Let’s talk about what Santa brought us this year. This Christmas felt extra special: in seven Decembers together, we’d never woken up in our own beds to open presents under our own tree as a family. Normally we were traveling, so this felt like a new tradition.
We did join a big Petersik family gift-opening later in the morning, but before that we carved out time for just the four of us to exchange gifts. Clara had an especially big surprise this year (I wrote about it in more detail), and it made the morning extra memorable.
Along with her play kitchen, Clara received lots of clothes, books, toys, and her beloved leopard hat. We usually get asked what we gave each other, so here’s the rundown. I peeked at Sherry’s Pinterest to find that she wanted Kendra Scott earrings — they look great on her.
Sherry gave me a couple of small hanging pieces: bicycle ornaments (one’s technically a moped) from Crate & Barrel to feed my growing interest in bike art. It also offered a fun moment to pose with my dad and the gift we brought him — a bicycle-parts shirt from Etsy — since his love of bikes extends to actual riding.
We both ended up giving each other art, which was kind of funny. Sherry made me an incredibly thoughtful Boy Scout merit badge collage that highlights “skills I excel at.” She found inspiration in vintage badges she’d seen, scanned badges from a friend’s son, printed the ones that fit me, and arranged them in a tidy grid on navy craft paper left over from earlier living room art.
Each badge title relates to something she appreciates about me, a shared experience, or a trait she’s thankful for. The detail really made it a personal and meaningful gift.
She even typed up and framed a key explaining each badge. I got a kick out of the letter P badge — it featured a squirrel icon and made me laugh out loud.
We haven’t decided on the perfect spot to hang it yet, but its simple graphic look could work well in the dining room near the curtains. Meanwhile, Sherry had her gift from me hung before the day ended.
I had a custom poster made from a short, quirky line we heard on TV — a little phrase that captures childhood imagination: “When Emerald grows up, she wants to be a photographer… or an octopus.” I tweaked the wording and had the poster produced as a playful, one-of-a-kind piece that’s meaningful to us.
It’s a fun reminder to dream big, and its coral hue complements Clara’s artwork nearby.
Clara, Burger, and I also encouraged Sherry to revisit a former passion: painting. She has a BFA and originally planned to be an artist, but life pushed that aside. Since she’s mentioned missing it, we gave her paints and a gift certificate to a local art supply store (intentionally not a general craft chain so it would go toward real art supplies). And yes, I goofed on the card — I almost signed “John & Sherry” out of habit. #ChristmasPresentFAIL
Sherry also found these quirky buttons that summed up our relationship perfectly and gave them to me, which was just her sense of humor in a tiny package.
Because she knows I’m a bit of a gadget nerd, Sherry gifted me a remote for our camera — a practical little present that will make it easier to capture more candid family photos like the ones we love.
And of course Burger wasn’t left out. He’s not exactly a morning pup, so his gifts had to be delivered to him in bed. Clara picked out a lion toy for him, which he appreciated in his own slow way.
There’s a great photo of him stretching and smiling, which sums up the cozy, joy-filled morning. Between this post and our earlier write-up about Clara’s play kitchen, we’ve covered most of our holiday highlights. What did you give or receive this year? Any standout DIYs or house-related gifts?
Psst — We shared a bigger holiday post with more family photos and details over on Young House Life.
Update: We also rounded up our favorite holiday decor finds — many of them budget-friendly.