Decorating for Christmas is something I love and look forward to from about November 1st. I always wait until the week of Thanksgiving to actually start putting out Christmas decorations but I definitely dream about them long before that. This year, I wanted to add a few new items to our home and I decided to start with some framed words. Joy and Noel are two of my favorite “words of the season” so I picked one of those. 
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Christmas Tree Advent Calendar
Christmas is my absolutely favorite time of year. From mid-September, I start dreaming of my Christmas decorations and start to think about what this year’s Advent Calendar will look like. Last year, our Advent Calendar was a frame with little envelopes for each day. I wanted to do something a little different this year and, after a brainstorming session with Mathlete, we came with the idea of a Christmas tree Advent Calendar.
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Black Friday Survival Kit with a Printable
Guess what will be here in a just over a week? Sure, there is Thanksgiving but there is also Black Friday! Are you a Black Friday shopper? I definitely am and look forward to it every year. If you are too, I am here to help you with your black Friday preparation with tips on creating a Black Friday Survival Kit {and printable}!
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Pumpkin Pie French Toast Casserole Recipe
We are spending more and more of our holidays at home with family. With a large-ish house and two kids, it seems to work out really well for everyone to come and hang at our house for major holidays. We have space for everyone to stay and the kids can stay comfy in their own environment. Knowing I have extra mouths to feed in the mornings always has me searching for breakfast ideas that are quick and easy. Wanting something delicious but that required very little work of a morning led me to make this pumpkin pie french toast casserole recipe.
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Let’s Go on a Sleigh Ride
This post was originally shared over on Salt Tree but I wanted to share it with you here as well!
For my kitchen decorations this year, I focused on bright reds and greens for the decor.
Someone keeps eating the M&Ms out of my little bowl…thieves!
One of the newest additions to the room started with this unfinished wood sled.
I taped stripes with painters tape and painted part of them red.
Once it was dry, I taped off the other stripes and painted them green. Then, I let the entire thing dry for several days before adding my vinyl lettering to the sled.
Are you ready for sleigh rides?
I love this sleigh because, even though it is red and green, I think it can stay out for decoration all winter!
Gift Ideas for the Littles
I’m sure all you prepared parents have your gifts purchased, wrapped and under the tree. So, this post isn’t for you. It is for the parents {like me} who are still out walking the aisles and clicking on the web looking for great gifts for their kids.
Or maybe the aunt or uncle who just has no clue what to get…or the grandparent who isn’t exactly “hip” when it comes to kids’ toys.
I’ll go ahead and caveat this and say, if the kids you are shopping for aren’t {or near} 5 and 2, I’m not going to be of much help. But, if they are, read on for some great gift ideas that are readily available right now!
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Glittery Snowflakes
I’m on a big snowflake kick this year. It started with my Snowflake and Mercury Glass mantle and it has been spreading throughout our house like some kind of snowflake epidemic. Blame it on the lack of snow last year and so far this year…
The newest snowy addition to our house are these glittery snowflakes.
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Doe a Deer
If you took a look at our Christmas home tour, you’ll notice a common thread through almost every room…let’s see if you can figure out by checking out our Christmas holiday table {or you know…reading the title}.
This year, I set the table using a combination of gold chargers and square and round plates.
In the center of the table is a green runner with an ivory and gold snowflake runner layered over top.
The vase in the middle is filled with little gold sticks, snow and my favorite glittered pinecones.
Gold candles and little reindeer flank the centerpiece on either side.
So, did you figure out what almost all the spaces in the house have in common? {I hope you guessed deer!}
What are you decorating with this year?
Christmas Home Tour
I love coming home to Christmas decorations. There is something about them that just instantly lifts your spirits! Had a bad day at work? No worries, take a look a the sparkly lights on the tree. Let’s go on a Christmas Home Tour.
Each of the rooms in our home have a slightly different “theme” going on but, for the most part, we try to keep them cohesive. I think the one exception would be the kitchen which we keep ultra kid friendly since that is where the kids seem to spend the most time.
Want to start our tour there?
As always, H made a gingerbread house with her grandma and it is proudly on display in the kitchen. We put it on the sleigh this year surrounded by Christmas trees.
Just above the that little scene is my super awesome skate {thanks mom!}, another tree and the candle holder I painted at the YHL Book signing and craft class.
You’ve seen my Christmas Mantle so we’ll focus on the little bookcases in the family room instead. The bookcases are new to this room and I didn’t waste any time filling them up with candles, trees and deer!
In the hallway, you’ll find more snowflakes and our advent calendar! The glittery painted snowflakes hang above the advent calendar and give off a little sparkle when the sun hits in the afternoon.
The foyer is more of the ivory, blue and gold found in other rooms of the house. I even switched out the NOEL letters from last year to a blue paper that matches the paper of our Advent mittens.
Thanks for touring our home for Christmas! We were so happy to have you along for the walk thru 🙂
Christmas Decorations – Flashback Style
You are getting very sleepy…you are starting to feel like it is December 2011...
Why?
Because today I’m taking you back and sharing some of the Christmas decorations and crafts from last year!
One of my first projects was a yarn wreath {you should in no way be surprised!}
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