All Things Christmas
Merry Christmas friends! In today’s post I share all things Christmas from decorating, to daily life, to gift giving. I pray this post blesses you as we move through the month of December toward Christmas day. Enjoy!
Decorate with Me (Cozy Home Style)
If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that I decorate for the seasons and I like to keep it cozy. We do life in our home so my decor reflects practicality and comfortability. Before I decorate though, I like to clean the space to prepare for all the new decor. Around this time, I will clear out old things to make room for new things. I’ll start by clearing out clothing that I or the children don’t wear anymore and put them in the “Big Black Trash Bags” that have become a famous sign in our home for “Mom Means Business”. This year I got a new dresser, so I took that opportunity to go through all my folded clothes. This includes workout clothes, bras, underwear, socks, etc. If you haven’t touched it in a year or don’t wear it anymore, clear it out and donate it.
We also clear out old toys, stuffed animals, books, board games, and more. I’ll look at the condition of these items and decide whether they are still good for donation or if they need to be trashed. Also, this is a great time to clear out any old product boxes that I’ve had sitting around for years (I won’t be returning them after that long anyways).
To get motivated for your pre-Christmas clean-out check out my YouTube video. If you need ideas on how to prepare for the holidays next year, check out my Holiday Prep checklist that you can download for free in my shop. Once the cleaning extravaganza is complete, it’s time to decorate.
When decorating, I like to use décor that I have collected over the years. Each year I’ll get one or two things to add and purge anything that is broken or I haven’t used in a while. First thing up is our Christmas tree. This year we got a new artificial tree from Costco and we absolutely love it. Then I replace the throw pillows on the couch with more festive pillows with snowflakes and Christmas trees. We have a special tradition in our family where my kids have a personal Christmas tree in their rooms. These trees are for all the special ornaments my kids collect each year. These trees really reflect what my children enjoy and some of their personality. I love it!
As we move through the living room, we’ll decorate the stair banisters where I like to wrap garland up each side. We hang Christmas lights and stockings up the side that faces our living room. Sprinkled throughout the living room are touches of Christmas joy including bundled up birds (so cute), snowmen, a nativity scene, miniature Christmas trees, and other vintage touches.
Next I move into the kitchen and add all my little decorations on top of and inside the hutch. I love the look of cluttered décor inside the hutch. It feels so cozy especially with all the Christmas coffee mugs and vintage trinkets.
If you’ve known me long enough, you know I love collecting Christmas gnomes and this year I placed all of them on top of our fridge, minus the two ginormous gnomes I accidentally ordered one season that find their home in our school room.
One thing I love to do as we approach each winter season is to swap out cleaning supplies and hand soaps in the kitchen with Christmas scents. There’s just something about the scent of peppermint that helps make cleaning my kitchen more enjoyable.
If you’d like to see all the décor I used this year in our home, check out my video below.
Daily Life (Homeschool and Travel)
Each year in my homeschool, we have done different things during the Christmas season. This year will be different from past years because I have a few new things to navigate that I haven’t in the past such as my teen daughter's work schedule. However, I have a Christmas playlist for each year that features all my homeschool Christmas plans from past years for you to check out below.
YouTube Christmas Playlists
We do not abandon our everyday subjects during the Christmas season. However, I do give us permission to do less some days so we can do crafts, bake cookies, deliver gifts, and so forth. I am all about making memories with my kids while they are here in the home.
I like to incorporate Christmas elements in our homeschool by including an advent Bible study. Last year we used a study by Campfire Curriculums called IN THE SEASON OF | CAROLING NOEL. This year we are using the new devotional by Not Consumed called Adoration at the Manger: A Christmas Hymn Study. I will also be using Joy to the World by John Piper as a daily advent reading during my morning basket.
During this time, I like to take a pause from our usual read alouds and swap in a Christmas read aloud. This winter we’ll be reading The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In addition, I like to pull out Christmas picture books for my kids to read during this time. These books I’ve spent countless years collecting and it has become a tradition in our family to bring them out during Christmas time. For more on homeschooling during the holidays, check out the video below.
During the holidays, I am a fan of taking off a lot of time to focus on making memories and spending time with family. Other than my trip to Michigan to see my grandma in the month of November, we only took off Thanksgiving day. This year, in the month of December we are taking two weeks off for a family trip in addition to taking off the whole week of Christmas.
We have so many traditions as a family, but one we all enjoy is watching Christmas movies as a family. My husband and I share some of our favorites in the video below “Holiday This or That”.
Gift Giving (Ideas for your family)
Each year, I like to put together gift guides showcasing things I’ve bought my kids, nephews, and husband. This year I switched it up and added a few more lists to share even more ideas, including a guide from my husband where he shares some great finds for your man. All lists can be found at the link below but I’ve included a quick image to showcase all the lists you can find.
Here are some of my YouTube videos showcasing some of the gifts mentioned in the guides.
Well friends, I hope you have an amazing Christmas and pray that you are blessed knowing the reason for the season. Until next time!
