Essentially EmmaMarie

Are you ready for Christmas? I am so ready! I love all the days in the holiday season starting with Thanksgiving, from getting out and doing a little shopping on Black Friday to going out and getting a real Christmas tree. I love shopping for presents; I love wrapping presents; I love baking with family; I love the Christmas parties (probably the only kind of parties that this homebody gets excited about!), but I have to say above it all, one of my most favorite activities of the Christmas season is decorating my house! It’s almost makes the whole ordeal of growing up, finding a way to earn an income, and paying bills worth it!

For me, the beginning of the Christmas season looks like this: Thanksgiving Day, followed by Black Friday when my friend and I spend a day together and do a little shopping; Saturday—the Christmas explosion! I look forward to the beginning of the season when I can pour some hot chocolate or coffee into one of my Christmas mugs and pull out the decor and let the creativity start flowing. I think an important reason why I enjoy it is that I don’t treat Christmas like a chore. I don’t have kids yet and therefore the holiday is greatly simplified. We know that the way in which we approach things greatly affects the outcome so I urge you not to be a grinch this holiday season. If the thought of pulling out lots of decorations is simply too stressful, then don’t! Pull out a few key pieces and let it go at that.

Here is a little list to help you manage the stress this holiday season:

· Start thinking about the holidays—how many people do you have to shop for. Start making a list and a budget of how much you plan to spend on each person. What about your Christmas décor. Do you need anything new? Now is the time to start making lists and checking them twice.

· Are you sending Christmas cards this year. Thanksgiving can be a great time to take that photo since everyone is already cleaned up and there is usually an extra person or two around to snap the family photo. Through places such as Walmart, Target, or Walgreens you can design your Christmas card online and then swing by the store to pick them up the next time you do your shopping.

· Hopefully you can start buying some Christmas gifts. Maybe you have a day you can dedicate to this task, maybe you have to do it in fits and starts, but by starting in November and finishing it at the beginning of December, will help take a load off your mind.

· Wrapping: can you wrap a little on a Saturday morning before your kids get up? In the afternoon before your husband gets home from work? Whenever you can, try to squeeze in a few minutes for wrapping here and there. Turn on some Christmas music or a movie, and take the opportunity for more hot chocolate or a cup of your favorite coffee and enjoy!

Now about the actual décor . . .

Just like starting to think about your Christmas shopping list, start thinking about your Christmas decor. Were you short a strand of twinkling lights last year? Did the tree look a little bare and need a few more ornaments? Start planning where you want to put things and make a list of things you need to pick up.

In my post “Alternative Christmas Color Palettes.” I talk about using nontraditional Christmas color palettes in your home but what about other ways to add touches of Christmas to your home?

From The Outside Looking In

Even if you are not a big fan of hosting, this time of year makes it almost inevitable that you will be having someone over at some point. Create a welcoming front door with a beautiful wreath, or a festive door mat to help welcome your guests.

The Tree

I am not going to spend a lot of time on this one, but it is my opinion that everyone should put up at least a little tree. To me, Christmas trees are nondenominational and I think everyone should have one! I love a colorful tree with collected and handmade ornaments that tell the story of a family and a life. My aunt has given me a special ornament every year since I was born—and these ornaments are handmade, unique and gorgeous! It was so nice to have these special ornaments to adorn our Christmas tree when my husband and I were first married and had such a small ornament collection. I also see the beauty in a curated tree with a carefully selected color scheme—just make sure you’re leaving a little room for sentiment in decorating your tree.

The Mantle Or Other Large Surface Area

Mantels are such a fun space to decorate! I feel like I have two mantles because I have my actual mantle and the top of my old upright piano. If you have a mirror above your mantle, hanging a lovely wreath can be a great touch. Adding greenery and some twinkle lights is a classic look; from there you can go any in direction with your decor. I love the look of lots of candles clustered in the middle of the greenery and then letting it go at that. I am also a fan of working a manger scene into your mantle. You can add a grouping of Christmas signs into your mantle, or make a little village with porcelain houses and bottle brush trees, or use a variety of miniature Christmas trees to make a little forest clustered on your mantle.

Vignettes

You didn’t think I would skip over vignettes did you? If you are doing really a low key, simple Christmas décor, this year think of adding a vignette or two throughout your home. These can add some holiday cheer without being a lot of work! Here are a few ideas I like.

· A bowl full of ornaments.

· A tray with a candle, some books, a gold or silver deer figurine, and a faux tree.

· A faux tree with a deer and an accent ball.

· A closh with a sprig of greenery, a pinecone, and an ornament.

· A faux tree, candle, and festive holiday sign.

The Table

I usually just have a runner on my table but sometimes at Christmas I get fancy and pull out a full-fledged tablecloth. See my post of my table’s Centerpieces Throughout The Seasons for some ideas of how to tweak what you may already have going on on your table. In addition, you could do a nice vignette or a beautiful bowl with some ornaments—just keep in mind when decorating your table that you will most likely be hosting more than normal this season so don’t make the centerpiece too big or too cumbersome to move. In addition, if you are using a tablecloth and need to insert a table leaf for when guests comes over, make sure your tablecloth is large enough to cover your table.

A Few Other Touches

Depending on how crazy you want to go with your decor this year, here are a few other touches that are very nice and very festive!

Mini wreaths on your cupboards or back of dining room chairs.

· Add a faux tree to your hand soap and lotion in your bathroom or by your sink.

· Pull out the Christmas dishes! You don’t have to wait for company to use those gorgeous dishes! Use them as decor, set them out ready for use—but either way, don’t forget about them!

· Accent pillows—add some Christmas cheer to any room!

Hopefully this will get you excited for the season! Regardless of how much you do or don’t care to decorate for the season, I hope you will find at least a few minutes to spend time with family and friends, slow down, and remember the reason for the season.

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Other Posts You May Enjoy:

· Alternative Christmas Color Palettes

· Vignettes for any room of the house

· Centerpieces Throughout the seasons