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'It's so much happier and joyful': Millennials rally to defend 'tacky' 90s Christmas decor

Nostalgia wins over "Beige Christmas" this year.

Photo credit: Canva

Maybe "tacky" wasn't the right word, TikTok.

You can see a resurgence of maximalism everywhere. From "dopamine decor” to “more is more” fashion, it’s clear that by and large, attitudes are shifting away from restrained elegance and towards more colorful, perfectly imperfect, and most important, fun aesthetics.

That goes for Christmas too. Matching ornaments in varying shades of “sad beige” have been on their way out for a minute now, but this year, people (many nostalgia driven millennials) are enthusiastically rallying behind the concept now formally known on TikTok as “tacky” Christmas.

If you grew up in the 90s, you already know what a “tacky” Christmas looks like. A kaleidoscope of blinking lights, kitschy ornaments that follow zero theme but have some kind of special meaning, and tinsel. Tons and tons of tinsel.

Is it over-the-top? Yes. Gaudy? Perhaps. But that’s the point. As TikTokker @athomewithsyro put it, “Christmas trees are not supposed to be sleek and classy and minimalist: it’s supposed to look like JOY has thrown up in your house.”


@athomewithsyro GIVE ME ALL THE JOYFUL CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS! I have been collecting @christopherradkoco ornaments for over 30 years, and honestly, I will never get over how beautiful they are. While I admire soft Christmas decor, it may surprise you to find out nas that I subscribe to a "more is more" esthetic when it comes to Christmas; it's not about matching my decor. For me, it's about the joy of the season, and nothing says that quite like tons of color, especially Christmas red. #nostalgicchristmas #classicchristmas #christmastree #christmasdecor ♬ original sound - athomewithsyro

Others were inclined to agree. “If it doesn’t border on tacky, you’re not doing it right,” one person wrote in the comments.

And to prove this point, people are posting videos of their own “tacky” Christmas decor, showing that there’s nothing tacky about it at all, but rather festive and childlike. You know…just like Christmas is supposed to feel, one might argue.


@enchantednails_byebony childhood "tacky" christmas complete!🎄 #christmas #tackychristmas #90schristmas #christmasdecorations #traditonalchristmas ♬ Christmas - neozilla


@haywardlegends Kids these days will never understand the feeling we had when we walked in after school to a room full of tinsel & streamers #haywardlegends #1990s #nostalgia #90snostalgia #nostalic #christmas #1990sthrowback #1990snostalgia ♬ The Polar Express - Main Theme by Alan Silvestri - Dominik Hauser


@esally5 My Husband wanted a Christmas tree that reminded him of his childhood. So I decorated our tree with a 90s theme. Had to add our ornament from Alaska🎄😘 #christmastree #tree#christmasdecor #Christmas #christmaslights #northpole #santashouse #alaska #ornaments #90s #nostalgia #nostalgic #multicoloredlights #tinsel ♬ original sound - Erica Sally

"It's not tacky at all, it's exactly how Christmas should be," one person declared. "This is how it should be." While another person commented "It just looks so much happier and joyful though. I much prefer a tacky, colorful tree.”

Another echoed, “Feel like being 6 years old again and sneaking in to watch the Christmas tree after everyone had gone to bed.”

“You cannot look at that and be sad,” said a woman named Maisie Isabella as she showed off her own “colorful, ‘90s, tacky, sexy,” Christmas tree.

It seems even the White House is in full support of this vibrant, whimsical trend for it’s Christmas look this year.

And since the word “tacky” is what folks really took umbrage with, some other less offensive alternatives were thrown into the mix, such as “90s’ Christmas,” "Nostalgic Christmas,' and "Traditional Christmas." Because for many, these titles better capture the sorts of positive feelings that colorful, not so coordinated Christmas decor can evoke.

Everyone who celebrates Christmas can probably agree that it’s a time of year for doing what sparks real joy. Maybe for some that does mean neutral and understated, and that’s fine. For others, it means a cornucopia of color and passed down handmade ornaments. Also fine. But please, for the love, let us choose whatever aesthetic that does light us up in one way or another, and not because we’re trying to fit in with a trend. We have 364 other days of the year to worry about that.

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Sweetest dog ever chooses an 'emotional support pumpkin' each year

"Wow! A Gourd Dog!"

good.boy.ollie/Instagram

You've heard of Emotional Support Dogs. Whether they're formally trained or not, having a canine companion can help ease anxiety, depression, fear, and more in all kinds of different people. But while dogs never seem to get tired of loving and taking care of us, sometimes they need a little something for their own comfort! It might be a favorite chew toy that they refuse to destroy, or a stuffed animal that they like to snuggle and suck on.

A 10-year-old very good boy named Ollie recently made a curious decision when picking his own comfort object. He plucked a pumpkin right out of a patch and hasn't let it out of his sight since.

"IT HAPPENED AGAIN!! 🎃🎃" Ollie's owners captioned the first Instagram post. "You guys all know that Ollie picked an emotional support pumpkin 2 years ago, well a few weeks ago he finally picked one again! He knew exactly which one he wanted."

Two weeks later, they posted an update. Ollie, a Chocolate Lab, still hadn't let the pumpkin leave his sight.

He's shown cuddling it in bed, carrying it around the house, and occasionally gnawing on the handle.

The handle, which eventually broke off! But Ollie's owners put the pumpkin in a little wicker basket with a handle so Ollie could continue to carry it with him everywhere he goes. It worked like a charm!

That's right. This isn't Ollie's first time turning a real live pumpkin into his personal comfort blankey.

Apparently he's been at it for years!

The videos go viral every time, to no one's surprise. They're just so sweet and joyful you can't possibly keep yourself from smiling when you watch Ollie snuggle his pumpkin. This is definitely the content we all need right now — and every fall, while we're at it!

(One commenter on Reddit noted that Ollie was becoming a great "Gourd Dog." There are puns aplenty to be made here.)

Why would a dog pick a pumpkin for comfort?

orange pumpkins on gray field near green grassland at daytime selective focus photography Photo by Marius Ciocirlan on Unsplash

Objects that humans (or dogs!) pick for comfort are sometimes called transitional objects. Transitional objects help foster a feeling of safety and help with separation anxiety.

Early definitions of the term "transitional object" actually used the comfort object as a stand-in for Mom "until the child has established an internal object, or mental representation of her, that provides a sense of security and comfort."

In young kids, they most often take the form of a stuffed animal, blanket, or lovey (which is a cuddly stuffed animal/blanket combination). But they can also be unique and bizarre, like a favorite water bottle, a Tupperware container, a rock, a feather. Anything, really.

Dogs have many different ways they go about choosing a comfort object. They look for the way it feels, smells, sounds, or even tastes. They usually want something they can carry around easily, and they may like things they can "interact" with.

You can kind of begin to see how a pumpkin might fit the bill! It may have interesting smells and tastes. It's easy to carry by the handle — which doubles as a nice chew toy. It has a pleasant, hollow sound when you place it down on the ground.

The one drawback, of course, is that pumpkins can't last forever. No matter how gentle Ollie is with it or how many tongue baths he gives it. Pumpkins rot and go bad. That's life!

But there's always next year to pick a new one. And judging by Ollie's Instagram history, you can bet he'll be eagerly awaiting his trip to the pumpkin patch next fall.

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Joy

Couple act out their own Hallmark movie plot, and it's hilariously spot-on

Follow along on Candy Cane and Jack Alltrades' romantic adventure through Mistletoe Pines.

@lillianawilde/TikTok

Follow along on Candy Cane and Jack Alltrades' romantic adventure through Mistletoe Pines.

Tis the season for Hallmark movies—meaning quaint and family-friendly small towns, clumsy meet-cutes between opposite personalities destined to fall in love, and rediscovering the true meaning of Christmas all before the credits roll. But the cheesy predictability of it all is what makes Hallmark Christmas movies so enjoyable to watch. Or, in this case—recreate.

Recently, husband and wife duo Lilliana Wilde and Sean Kolar created their very own Hallmark style movie for TikTok, aptly titled “Under the Mistletoe,” which features every single trope Hallmark fans have come to expect. The biggest achievement of all is that they did it without any meanspiritedness, and instead managed to maintain that quintessential Hallmark charm.

When her car breaks down in a (you guessed it) quaint and family-friendly small town, big city photographer Candice Kane, known professionally as “Candy Cane,” has to rely the ruggedly handsome Jack Alltrades to replace her “combustion coupler” and help her “capture some of the magic” of Mistletoe Pines.

In the span of a little under two-and-a-half minutes, we get a romantic exchange while learning about the "naturally glittery” mistletoe that gives Mistletoe Pines its name, a fall that turns into a dip that almost turns into a kiss, and a now or never moment that causes Candy to give up on her dreams because…love.

But the real pièce de résistance is the moment Jack hands Candy a "mistletoe latte” in a sideways cup, since, as Lilliana explained in the comments, “the cups are always so obviously empty” in Hallmark movies.

Watch:


@liliannawilde Replying to @thosewerethedayss will Candy Cane stay in Mistletoe Pines or will the lights of the big city pull her away from Jack Alltrades? Find out tonight on “Under The Mistletoe” ✨ @Sean Kolar #hallmark #hallmarkmovies #hallmarkchristmasmovies #couplecomedy #husbandwife #marriagehumor #husbandsbelike ♬ original sound - Lilianna Wilde

Ugh. It really is “picture perfect,” made all the more joyful when neither Lilliana nor Sean can keep from giggling.It’s no wonder why it’s spreading like wildfire and gaining a ton of praise on various social media platforms.

“This is like Hallmark for ADHD,” one person wrote on TikTok. “The shorthand version…I love it!”

“The Mistletoe dip was on point!!” added another

Still another joked, “I’m a Netflix executive, we have mailed you a golden retriever and an old pick-up truck.”

And just like Hallmark might repurpose the same actors for subsequent films, Lilliana and Sean have made a couple of other DIY Hallmark movies. One featuring a “small town family pumpkin patch grove farm”:

@liliannawilde Replying to @a 🦋 will Jack and Autumn save the pumpkin patch? but more importantly, will Autum Frost finally melt? @Sean Kolar my husband’s acting like hes in a hallmark movie again lol #hallmark #hallmarkmovies #hallmarkchristmasmovies #couplecomedy #husbandwife #marriagehumor #husbandsbelike ♬ original sound - Lilianna Wilde

And a secret prince…

@liliannawilde Replying to @Kim Shomo part 2! find out if the secret prince will find his princess (and a little bonus singing from sean 🥹) @Sean Kolar ♥️ #hallmarkmovies #hallmark #hallmarkchristmasmovies #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Lilianna Wilde

And a talented golden retriever named Juniper:


@liliannawilde Replying to @soitsstephsantana “A Heart of Gold” on Hallmark tonight lol our favorite co-star yet, the lovely and talented Juniper Rose Tuner lol she was such a good pup and we think she has more hallmark movies in her future 😭 @Sean Kolar @juniper 🍯 #hallmarkmovies #hallmark #hallmarkchannel #marriagehumor #married #marriedlife #couplecomedy #couple ♬ original sound - Lilianna Wilde


But there’s also plenty more non-Hallmark related content that’s just as fun to be found by giving Lilliana and Sean a follow.

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People share their most ridiculous 'I paid for it, not letting it go to waste' moments

The things we do save a buck.

Photo by Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash

Worth it?

The saying “waste not, want not” can be very valuable. However, as with most idioms of wisdom, it can be taken too far. Especially if it means putting up with severely unpleasant experiences simply to save a buck or two.

A person on Reddit by the username @Bull56Dozer recently asked the online community to share their own “well I paid for it, not letting it go to waste” moments and their question received a ton of responses. As it turns out, many, many humans would prefer to endure the uncomfortable (even consume the questionable) rather than potentially waste money.

A lot of the anecdotes were, perhaps unsurprisingly, food related. Considering that food inflation is at nearly 10% as of April 2022, it makes sense that people might want to milk every penny, even if that means drinking milk past the expiration date.

Plus, we do have a huge food waste issue. According to the World Food Programme, nearly one-third of all food currently produced globally is wasted each year … enough to feed 2 billion people. With those alarming statistics, I find myself choking down cereal that’s flavor is … interesting at best.

Of course, money fears could also be at play. Finances is a major source of stress for many people, if not manifesting into a full-blown phobia. Even those who are currently secure could still have been affected by growing up in poverty. As Leah Brookner, MA, MSW, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Social Work at Portland State University, explained in an article for Health, the trauma of childhood poverty—even when experienced well into young adulthood—can negatively shape the way we think. Luckily, she adds that with awareness, this is a challenge that can be overcome.

Maybe by making light of some of the measures we go through in the name of frugality, we can bring in some of this awareness, while still keeping our spirits lifted. After all, when given an optimistic spin, these moments can make for some funny stories. And time spent laughing is never wasted, right?

Without further ado, here are 14 of the best responses:

1. How could Oprah lead them astray?

“The worst cake I ever had was $30 for two slices…It was my mom’s birthday and she wanted to go to this gourmet cake place that was every girl’s tea party fantasy on the inside. The cakes were even Oprah recommended which was the reason my mom knew about it. We go to eat it, and the cake is…..awful. And it’s not just, oh it’s not my taste, like the cakes just tasted bad...."

things we do to not waste money

When you have your gross cake and have to eat it too

Giphy

"...We still ate them because they were $30 but I had to buy my own frosting to get through it.” – @signaturefox2013

2. When cheapness leads to closure

“Planned a weekend away with the guy I was dating, it was for his birthday. We would go to a theme park and stay in a hotel. But in the meantime we decided to break up. We still got on that trip, cause we already booked. At first I thought it was going to be a bit awkward, but it turned out to be really fun and a nice way to close things off.” – @vonne_F

3. ...and all they got was this lousy T-shirt

“Ran a marathon where I hit the wall at 25k. The remaining 17k I was just repeating to myself that I had paid for this and I was going to get my finisher T-shirt no matter what. Absolutely miserable 2 hours.” – @donut-or-do-not

4. Did somebody order a free feline piercing?

“My cat was pissed at me (I may have been egging him on) and bit my ear. In fact, he pierced my ear. My daughter cleaned it up for me and added a nice diamond-stud earring…I’m not a guy for earrings, but as long as I had a piercing, I’ll wear an earring for a little while at least…the hard part was done.” – @Southern_Snowshoe

viral ask reddit thread

Lucky it was his ear

Giphy
5. In dad's defense … should the turkey die for nothing?

“My dad burnt the thanksgiving turkey to the point were if he had left it 5 more minutes he would’ve burnt the whole house down… still forced us to eat it tho… worst thanksgiving to this day…” – @MemeVY

6. When the term "cheap date" becomes a little too literal

“Went on a date for Valentine’s Day and they offered to buy me a coffee beer at the restaurant. Horrible. I’m pretty sure they just made it with half black coffee, half stout and mixed it together in the glass. If I had purchased it myself, I would have noped out, but I managed to choke it down.” – @CONFETA

7. Mom never has to know

“I decided to try making a big batch of slow-cooked shredded pork tenderloin with smashed potatoes because my parents had this huge tenderloin in their freezer that they weren't going to use. I had never cooked pork before, I'd never thawed meat before, I'd never used a slow cooker before…. What could possibly go wrong?

I severely messed it up …the pork came out tough and way, way over-seasoned with pepper, to the point that was its only flavor, and the worst part was that there was enough meat for ten work lunches, most of which I had to freeze so they wouldn't go bad. I kept forgetting to thaw them in advance, which often resulted in the potatoes still being cold in the middle after reheating because I didn't want to hold up the microwave at work.

So for two whole weeks, I had over-seasoned, tough shredded pork and cold, under-seasoned potatoes for lunch at work. Why did I not stop this chain of events at any point or throw the food out, you may ask? Because I knew my mom would lecture me about it…and I've always been too cheap to pay for delivery.” – @RinTheLost

8. When you're a bookworm on a budget

“When I was younger not only would I compulsively finish any book I started, but I would also finish any series it was a part of.” – @tehKrakken55

However, this person did have a one-time caveat:

"I read Twilight to see what the fuss was about, and got a third of the way into whatever the hell the third book is before I looked at myself in the mirror and said 'You do not have to finish books you don't like.'"
9. Sticking to the bitter, bitter end

“I try to be very careful with my money. So I usually only get coffee from Dunkin or Starbucks as a treat to myself lol. I order the same thing every time. French vanilla cold brew with cream and no cold foam. Today for some reason, it was so bitter and terrible I could barely stand it. No cream, no French vanilla and even a bit of the coffee grounds were still floating around in there. I paid 3.50 for it …so I drank it. Lol.” – @ItchyInvestigator174

10. Yay?

“Current college course. 7 and a half grand in debt for almost the rest of my life and I’m just there for the experience.” – @_Frog_Enthusiast_

funny things we do to save money, money fears, poverty mindsetGiphy
11. When thriftiness leaves you feeling salty

“Overly salty peanut butter chocolate cake…..I can still feel the salt burns on my tongue after just the first slice. No amount of milk, whipped cream or fruit helped but that salt. Ate every last crumb of that cake. Took me only two weeks. It was a 6” cake.” – @GeneticExperiment626

12. Because those pants WILL come back in style!

"Most of the items of clothes in my closet unfortunately. I don’t like them so I don’t wear them but I can’t bring myself to throw them out because, well, I paid for them.” – @agentPheasant

funny things we do to save money

Hmm..what will I not be wearing today?

Giphy
13. When it affects you're health, there's a problem

“Medication for my ADHD. On paper, should’ve been a great fit, but it turned me into a zombie. And I don’t say that lightly, I couldn’t tell you what happened those few months…At the time i also had undiagnosed Generalized Anxiety, which can be severely exasperated by high doses of many ADHD meds. I was taking a 35 mg does which is pretty high for ADHD meds. So when I wasn’t a zombie, I was having serve panicking attacks. The anxiety and zombification was so bad it counteracted the benefits of the medicine. Yet, I kept with it for FOUR MONTHS because they were expensive. Stupidest thing I've done. Four months I'm never getting back. Btw I got a better much lower and effective does now.” – @Agitated-Salad-894

14. Saved the happiest ending for last

“My mom bought me a 1 year gym membership ( I was 16 ) I didn't want to go to the gym at all . But she told me try it out once and see what happens , I was angry at the time but I figured 'well I cant cancel it and the money's already been paid, I'll see what happens.' Here I am talking to you, 100 pounds lighter. I love my mom.” – @Mission-Pickle-2846


This article originally appeared two years ago.

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