series courtesy SimpleMom.net
So I have been following SimpleMom’s “12 weeks to a peaceful Christmas” series and I am head over heels in love! Not only has it organized but it has inspired me to be organized and prepared for the upcoming Holiday season! Its already the second week of November! How is that possible? I don’t know where the time went but the Christmas music is already piping through the halls of my home. The Black Friday shopping lists are being made, the gifts have been ordered, the baking supplies purchased and I am gearing up to spend some amazing time with the people who matter most to me!
Image from Martha Stewart.com
This week’s task from SimpleMom’s series is:
8 Weeks Till Christmas: Brainstorm Decor Ideas
YAY!!!!!!!! Finally! One of my favorite parts of Christmas! There is just something about the trees and lights. In the same way that they warm my home they seem to warm my heart and lift my spirits. I can see how people have some sort of funk after the holidays because it is sort of depressing to see all of this beauty and magic disappear as quickly as it came. I think that Christmas is the ONE time throughout the year when EVERY heart is childlike and every person can find some a little magical. You don’t have to have much faith to see the beauty of this season.
In order to make your Christmas Decor organized and orderly here are SimpleMom’s tips:
1. Inventory what you have. For me, this is a MUST. Its a daunting task but I cannot tell you how many times I have purchased duplicates of items just because I didn’t know what I had in “stock” already! This is true for GIFTS also! I have been purchasing and hiding gifts all over my house to keep my kids and family out of them but now its time to round em up and reign them in! I would hate to be on the way out the door to a family function and forget where I have stashed their gifts! That stresses me out! So… I am dually excited about this task this week!
2. Make a List of what you’d like. By planning your decor ahead of time it gives you the opportunity to watch the sales. Make a list of the items you would like to add to your collection. Know which ones are a priority and watch for them to go on sale. If you are not in dire need try and wait until those amazing AFTER Christmas sales! For us, we have been saving all year for some major purchases on Black Friday. Things we have needed for some time but have made do because we knew that they will be 50% or more off the day after Thanksgiving. I guess I really have been planning Christmas all year long!!!
3. Shop secondhand! Don’t EVEN get me started!!! Seriously. I love me some yard sales and thrift stores and craigslist and and and….. secondhand rocks. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure right?
4. Hunt for Sales NOW! This year it seems that retailers are getting into the “mood” earlier than normal! Sears even had a “pre-black friday” sale over Halloween weekend! There are TONS of bargains to be had RIGHT now at stores!!! So get your Sherlock Holmes pants on, grab your pen and sunday paper and go to town!
5. Go Homemade. There are literally millions of ideas for crafting your holiday decor! I am a crafty soul who wishes she had more time! I always have great intentions yet bite off more than I can chew and end up not finishing these projects that would look so amazing if I did. Nothing will make your holidays brighter than spending that hour to make a paper chain for your tree with your kids! This year we will have our “kids” tree downstairs. I have my tree upstairs that has the sentimental and pretty ornaments and then downstairs we will have the tree with everything that the KIDS make. They love their tree! It may only be 5 ft tall and it may have colored lights (gasp… I am NOT a colored light fan!) but it’s theirs and that is what matters!
6. Embrace a Simple look. Less is more. Your home doesn’t have to look like a page out of Martha Stewart to feel like a holiday home. I often find myself not finishing my decor just because I have bitten off too much. I am trying, this year, to choose simpler projects with more meaning. Tackling them one at a time until I have the holiday home that is perfect for US! In the words of SimpleMom: “stop worrying about a photo-worthy, Norman Rockwell-esque home, and enjoy hot cocoa in front of the fireplace with the family.”
For more information on SimpleMom’s tips or to read this article in its entirety go to SimpleMom.net.
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