First Apartment Ornaments

A first apartment can stay oddly clear in memory: the radiator with a mind of its own, the neighbor you only knew by footsteps, four flights of stairs and the couch that barely made the turn. The first Christmas there may be a small one: a tree that is not quite straight, lights from the discount store, cookies that ran a little long in the oven. An ornament with the year belongs on that tree, whatever it looks like.

What to put on it

• "Our first place" and the year. The wording stays accurate through every move that follows.
• The apartment number. "Apt 4B, est. 2026" fits on everything and reads friendlier than a full street address.
• City and year. A good option if you expect to move, since the city part keeps being accurate.
• Both names, whether the second one belongs to a partner or a roommate.
• A photo, if the place photographs well. The front stoop or the door with the numbers can bring the apartment closer than a photograph of the whole building.

The full street address is the one thing worth skipping here, mostly because leases end. City and year, or just "our first place," will still read right from whatever apartment comes next.

Starting from zero ornaments

A first apartment may come with a first tree and an almost empty ornament box. A dated piece from the moving year gives the collection a place to begin. Parents can add a couple of plain ornaments to the package, and those first pieces may move from the small apartment tree to larger trees later.