Have you started decorating for Christmas yet? It seems like the holiday season comes earlier and earlier each year. The stores have Christmas decor on the shelves by October! I enjoy looking at the merchandise, and part of me gets so excited for this time of year. But on the other hand, I feel the stress of it all creeping into my life before I even buy our Thanksgiving turkey. So how can we avoid some of that stress? We can’t put our lives on hold for the whole month of December. Bills still have to be paid, homework has to be done, cars break down, kids get sick. We try to do everything we normally do plus the Christmas shopping, cookie baking, holiday decorating, gift wrapping, party hosting, and MORE! No wonder we get stressed!
Don’t get me wrong – I love all of the holiday festivities, but sometimes I think we need to dial it back a bit and simplify our approach. For example, I often limit my holiday decor to four areas that can be done as elaborately or as simply as I’d like. I decorate our front door, fireplace, Christmas tree, and dining room table. I’ve rounded up some inspiration photos to illustrate how we can have festive holiday homes with a little bit of attention (not a lot of stress) to these four areas.
The Front Door
When it comes to the front door, I think a simple wreath can be enough. I also like the idea of putting greenery and pine cones in tins or baskets. Gathering these items from the yard would be a fun project for the kids. They can clean up the yard and decorate the porch at the same time! It’s a win-win!
The Fireplace
This holiday fireplace has several great ideas for a cozy Christmas look. I think it’s fun to change out the artwork over the fireplace in favor of a mirror or holiday print. Red garland is an easy way to add color, and a basket of blankets is attractive as well as functional. I’m not sure I would put that many logs in the fireplace, though. How will Santa get inside to deliver the gifts?!
The Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree is the centerpiece of my home for the holidays. I hate to break with tradition, so I tend to decorate it the same way every year. I like to use white lights, tinsel garland, and a mix of decorative and sentimental ornaments. As we can see in this example, it doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated to be beautiful. White lights, white ornaments, and a little bit of sparkle finish this lovely tree.
The Dining Table
Finally, I like to add something special to the dining table. I love the simplicity of the tablescape above. I’ve done something similar with pillar and votive candles, greenery, and some shimmering ornaments. Don’t have any holiday dinnerware? No worries! Simple white plates complete this classic look.
What’s your favorite thing to decorate for the holidays? Will you wait until after Thanksgiving to start? I sure will. At my house, this week is for cooking, baking, and eating! Happy Thanksgiving!