornament tradition? Of course, you can always visit a store so you can see all the adorable-ness in person, but you can also order online. 

Although I love shopping in my local Hallmark stores, a huge benefit of shopping via Hallmark.com is that you can filter the ornament results by who you are shopping for, by features, and even look for specific characters and series.

Like this Go, Dog, Go! ornament that was an absolute “must have” from all of my kids. Every single kid adores this book and I’ve probably read it a thousand times throughout the years of aunting and moming. But yet, I still don’t think I’ll ever “get” the crazy story. I guess some things you need to be a kid to understand.

Whether you are creating a new family tradition, completing a collection, or helping someone you love start their own tradition, there really is no better place to start than Hallmark. With keepsake ornaments that will easily become some of your most cherished treasures and premium cards that can connect loved ones near and far, Hallmark is about celebrating every last bit of the holiday season.

What Hallmark ornaments are your favorites this year?

We’ve gone to our local store so many times that I’ve seen everything from packed shelves to literal bare offerings, so I can say with certainty that this little guy was one of the big hits of the season. He didn’t arrive until October here, but once he did he was gone like hotcakes. Same with our Hallmark Nostalgic House that came and went super fast this year. I’ve never been so glad we shopped early! If you haven’t shopped yet, run as fast as you can and get your favorites. They are going fast!