Ornament Review: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - 2008 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Very funny ornament

Cons: The song kills the laughs

The Bottom Line: 

Design is so cute

I wish I liked the sound clip

Still fun when silent

Funny to Look at but Painful to Hear

Most of the time, I avoid Christmas novelty songs.  I find the "novelty" wears off after two or three listens if it ever was there to begin with.  The exception to that rule is "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" since I grew up hearing the Al Hirt version.  So I was excited when I got my hands on Hallmark's ornament inspired by the song.  It even included a sound chip.  And that sound chip is the downfall of the ornament.

The sculpt is a riot to look at.  A kid is standing by a small end table that has a plate with a partial cookie, half a glass of milk, and the note "For Santa" on it.  His left hand has a teddy bear in it.  He looks like he could be 3 or 4 at most.  And he's staring over the table completely bug eyed.  You can't help but laugh at his expression.  The kid and the table are on a circular base that is covered in a yellow-green color that's supposed to look like bad carpet.  The overall effect is funny and cute at the same time.

This is what Hallmark calls a Magic ornament, meaning the ornament has something in addition to how it looks.  In this case, that something is a sound clip.  You press the button and you hear about a 30 second clip of the original version of the song.  Now, I had never heard of Jimmy Boyd before, so I had to look him up to learn that this version, recorded when he was 11, was the original version of the song.  If I'd heard that first, I wouldn't be a fan.  It's too slow.  And he's trying too hard to sound cute and younger than he is.  It totally doesn't work for me.  Fortunately, I can just leave the 3 button batteries that come with the ornament out of the base and enjoy the ornament for how it looks.

There are actually three small buttons on the bottom of the ornament.  It rests flat on them, and they lift the ornament up enough that if you chose to display the ornament without hanging it, you'll still be able to hear the song just fine.

The hook for hanging the ornament is located on the top of the little boy's head.  When hanging, the ornament tips every so slightly forward.  You'd never notice it if you weren't looking for it.  The balance is the same whether the batteries are in the ornament or not, so that shouldn't be a concern at all.

I realize the Jimmy Boyd version of the song is a classic, but I just don't care for it.  Fortunately, I can still enjoy the ornament I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus if I ignore the fact that it's supposed to play music.

Original Price: $15.00