Have you ever walked inside someone's house at the holidays and immeadiately felt like you had been transported to a winter wonderland? It smells like a mix between christmas cookies and winter balsm trees, you see candles, garland, matching ornaments, perfectly wrapped presents placed neatly under the tree, and pristine china waiting to be used at the dining table. You wonder... how do they have time to do all of this? Especially during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. It is really not as hard as it seems. Honestly it just takes some really good organization, time management, and a little imagination.
When it comes to getting your home ready for the holidays having your decorative christmas items handy and labeled correctly is crucial to getting your home in the Holiday spirit. It is easier if you don't have your christmas tree stuffed up in the attic where you can't get it down by yourself and have to wait for someone to get it down for you.
As a solution dedicate a section in the garage or basement to just christmas decor storage. Its relatively inexpensive to purchase a plastic shelf (ranging from $80 - $200 new, and don't be afraid to purchase these second hand either you won't be showing them off) to keep boxes tidy and acess it easily when you have time to decorate. Something similar to the picture shown above. Clear boxes help with finding what you need at a quick glance, but just be mindful of the space you are putting it in. If the area gets lots of sunlight you may not want precious items to get faded with the years so darker colors like navy blue or black tubs may work better for your brighter space. Just make sure to label them correctly and if necessary get trays or divders for ornaments to keep them from getting damaged and always wrap the fragile ones in tissue paper or bubble wrap.
Selecting a project for each day and making To Do lists helps you get things done in a timely manner.Having the space to work helps get the job done more efficiently. I usually try to clear out my livingspace of everything nonessential first, so there is room to work and then put all of my knick-knacks and decorations. Espcially the family stuff thats old and the more fragile things like the porcelian nativity scene.
Now don't be afraid to get really into putting up your decorations, crank up the holiday tunes, make a nice Peppermint Mocha or Hot Cocoa and get the kids in on it too. My parents always put the tree together but my brother and I were the offical "Tree Fluffer's" and "ornament placers". Although mom and dad did get the high places on the tree and the tree topper placed. It makes it so fun when everyone is in on the decorating. As children it gave us such pride seeing our own handmade ornaments from school hanging on the tree even seeing special ones we got on vacation made us smile seeing the places we had visited. Ofcourse we each had our own favorite activity at christmas time but it was so nice to help each other and it makes memories as kids for a lifetime.
Personally,I love to have a nice wreath on my front door so all those who don't get to enter my home kind of get to see a holiday greeting from the outside as a warm winter welcome. Below are 2 wreaths I hand made. (Keep scrolling in the slideshow to see how the ribbon wreath was made) and the front door wreath I bought it's from Target, I love shopping there! I find hand made items to be so much more personal than things you find in a store.
Some of the best cozy touches are simple ones that make a big impact. Like keeping the house smelling fresh with a sweet candle. The warm comforting glow adds ambuiance and aroma to the air and just makes the house feel like a home. Adding to that warm glow a fire going in the fireplace always adds a touch of cozy plus adding a few chunky or fluffy throws in the living room just beckons people to sit down, cover up, and watch a christmas movie.
Make this Christmas yours in a special way. We have all been crazy since we spent last Christmas in quarrentine. Do something different this year to make your home feel more special like a festive advent calendar or maybe a projector for the house this year. Whatever you choose I hope you and yours have a very Merry and Cozy Christmas this year and a Happy New year in 2022!
-Miranda Montgomery