Yippeee!!! It’s here!!
The Third Annual 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!!!!
And, God blew a kiss from heaven early this morning with our first snowfall of the season outside my window! Girls, I’m more excited than the cartoon Karen was when Frosty came alive!!!! (I always loved that her name was Karen!)
Each day, December 1-12th, I will feature a fellow Proverbs 31 sister and an aspect of Christmas. You’ll get to know her and she, in turn, will offer a fabulous giveaway! Simply leave a comment on her post to be entered in the drawing.
And, one soon-to-be-very-giddy gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the GRAND PRIZE! You may comment on all posts until Monday, December 13th when the winners will be announced.
So first, here is the grand prize. Then we’ll meet our P31 gal of the day!
The Grand Prize Package 
The grand prize, given by me, (and my ever generous hubby) includes the following:
~ A set of 3 Christmas kitchen towels
~ A whimsical snowman doorknob hanger
~ A Christmas tree notepad for those last-minute Christmas purchases or baking items
~ A gingerbread cupcake kit with red rubber scraper
~ A pair of lounge socks for keeping your toes warm
~ A Christmas treats scented votive candle and gold crackle votive cup
~ A package of gingerbread coffee–great on a chilly morning!
~ A package of six reindeer chocolate-marshmallow treats (for the kiddos)
~ A large Ghirardelli peppermint-dark chocolate bar—for YOU!!!
~ A $15.00 Target gift card to buy yourself something– a new festive scarf, some perfume, a pair of gloves, a book, a wanted kitchen gadget (if that is a treat for you). YOU MUST PROMISE TO SPEND IT ON YOURSELF!!!
Now, let’s meet our first P31 gal….Renee Swope!!!
About Renee’s Ministry:
Renee is a national speaker, author and co-host of Proverbs 31 Ministries’ international radio program. Her passion is to help women fall in love with God’s word and apply His Truth in their everyday lives; exchange insecurity and self-doubt with God-fidence and trust; and help them see beyond who they are to who they can become in Christ.
Renee serves as Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Executive Director of Radio and Devotions. She is a featured writer for Encouragement for Today devotions and a contributing author to God’s Purpose for Every Woman. Her highly anticipated book “A Confident Heart” will be released Summer 2011!
From Renee’s Heart
The Swope Family
I love to laugh. I love being with my family. And I really enjoy having fun with my friends. My favorite pastime is watching a movie in bed with my favorite drink – a cinnamon dolce latte!
I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and lived there until my mom re-married when I was in middle school. We moved to Shelby, North Carolina when I was twelve.
As a transplanted city girl, I learned about country life on a farm riding horses and picking green beans.
I fell in love with Jesus when I was a senior in college. I love Him with all my heart and depend on Him daily as a woman, wife, mom, friend and leader in ministry.
I’m married to my very best friend. (Many people don’t know he’s a younger man.) J.J. and I met when he was in college, got married his Jr. year and had our first baby 3 days after he graduated.
We’ve been married 17 years and have two sons, Joshua (15) and Andrew (13). We also have a beautiful daughter, Aster, who is turning 2 today. We adopted Aster from Ethiopia a year ago and love our life as a family of 5 with a princess.
De-stressing Your Decorating
I used to dread decorating for Christmas. Not because I don’t love Christmas. Not because I don’t love decorations, and having our home filled with reminders of Christ’s birth.
I dreaded decorating because I didn’t like who I became in the process. I got irritated, tired, flustered and frustrated. I couldn’t remember where things went. I couldn’t remember what light strands worked. And I couldn’t figure out why my family wasn’t helping me figure it all out.
I’d sometimes put it off until my family was begging to put up our tree. Then it would take me days to get everything in place, and I’d be completely exhausted when I was done!
A few years ago, I came up with a plan that has helped de-stress my Christmas decorating. I actually look forward to it now, and already have my home decorated (except our tree) for 2010, and it’s only December 1st! My friends and family will be shocked but oh so proud of me!
Here are my helpful hints:
* Purchase a storage tub for each room and labeled it accordingly (kitchen Christmas, Living Room Christmas, Dining Room Christmas, etc.)
* Decorate and un-decorate one room/area at a time. If I don’t get it all done in one day, it’s ok. I pace myself but enjoy the sense of completion when a whole room is completed. We have learned it’s too much to do it all in one day so we complete inside first, then we work together outside.
* Take photos of each area in each room. I cannot remember from one year to the next where I put things so I take photos, print them out and tape them and put them in a Ziploc bag with any notes that I need as reminders the next year.
* Simplify. I’ve accumulated more than I need over the years. This year I am reducing and simplifying. This year I asked my boys if they want Christmas decorations upstairs. They said it didn’t matter to them. So, I put all of my energy into decorating downstairs and I’m giving some of my older items that I really don’t need to someone else who can enjoy them.
Renee’s Christmas Give-away
This sweet P31 sister is giving away a package full of some of her favorites:
~ A scented candle – Bath & Body Works Mint Chocolate
~ A festive candle holder – by Bath & Body Works
~ Her favorite treat – Chocolate Covered Pretzels with Toffee crumbles….Yum!!!!!
And a few of her encouraging & life-changing messages:
~ Unwrapping His Presence Christmas Message on DVD
~ Rest Assured and Purpose Driven Mom messages on CD
~ Finally, The ADVENTure of Christmas book by Lisa Whelchel (that was featured and explained here on this blog recently!)
Be sure to visit Renee this week at www.ReneeSwope.com for more Christmas encouragement, ideas and a few photos of her stress-less Christmas decorations. Also, be sure to enter to win another Christmas gift pak she’s giving away!
Okay gals, leave a comment today on one easy Christmas decorating idea you have come across, or if time is tight, simply say “I’m in!” Don’t forget to come back tomorrow and every day until the 12th!
Oh, this is soooooooooo fun!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
christmas decorating is fun – i put on christmas carols and get the decorations out. Kids have fun hanging everything up!!! There is hot chocolate to go around!!!
I’m in…
I typically enjoy decorating but not so much this year. In the midst of the holiday bustle, my sister-in-law is getting married on December 17th and we are all in the wedding (hubby, 3 kids and myself). As the matron of honor, that’s added a whole bunch of extra stuff to the mix! I decided to take it very slow with the decorating-typically my daughter and I crank it all out in 1 day but this year we’ve been taking it slow. I’ve had 5 plastic tubs in my living room all week. Oh, well, they’ll get done one of these days!! Thanks, Karen for your generosity!
I so enjoy decorating for Christmas. However, this year with an 11 month old and 3 older children, I had to simplify and only decorate the living room area. that is where we spend most of our time as a family. I do miss all my other stuff but now realize that it isn’t necessary to enjoy the holidays!
I use faux greenery along the stairs’ handrails. When packing it up every year, I put a tag on one end of each strand (ex. this end starts nearest master bedroom) so I’ll be able to re-decorate easily year after year.
Thank goodness I have only two boxes for christmas decorations. My motto to is keep it simple.
I’m in!
I’m in.
This a.m. I am finding myself getting stressed about all that needs to be accomplished and I don’t want to allow that to steal my joy and the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you for these great decorating tips and your blog.
I’m in.
I’m in.
I love decorating for Christmas. For the last couple of years I have done what Renee suggested and have separate totes for each area of the house. We also bought a pre-lite tree to make my husbands job of stringing the lights easier.
What fun this is to see how others decorate and what they do for Christmas. I try and do a little decorating at a time too. I absolutely love Christmas the songs, smells, family time, reason for the season JESUS!!!
I love decorating, but this year has been a struggle being pregnant with our 3rd child. Hopefully I will get some energy and get things together this weekend.
I love decorating with my kids! One easy thing we did was take some floral wire and string those pretty plastic crystal beads on it and then make it into a circle and twist the wire. Add some shiny green curling ribbon and you have a pretty little beaded wreath!
Thanks for the opportunity to win!
I seem to do less decorating each year. However I have been more organized with it this year. Packing and putting away has been a big help. I also starting taking pics, which has been the biggest help for me. All of Renee’s tips are great. Thanks for the give aways. This is so exciting.
I LOVE decorating-especially for Christmas! However, I too can become stressed and irritable, so it was nice reading about Renee’s tips. I’ve found that playing Christmas music and giving everyone a “job” really helps. Of course, the jobs are supposed to be fun….like having my 10 yr old hang up the stockings and my husband bring up the millions of plastic tubs filled with decorations. (Ok, that may not be “fun” but he does it). Much less stressful when everyone works together and I also don’t worry about everything in the same place as last year-it’s ok to change things up!
Happy December!
I love Christmas and decorating for it too. My kids are old enough to help with the tree decorating so we do that together. They each have their own ornaments and special things they like to put up so it’s fun to remember when/where they got this or that. I don’t do a ton but if you like candles and don’t want to spend a lot on candle holders, canning jars with salt in them look really cool. Add a bit of ribbon around the top and you have an inexpensive and cute candle holder.
Rebecca Ann
I have to admit I am not much into Christmas decorating around the house – but we always do a tree and set out a nativity. We choose to keep it simple. My husband and I (pre-kids) always took great pride in decorating a beautiful color-coordinated tree with white lights. When the kids came along we kept doing our big “grown up” tree and had a smaller tree for the kids homemade and eclectic collection of ornaments. Two years ago we gave up our big tree to the kids. We do colored lights and have so much fun pulling out their handmade ornaments and others collected from the years. They love this time of reminiscing and reflecting while decorating. The fresh snow here in Michigan is finally getting me in the mood to get the tree out and decorated this week. Thanks for the tips and encouragement today!
I love to decorate for Christmas. One thing that we do is buy a live tree each year then take some clippings of it and put throughout the house with other decorations which leaves the scent of the tree in each room.
I have older children still at home My son Ryan always puts out the wreaths on the windows and that really kick starts everything for me. He loves decorating, so even if I am not in the mood, I get excited and get moving with him. It is a wonderful blessing.
I HATE Christmas decorating, too…because it is intimidating to me. I have not one stitch of decorating talent in my body! I see other peoples beautiful decorations but cannot replicate them. I have, over the years accumulated TONS of “stuff” that I just had. Last year, I cleaned out! If it wasn’t something I LOVED or didn’t reflect the true meaning of Christmas…I donated it. Now, I have very few things, but I love what I have and have determined to purchase very thoughtfully anything else I add. Decorating was a breeze this year…I have also given over much of it to my husband who is pretty talented!
I love the idea of a tub for every romm – what didn’t I think of that?!? I remarried this year and need to weed though the old decorations to make room for the new – trade some of “my” stuff for “our” stuff.
Count me in! I really don’t have any tips to share but it sure is fun reading the comments of others.
I would love to win the give away and start using the ideas that Lisa has in her book!
I enjoy decorating the house, but not the tree. I have always left that job to my husband and kids. When our daughter was still at home, she always took the decorations down as soon as we were finished with our day. By the evening of the 25th all decorations were down. How we laugh at that. Today it is a little different as she has a family of four young ones and a fifth on the way.
My most treasured decorations are those made by hands of loved ones, my mother, brother, children and grandchildren and friends. Each items is a precious gift year after year.
I am in.
Wow Renee, what a great idea. I never thought of putting the decorations in tubs by room. I’m going to try that this year.
Josey
Love the idea for tubs for each area / room. I have so many things that I have to put away before I can decorate that sometimes gets frustrating (a lot of collectables) I take the plastic tub and empty it–pack my precious collectables in towels and tissue in the empty tub…then I can put the Christmas items out where they need to go…
I’m in! Merry Christmas!
I’m in! I am decorating-challenged, but today I have been looking for good toddler-safe Christmas crafts to decorate the house with.
I’ve been looking forward to this 12 days thing since you mentioned it! I missed the last couple of years, but here I am for this one!
I’m so excited- I just love Christmas time! And the giveaway looks wonderful. I try to keep my Christmas decorating as easy as possible and one way I do that is by using Christmas ribbon. It’s cheap, fun and festive. I put ribbon on the lamps, on the banisters, etc. The ribbon already looks beautiful so it’s easy to decorate with and so inexpensive that at the end of the season, I can just toss it in the trash (and if I choose to keep it, its easy to store- just roll up!) Hope you all have a very merry Christmas!
Renee,
You have a lovely family. Thanks for all the great decorating tips for Christmas.
My husband and I love Christmas, and we love the look of the decorations, but this year, wehad to figure out how to put together our new Christmas tree for the first time, and we’re in the middle of putting lights on our front porch—I have to remember that I don’t need to do everything myself. I can ask for help, and he’s willing to give it!! I’m a bit of a control freak, so if I can let others help me, I’ve accomplished something internally, and externally (when the decorating’s done)!
I’m always looking for easy and simple decorating and storage tips, so keep them coming!
Love these tips!! I’m in!
I’m in!
I love Christmas decorating but our ‘space’ is limited and we go ‘small’!! Waiting for the weekend to get started!
Yippee!! I love the 12 Days of Christmas with Karen!!! Thanks for the great tips Renee. This year we are simplifying by not doing much decorating. It makes me a little sad, but I am 6 mo. pregnant and we will be away for 3 weeks for Christmas so we won’t be home to enjoy it. So this year, I am just putting out the kids special Christmas toys & books and a few of my favorite little decorations.
I now have an elf who takes on all the decorating responsibilities. My 12 yr old daughter LOVES to do the Christmas decorating. It’s not perfect, it’s different every year, and it’s totally priceless to see her face when others notice the hard work she puts into it!
I do the tubs for each room as well but have not taken notes over the years. Great idea Renee! Hope you feel better today and can travel and speak tomorrow! Those gals are in for such a treat!
We have moved or had another life changing event at or near Christmas time for the past 4 years including a move this year… our stuff will be at our new house on the 22nd and we will arrive the 26th after spending the holidays with extended family. I am just looking forward to getting to decorate my house again, and I know my kids are too! These are GREAT ideas to start over in a new home:)
I don’t worry so much about where items go…busy years – less is more…..when we empty our “room” tubs, we put current decorations in them to help get them back to the right area later after Christmas…..that is, IF I have not put out all the Fall decorations!
Don’t you just love all the holidays during the year too!
Decorating the tree becomes a trip down memory lane. Every year I buy an ornament for each of my children that tells something about their year or likes and interests. I also have every ornament that the kids have ever made. They love telling the story of each ornament as we decorate the tree. It has become a joyful time for us each and every year.
I don’t like decorating for Christmas. I feel overwhelmed and like it just doesn’t look right. Last year we didn’t put the tree up until the week before Christmas! And I wouldn’t have done it then, except that I have 2 daughters. I decided this year to let them do it. My husband assembled the tree the day after Thanksgiving & got the ornaments out of the attic. My 13 and 5 year old daughters decorated all by themselves. And it might not be perfect, but it’s beautiful to me. I think it’s a new tradition – I’ll let them decorate every year because they had such a good time.
This year to simplify, I went thru my tubs and cleaned out all of the decorations that I don’t use anymore. I decided it was silly to keep storing things I don’t use anymore. Now I have less to dig thru and the job went much faster.
I could easily get in the trap of buying too many decorations for the Christmas tree over the years. I figured out a way to keep it down: I have put all the tree ornaments in one rubbermaid container. If I buy something, it must be able to fit in there! And I ask myself before buying if it will really enhance my life in the long run…the answer is usually no, my life will not be better with this one ornament, and I apply that question to other areas of purchasing too! I know it sounds cliche, but it works for me!
I was always frustrated and irritable and plain old mean when decorating because I wanted everything perfect. God has blessed me with three very active boys who are helping me to yield to God’s will, not my idea of perfection. Of course I am slowly learning He knows better than I do what is perfect for me! Enjoy the moments!
We don’t have alot of space for decorating but we do put up a tree!! Each year we buy each other a special ornament and we love getting them out each year and remembering!
I’m also getting our nativity scene out one ‘character’ at a time and reading the passage of scripture that goes with it. We started with Mary last night–having fun!
I leave my nativity sets up all year–they are a beautiful reminder all year long and also sends a special message to family and friends of how important Christmas and Easter are to me.
My best tip is to simplify … I grew up in a home where we went all out for Christmas. Now, living in an 800 square foot house with 4 of us there just isn’t much space (especially that my 1 year old can’t reach). So I’ve had to put out the things that are really important, my nativity but not put out the houses I have … it reminds me to focus on what’s important!
I love reading everyone’s posts! This year I let our two little girls help decortate our tree. We put on Christmas music and get after it. This year I completely forgot how we put our garland on…lol Needless to say the tree still looked great! We don’t do much decorating around the rest of the house cause our budget doesn’t really allow for it but we make the best of it and anything that the girls make at school is put up inside the house. As far as decorating the outside, that’s my husband and my oldest daughters job. However this year my husband hurt his ankle at work and probably won’t be able to do much outside decorating.
I’m In
My favorite way to decorate is to enlist the help of my entire family, especially as the children get older (6,9, & 12 this year). I also decided that it was perfectly delightful to only decorate the main floor (and the kids do their own little personal trees in their bedrooms), rather than stressing about putting it ALL up this year. We are trying to focus on spending time w/one another sharing Christ’s love & enjoying each other rather than worrying about the “Stuff”.
I have really streamlined my decorating…nice nativity scene on the china hutch, green fir table wreath and some of the battery tealight candles red and green really help!
thanks for offering this giveaway!
Kelly
Thank you, Renee, for the great decorations tips! I couldn’t remember which nativity scene I had in which room last year. Plus, I bought another one from DaySpring!!
Christmas blessings to you and your family!
I think the biggest thing I have learned is not to expect the putting up of the decorations to be Hollywood-like. Instead of Christmas music playing – there will probably be a football game on instead. We won’t be hugging constantly as we dance around the tree decorating it. All of the ornaments I want on the tree may not end up there. Arguments may happen and if they do – then they just do.
Once it is over and everyone goes there separate ways I can sit in my den, in the dark (except for the lights coming from the tree) and enjoy the peace of the moment and be thankful we all lived throught it!
Danette
This year was the easiest year ever for me to get our house decorated… I let the teenagers do it. It is beautiful!
Smiles!
You make it hard to try and win a great gift package. Thank you for the opportunity!!
I follow Renee’s blog and when I read her post I came straight over here! Decorating at our house, I try to make as low stress as possible — maybe because we don’t do a ton of things as well don’t own a home yet, only rent and we don’t have little ones around the house yet. Once my husband and I are blessed with children, I think that is when the full on, Christmas decorating will come into play. We have a tree which we decorate together every year, my husband puts the lights up on the house, we have a couple of light up, and moving deer in the front yard, garland with lights around the house around the windows and on the mantels. Stockings hung with our names and one for each of our pups, a wreath on the door and we have a couple of stuffed Santas and decor (including our small nativity scene) that we put around. Every year at the end of the season and take down the lights we go through and figure out which lights are good and which ones are not, which helps de-stress the next year when we are putting lights up. We also use the method of large plastic tubs to store of all of our stuff.
I tied my metal cookie cutters to some rustic-looking string and hung them across my kitchen windows at my sink for an easy Christmas garland.
Thanks for the opportunity : )
I’m in
I’m in!
I’m in! Thanks so much for the words of encouragement!
I’m in. Thank you for this next 12 fun days.
I have never really decorated my apartment because no one comes to visit me and I’m blind so I can’t see the decorations to enjoy them. However, one year I hung tree ornaments from my drapery rod. For many years I had a small, about two feet tall, artificial tree that came with the lights and ornaments already attached to it that I sat on my dining room table. Having that tree already decorated made it easy for me.
My timesaver for a small apartment is to get a 4 foot tree with lights already on it. It’s worked great for 10 years. This year it needs one new string.
I use the plastic tub for each room method too, but I also take a picture of how I decorated last year and tape it onto the box so I remember from year to year what I have done.
Sounds wonderful!
I don’t have any big fancy decorating tips, but I have “taught” myself over the years to chill out about things being broken.
I let the kids put all the ornaments on the tree and inevitable 2-3 have some sort of injury every year. I figure it’s good for a story someday. I just wanted to be a relaxed mom with fun decorations out w/o always worrying about something not being perfect!
The easiest Christmas idea I have is to not try to keep up with the “Jones’s”. Do everything at your own pace and don’t become so commercialized.
Judy
Renee, I LOVE this idea! I have to admit – I don’t like to decorate either! I love the way it looks, but don’t enjoy putting it up. I hope to copy your ideas when I put away the Christmas decorations this year.
Thanks for sharing!
Lynn
We have always had a live tree. Some years they’re really sappy. So rather than buy a nice tree skirt, I put an inexpensive Christmas themed vinyl tablecloth on the floor around the tree base. The tablecloth is big enough to protect a lot of the floor, and if it gets yucky, it was cheap enough to throw away.
I’m in!
Each year it is a little different. This year I think we are skipping the live tree. Assembling a few small artificial trees and maybe only lights. Then next year I will be so ready for the ornaments and won’t mind the putting them back away after Christmas.
My easy decorating idea is to hang garland along a staircase, fireplace, etc…then as Christmas cards come in, punch a hole in the card and tie it to the garland. The photo cards look so cute hanging up. Then keep it and look at them the next year to reflect on how friends and family have grown!
My tip – I let my kids do most of the work. If the only decorating we do is putting up the tree and my nativity…its all good.
Im in…. I dont have ANY ideas because I just moved and my decorations are so unorganized but I LOVE the ideas that are shared here and would love to be in the drawing!!
I love the different Nativity scenes that are available. I try and put them throughout the house, and my daughter just gave me a sparkly red BELIEVE sign. I do believe! in Christ the newborn king!!!
~Valerie
Thank you for the tips, I’m always looking for ways to keep it simple. Mine is rather simple since I have a small home, we decorate just the living room and dining area of the kitchen.
I’m in! I don’t have any decorating advice – I need all the help I can get!
I loved Renee’s tips. Thanks for sharing!
I’m in!!!! And thanks as always for my brief getaway when I read your words of Godly encouragement!!!
Great ideas! I’m in!
I’m in
Do a little at the time – what gets done, gets done!
love to be included thanks
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com
Hmmm. Don’t really have any decorating ideas. I don’t decorate very much at all for any holiday including Christmas. That in itself makes things very relaxing.
I’d love to be in for the giveaway though! Thanks!
Last year I simplified and I intend to simplify even more this year. The tree, our decorations that come from my parents each year (we have tons since we get one per person!), my special Willow Tree nativity set and stockings. Everything else I will go through and either share or find a special place. I love Renee’s idea about a box for each room!
trying to simplify – could be interesting decorating this year with the addition of our dog! definitely will have to rethink some things.
I decided this year that LESS is MORE as far as decorating goes. And it works. I’m so happy with my simple decorations – and it will be such an easy take-down, too.
I use different size Rubbermaid tubs and label to separate decorations for the tree, mantel, etc., and have learned that it doesn’t all have to get done in one day. That’s the recovering perfectionist in me (Thank you and praise you, Lord!), and I stress less, and therefore am much nicer to my family who I want to be loving and kind to at Christmas the most.
I’m in!!
I love to put up the decorations and absolutely dread taking them down. My girls are big helpers, but it’s still my least favorite part. Probably, because I love the Christmas season, and it means it’s over!
Buy decoration after Chiristmas for next year. You can 75% or more off the regular price. Good Deals!
I just don’t take my decorations down. LOL
Thanks for all your encourageing words. Plus I love to follow Renee’s blog also. She is great, like you.
Let someone do something crazy with the decorating for you…the past 2 years I let my eldest daughter “Elf” my living room. She hasn’t mentioned yet this year but if she offers I am not going to disagree.
She hung streams of white chains and snowflakes everywhere with fishing line. The whimsical effect changed my heart on Christmas decorating! Everyone loved it! Love my Rubbermaid tubs already…30 yrs of Christmas, we are up to 17 tubs full and have been sorting by room, tree, and outdoors for years.
I’m in! I think the taking pictures idea is great! We’ve done that before too.
Renee has some great ideas. I have given myself permission to not make a huge deal out of it. If it gets done, it gets done! This year I made a calendar out just for December and then listed what I needed to do and when it needed to be done by. It has helped to know that it is on the calendar and I don’t need to have it hanging over my head every day of what I do or don’t need to do.
I was also the one exhausted from all the festivities until my daughter pulled the tree down on herself when she was 4. Her favorite ornament broke and her response changed my perspective. She said “I’ll just have to pick a new favorite now.” and went on twirling to the Christmas music as she held a Fisher Price nativity character. After a deep breath, I realized I need to just enjoy the moment and relax. Easier said than done, but getting easier…
I am savoring my last year having a teenager to help with the decorating. My “baby” will be in college next year and she loves to do the holiday decorating. I think it is more fun to decorate over several days (or even two weeks) because that way there is much less stress! Also, if something doesn’t get put out or in the right spot it doesn’t matter, it’s more about enjoying the season with my loved ones.
I like to have decorations in every room in the house, even if it’s just a cling on the bathroom mirror!
This year i let my kids put the ornaments on the tree (except for the really nice, breakable ones i put up at the top. I was thouroughly impressed at such a wonderful job they did. They spaced things apart and made sure to ‘fill’ in those gaps. It’s beautiful and i am so proud of them. Really helped simplify this year.
I’m in! Love reading the fun ideas!
Thanks, Renee! This year, I’m taking it a little slower. I’m just bringing up one box at a time and enjoying the process a little more.
We’ve downsized in space this year, and it’s been good for me to re-think where, if it’s useful, etc. It’s been a blessed year!
Two years ago our Christmas traditions changed in our family and due to a health crisis (mine) so decorating for the holiday season wasn’t possible that year. However, my children surpised me and put some really pretty ornaments on my indoor hibiscus tree. Those ornaments still hang as a reminder of the Christmas I lost my breasts, but received the greatest gift–life!
I love to decorate for Christmas too and have gotten carried away most years!! I, too am trying to downsize and do less, we will see after this weekend!! Thanks, Renee!! Have a blessed Christmas!
YEAH… Christmasy things…..
I love Candles and chocolate… as well as listening to encouraging me in my walk.
As far as decorating… with young kids… don’t put anything breakable on the tree or around… it WILL get broken…
I am IN for the 12 days
Wow what a great idea doing room by room. I label my totes to death and try to group like kind things together but that makes so much sense! Love it
Oh my…Wait to the last minute and let my hubby do it
He has much better decorating taste than I do amazingly!!!
p.s. I just started reading your book “A life that says welcome…” (Ouch – reading the part about making your family at home…respecting them) GOOD BOOK by the way…enjoying it in the car line!!!
I had an extremely stressful year last year and it hasn’t been much better this year. I did not get to do my usual Christmas decorating (my mom had been in and out of the hospital)and I was having a house full of family on Christmas day. On Christmas Eve I knew I had to decorate my tree as my grandchildren would have never understood why my tree was not decorated. Well I came home from the hospital with my mom and just didn’t want to pull all the decorations down from the attic for one day. I grabbed some white lights and put up candy canes all over my tree and as a star the candy cane poem. My traditional tree always had ornaments from my kids, my mom and her mom. This particular year I focused on the blood of Christ and was thrilled with how it came out.
Over the years I have really accumulated a lot of Christmas decorations. My husband is the organizer with our Christmas decorations. He wants everything put back in the original box. If an ornamnet doesn’t have a box he wraps it by its self in tissue wrap. We are not going to do as much decorating this year. My husband has everything marked in containers by room. He has got really smart with this over the years. Merry Christmas and happy decorating to everyone.
I love the 12 Days of Christmas with you Karen!! Total blast. To simplify, swap decorations. Maybe you have something and your family/friend has something, swap. You save money, make your spouse happy and it’s fun seeing your “gently used decor” in a friends/family member’s home.
Merry Christmas!!
I love Christmas decorations but I hate putting them back up. I love the idea of having a box for each room in the house. I think I will try that this year when I put my decorations away.
Our middle daughter, Malorie, was killed in a car accident 6 years ago. Mal was just 13. Our family wanted to make sure Malorie would be remembered by friends and family. Each year, her brother, sister, her dad and I put a small Hot Pink Christmas Tree up next to her grave. We hang special ornaments that say Merry Christmas from Mal on them. We usually put about 75 of them on the tree and friends and family each year go visit Mal and take one of her ornaments to hang on their tree in their home.
Praying you wake up to a full recovery!
natalie
We always make sure that the Christmas music is playing, while we decorate for Christmas. Our older children love to decorate the house the way I used to do it. They remember better than I do where everything goes! lol!! I just love both of your blogs. Always giving timely encouragement and wonderful hints and ideas. Merry Christmas!!
I’m in
I’m in and so excited about this 12 Day of Christmas Series :0)
I love the idea of keeping a separate box for the decorations that go in each room. I sorted out our decorations in a similar way a few years ago – mantel, platform, tree, windows, etc – and it has made decorating much simpler! haven’t tried it room by room, though ….
I’m in..thanks for the tips Renee!!
I don’t have many decorating tips yet, but one thing I’ve learned to keep the cat out of our tree (which simplifies all our lives!) is to use those cinnamon scented pinecones underneath…they don’t like the smell or the spikes!
I’M IN!
I can’t tell you how relieved I was to read that I’m not the only one who gets overwhelmed with the whole decorating thing (Renee’s website)! I love Christmas and how the house looks when it’s all decorated, but find I get grumpy when I’ve got boxes strewn all over the house and my two little ones running around unpacking everything! This year, we did it over several days and it was way better. Looking forward to your 12 days of Christmas!
I’m in!
With young children decorating the tree can be a challenge. They love to start it but hate to finish! This year I saved cookies for when we were all done. That’s right, no cookies until everyone helped finish the tree. It worked everyone helped finish and didn’t leave Mom doing it all alone!
I love the idea of room by room decorating. All my kids have grown up and have kids of their own now, so the decorating usually falls completely on me. It’s not nearly as much fun but I put on Christmas music, light some candles and go at it. Many years ago my husband and I began a tradition of buying an ornament from each place we vacationed. I add the place and year on the ornament and when I trim the tree I remember all the wonderful times we had on those vacations.
One Christmas decorating tip I absorbed from my mother is to ask to grab some of the cut limbs at the Christmas tree lot. These limbs that are trimmed off the bottom of the tree are usually just stacked at the back of the lot. You can use these limbs to create broom-like “fans” to hang at the end of outside porch railings, on the mailbox, or on fences. Just arrange the branches into a fan shape, secure with twist-ties, and put a red bow on the middle! They’re beautiful and usually free (besides the bow)!
Thanks so much for these kind gift opportunities!
Hello…I am so in!! Best tip of all is to step back, remember what Christmas is all about and ENJOY!!!
I haven’t yet accumulated so many Christmas decorations that the task is daunting… though keeping the toddlers from wreaking havoc is a challenge! As we decorated a few nights ago, I found myself needing a reminder that a perfectly decorated house is not the first priority, but that showing Christ’s love to my helpful (That is their intention!) children is far more important.
My easy tip is to decorate with poinsettias. They instantly say “Christmas.”
I am so excited about your website and the Proverbs 31 ministry team. I just recently found it and have been looking forward to each new post. My husband, my youngest son and I recently relocated to MN from AZ and I am worried that I will be very homesick this 1st Christmas. We left a wonderful church, family and friends to take a great career opportunity for my husband. While I work to build a new network of friends, I look forward to your Godly insights. I love Renee’s ideas on organizing each room. Because we are in a new house and this is the first time decorating, I will employ those tips. Looking forward to each day leading to our Lord’s birth. Thank you.
I absolutely love Christmas and all the decorating. I don’t get too stressed over it, just try to take it slow and not get rushed.
I’m in!
My teenage girls did most of our decorating this year. Awesome! I’m in.
I love the idea of separate boxes for each room, but this year I am not going to decorate. Not because I am depressed but because we already had Christmas with our youngest and his wife and they won’t be home for Christmas and our oldest son and his wife will only have their kids on Christmas eve and we go down there. I cannot get my decorations down myself and my husband is gone all week and we have been travelling every weekend for about the last 3 weeks and are travelling this weekend to Lansing, MI and then the following weekend to my mother’s. I am just not excited about getting the decorations down for 1 week and then packing them back up. I love Christmas and what it stands for but this year it is going to be very simple!!!!
Homemade ornaments are too precious to get rid of, yet, they tend to accumulate very quickly. Last year, since both of my little ones have a wealth of decor, I decided to put a miniature tree in each of their bedrooms. They are free to decorate them any way that they see fit. The lights and colors are festive, I don’t have to worry about ‘missing’ a treasured ornament on the family tree, and they love to go creative! More fun. Less stress!
My less-stress tip: I let my kids help with the decorating as much as possible. It may not look like Southern Living, but the pride they have in being part of the process is the greatest reward:-)
I’ve also found that as I set out my Christmas decorations, I’ll place the items that normally go in those spaces back into the Christmas totes. That way, when it’s time to un-decorate, I’ll have all of my usual items ready to go back out (already grouped together) as I load back up the Christmas decorations.
This is a cheat, but my easy decorating idea is buying a pre-lit tree! I can’t tell you how much less stressful my life has become since I did this!!!
I can relate to the stresses of decorating. I too find myself in the same predicament even tho I love Christmas. Thanks for the helpful tips….I just may use some of them. I’m in!!
I love the idea of toning it down – how awesome to have ‘permission’ to do this! Thank you!
I am in!!!!
Love that idea of labeling storage boxes for each room. I am going to do that and take photos of each room. Thanks for sharing that.
Love Renee’s idea about a box for each room. I also take pictures of each room and that really helps once I unwrap all the decorations. I am trying to downsize the decorations this year to help with my stress level so we will see how that works this weekend!
I’m in!
After years of being exactly who you described…..angry, irritable, unlovely and much more during the holidays, I have finally discoverd that no one really cares that the house is perfectly decorated. They don’t care that I make a gazillion cookies and breads and fudge. It has been so freeing for me to know that they love me and want me to have a nice holiday, too. Last year I did less decorating and stressing. This year will be another of choosing the right thing for a certain spot but not having to totally clear out my rooms for the Christmas decorations and then two weeks later, having to reverse the process. I am very happy to say, that my Christmas wreath is already hanging on the door and that my snowmen are on the dining room table waiting for there assignment for the season…LOL The most important change that we have all made is placing Jesus at the center of our home and when you do that, everything else just falls into place.
I love the idea of boxes for every room and may copy this. Thanks for the chance to win…….God Bless.
I’m in! Both my kids have their own decorations from each year of their life. To make it simplier now for taking down & putting up all the ornaments they each have their own popcorn tin to store their precious ornaments. They each take one side of the tree & decorate it how they want to. I store most of my ornaments in popcorn tins & then we use these tins to decorate the house – we usually will build a small pyramid with them. Then when it’s time to take them down they can put them back in their own tin.
I read in Marybeth Whalen’s ebook about having your Christmas decorations reflect Christ–if He were to walk in the room, would he know the celebration was about Him? With that, I donated our Santa stuff, and replaced it with creation stuff–pinecones, etc. to show that He is our great Creator and King!
Karen, I couldn’t agree with you more. Why stress over such a wonderful time of year. Jesus doesn’t want us to stress. This year I have a new son-in-law and he is figuring out that I will not let little things come between me and this happy time of year. Thanks so much for letting us know a little about you and your family.
MERRY Christmas from Texas!
My best decorating hint is to only use the things that you love, that are meaningful and beautiful. Anything else is just extra work to satisfy someone else. Keep it simple!
Loved these ideas. Especially the one room at a time. I try to pick 2-3 things I really want to do with the kids and stick to them. So many other ones pop into my brain, but if I can do the ones I set out to do, I won’t get overwhelmed, right? Count me in!!!
I AM IN
One year at Christmas time our second daughter was only two months old and we were heavy into remodeling – I did not have a kitchen and was washing dishes in our bathtub. Can you guess that decorating was not my primary concern? We bought a two foot tall table top tree that was pre-lit, put our smallest ornaments on it and that was IT for that year. We did not send Christmas cards, but did birth announcements instead. Do you know that was one of my happiest Christmas seasons? The simplification was wonderful. Being together as a family is way more important than the size of the tree or how many swags or lights are hanging!!!! I think I only baked one batch of cookies that year, too.
I’m in! Let your kids help with the decorating – sure you might loose an ornament or two – but oh the fun, the smiles, the memories you will create!
I’m in. My husband and I keep it simple, since we won’t be around our place a whole lot on Christmas, we simply put up a tree with lights and a few ornaments, and maybe a strand of lights around the top of the living room, makes it festive, yet not overbearing when it comes to stressing over holidays.
Put Christmas music one while decorating and it makes it all so festive and fun!
Please don’t let me be too late to be in for this one!!
Haven’t come up with one yet, except I do let the kids put away their own Christmas ornaments in a photo box. This becomes their box to put on the tree every year and also their keepsake box so they can take it with them when they leave home. I’m in
I am living alone these days and have yet to come up with decorating ideas! Pray for me
I have a small artificial tree for each of my little ones rooms. I keep them in one plastic tub with the lights still wrapped on them and all of their ornaments. I purchased a set of clearance ornaments one year to give them (Princess and Cars)for their individual trees. The other ornaments are ones they made in preschool or church or were given by a teacher. Everything is kept in the tub and pulled out by them now. I don’t have to worry about them getting into my “special” ornaments and it keeps them busy while I start my own decorating.
i’m in!!!
I’m in! My tip: Let each year be a new year. We don’t pull everything down from the attic each year. Some years the houses come down, some years the sleighs. I love the surprise and variety!
If you put up an artificial tree, don’t struggle with the lights. Put in the bottom layer of the branches and put the lights on top of them, then the next layer and so on. No scratching yourself trying to fit lights into an already put together tree.
Edie
i love all the ideas! helps me want to get decorating!
it usually takes me at least a week after Thanksgiving to pull out my decorations. i gather up as many of my family members that i can to help, make hot chocolate or cider, put on the Christmas music & get busy! it is so much more fun together!
I’m in! =)
Im in. We are trying to start all new Christmas traditions…and new memories…..looking forward to seeing everyones ideas
I’m in, I hope!!
I’m in! I’m a widowed mom of three great kid who happen to have multiple disabilities. My tip is just to do what you can, and let the rest go. You don’t have to decorate every square inch of every room. The kids are going to remember the times spent together doing things as a family, not all the fine details of how you decorated the house each year. Let each child pick one favorite decorating tradition, and those things can set your decorating priority list. The rest is not so important as sharing the message of the Christ child with your family.
This year I decided to decorate only the fireplace room where I put my Christmas tree. This really simplified my work and that one room looks magical!! Terri
I’m In! Renee sounds so much more organized than I’ll ever be! Congratulations to her! What fun she’ll have this year with a 2-year old for Christmas again! I too, became terribly grouchy and extremely frustrated when my boys tossed about my fragile ornaments, or didn’t put something where I wanted it. Way too much over-controlling from me! Trying to get dinner on, and kids involved and fragile items cared for gently……. Mom was a monster, Not an example of Christ in our home. Now I prepare quick appetizer type foods (smokies in croissants, meatballs and sauce, veggie tray, cheese and crackers), buy egg-nog for the boys, and we make a celebration of it with Christmas music. After 7 or 8 grouchy years, I’ve now realized (praise God), that the messages of Godliness that my family gets from me are so much more important than an ornament that might break. I try to unpack and unwrap our Christmas items (so they can see what is fragile), and let anybody decide where each item goes. My boys tend to get more involved this way. The season is to celebrate Christ, family, friends, etc…, not possessions, or everything “being” perfect. But I want so badly, for my home to look as welcoming, cheerful, and full of the season, as I imagine Renee’s home looking! Hopefully we’ll get some “outside” decorations up this year to cheer the neighbors! The Lord has been so good to me, I hate for my family to see my ugly side. Pray for each other this year!!!
I’m in. I do so love Christmas…Jesus…the reason for the season!!!
I wish I was as organized as you. thanks for the good ideas. One thing I do is to keep all the homemade ornaments in a separate container so they’ll hold up better over the years. Outside decorations are not going up this year but am hoping to have a cheery inside attitude inside our home, regardless of the decor. We have so much to be thankful for.
I try to keep it simple. I decided on a theme and then I go up in the attic and only bring down the things that go with that theme. I rarely buy anything new as I have years and years of stuff that I can draw from!
I’m in!!!!
Wow – I also dread decorating for the exact same reason but never really understood why until I read this blog. Thank you for sharing. I can now look forward to unpacking all those boxes and ENJOY it and my precious family this weekend as we prepare our home for the Christmas season.
There are only a few things that get put in the same place very year. I like ot mix it up some except in every room there is a tree and a nativity scence and they are always the same tree and nativity in that room every year.
I love to decorate for christmas, I am not very good at but it is something I enjoy and it has also rubbed off on my youngest son.
It’s not the top Christian music out there, but we find that decorating for us is far more enjoyable with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra playing at a high volume! My girls love to “jam” and dance around, while my husband and I have fond memories of the year we were able to enjoy the TSO concert in Peoria.
I’m in!
I’m In!!!
I so agree – keep it simpler and enjoy the season! I’m in!
Merry Christmas! I’m in!
I had the same frustrations you are talking about with decorating for Christmas… I could really relate to what you are saying.. I have used some of your ideas the past 2 years and I am finally enjoying the Christmas season without all the stress..
I’m in
I’m in! I have no family, no siblings, parents have passed on, no kids, no husband. So to me decorating and being part of the christmas season means helping decorate my church, or helping out friends with families who don’t have time to decorate.
I like keeping it simple!!!
One thing that comes to mind about decorating is having the whole family get together. In my family, while I was still at home, all my siblings and their families would meet at my parents home and bring a baked pizza or help make some when they got there. Some of us were in the kitchen baking pizzas while some took their turn with the tree decorating…one would put on the lights, one of the wee little ones got hoisted up to put the angel atop the tree, then all the nieces and nephew got to put the ornaments on the tree. Now mind you alot of them got put around the bottom, and Mom would leave them there. These are such fun memories and then Mom didn’t have to do the decorating….she was smart! My hubby and I are thinking of starting that tradition this year at our home. Both of our children are married and we have 4 grandchildren….I can smell the pizzas baking now!
I’m in. I agree….do it in steps. Much easier and don’t we all need to simplify our lives. Christmas music and some hot cocoa or eggnog always helps too. Merry Christmas and God Bless.
I’m in! This is fun!!!
Count me in! I don’t take my tree apart of ribbon/ornaments off, just cover it with a few sheets and store it in our basement until next year.
I’m in!
I’m in!
I try to keep up with flylady.net’s holiday missions, where she divides all holiday prep into small daily tasks. If I haven’t kept up with them, I just make sure I tackle one small task at a time, and stop when I’m feeling tired or stressed out. My goal right now is one box of decorations a day. I have about six large tubs, so at a tub a day, I should be done by the end of the week without killing myself and turning into Scrooge:) Plus I remind myself that one of the reasons I fell in love with this house was it’s Christmas-decorating potential!
I AM IN . WE ARE STAYING HOME SO I AM GOING TO DO SOME DECORATING. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS KAY
I’m in!
I’m in! Great ideas to be organized while decorating – why didn’t I think of that. I like to play Christmas music while decorating – really adds the Christmas spirit!
I’m in.
God Bless YOU!!
God Bless YOU!!
I’m in!
You can count me in! I’m really enjoying getting to know all the Proverbs 31 women. I found Wendy Pope’s blog a couple of weeks ago and am starting to read through the bible with her. What a blessing it is so far!! I love the Christmas ideas – making my Christmas a bit less hectic. My advice? Just don’t overdo it! Holidays are not about all the decorating that we do. Their about the people we’re with — whatever we choose to do. God bless!!
I’m In!!!
Im in
A few years ago I put up the decorations I love most, without overdoing, and brought the rest down to our local thrift store. Not having as many decorations to deal with has really made it much easier.
I love your ideas Renee. Awesome!
hehe
One thing that really helps….is having willing participants in your family members.
Everyone has “something” special that has to be put out at Christmas time. It is fun to see them get excited about decorating.
Funny though….everyone seems to split on take-down day!
My husband and our youngest daughter put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving. This gets me in the mood to decorate it. If I had to go get it out of storage and put it together – well, . . . After they have it up, I can take my time going over ornaments and the stories behind them – there are so many – while I finish decorating the tree.
I’m in!!
The tree is up and the house is decorated the day before Thanksgiving. Having a daughter with tree allergies, we have had an artificial tree for 14 years. It is a family event and the kids still love participating and remembering all the ornamnets we have accumulated throughout the years. This year, I did purge while decorating and will do the same as we put the tree away in January.
I’m In!
Extra greenery sprigs everywhere! (my aunt and uncle have a tree farm, so they’re easy for us to get)
I posted Dec. 1 at 12:10 p.m. but I believe I may have forgotten to add my email address. Reposting to be sure I am counted in all 12 days.
Decorating the tree becomes a trip down memory lane. Every year I buy an ornament for each of my children that tells something about their year or likes and interests. I also have every ornament that the kids have ever made. They love telling the story of each ornament as we decorate the tree. It has become a joyful time for us each and every year.
I’m in!!
I have always thought of Christmas as the most magical time of the year! I always begin decorating the day after Thanksgiving with the tree coming last…by the 1st. I focus on the inside while my husband and our daughter handle the outside. This has made decorating much less stressful! Of course getting help in removing Christmas decor is much more difficult!
I only really decorate the “main” living areas of the house – living room and dining room and put a few things in the main bathroom. These are the only areas guests usually see. If the kids want something in their rooms, they are welcome to decorate them also. This keeps it from being too overwhelming for me trying to decorate the whole house.
The best idea was the one my husband had when he bought an artificial tree that already had lights on it! No more untangling strands and getting them on the tree, only to find out that a bulb had burned out and the strand no longer works!
im in
My sons, though 3 of the 4 are grown, still want the 14′ real Christmas tree decorated with all the traditional family ornaments. Only now I have to do it all by myself! I love to decorate the whole house, so this year I decided to start with all of the other decorations first and leave the tree for last (reverse order from all the other years). That way the tree will stay fresh longer, and when I finally get to hang all those sentimental ornaments, I will be able to enjoy myself more knowing all of the other decorating is already done!
I’m in
I’m in!!
I have a tote for each of my children with their ornaments in it. They get to hang and remove what they want and everyone helps.
I’m so excited that you are doing this again this year. I was just going through Christmas recipes and came across your fantasy fudge printout and remembered you may be doing your Christmas posts now. Glad I found you. Thanks for all you do to keep Christ in Christmas and encourage us moms.
I love to decorate with garland, candles and lights all over the house. I love Christmas. I’m always so sad when the season is over. To me, it “IS the most wonderful time of the year.” I love to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Thank you for the awesome giveaway. God bless and Merry Christmas!
koinonia572001@yahoo.com
I’m in!!!
A few years ago we were so busy with church activities around Christmas that we didn’t even have a chance to put up the tree at home. I didn’t want that to happen again, so we now decorate anywhere from the end of October to mid-November. Then we get to enjoy the season for quite a long time! We love it, and after all that hard work, it’s fun to relax and enjoy it!
I’m IN!!
I love my Christmas ornament box. It it a plastic box that has dividers that go 4 levels deep, and it makes storing my ornaments and getting them out so much easier and without the worry of broken ones.
I think letting the kids help decorate the tree is fun and helpful! And I decided that decorating less is ok. So I just put out our favorites.
We have discovered “less is more” lately! So I have really cut down on the decorating. Simple has its advantages!
I love to decorate the house (with the help of any willing family members) one weekend and then get our tree the following weekend. It has helped me to feel less overwhelmed. We also have a shoe box for each child with their own special ornaments. They get to put those on the tree and then help with the family ornaments.
For me, an easy tip is being okay with not going all out with decorating!
We put most of our focus on the family room, with the tree and the nativity scene on the fireplace mantel.
My daughters love Christmas and decorating… so I take out all of the wonderful decorations I’ve gotten (some older than my girls) and I let them put them where they see fit… It used to frustrate me that they weren’t where I always put them but I learned that my favorite part is the smile of pride on their faces when they’re done… THAT is the best Christmas decoration in my house
i’m in thanks
I love the idea of simplifying it all. We used to go all out, inside and outside. This year my husband and I agreed that less is better. So I’ll be boxing up stuff and giving it away too.
I decided to get rid of the Christmas decorations that I don’t love so I don’t have as much to put up this year. Simplifying is a great idea! We put too much stress on ourselves sometimes this time of year. Thanks for the great advice!
I’m in.
Each year, I add one (or two) special item to my collection of Christmas decorations. That way, I don’t have to feel like I’ve got to get everything at once.
I’m late…. but I’M IN!!!! Merry Christmas!!
my sanity savers —- doing it a little at a time!
Only using cream and read candles.
This year, feeling a little overwhelmed and frustrated, I reached for my Nativity set Box first.. After gingerly and slowly setting it up, I put two candles next to it.. and prayed for forgiveness for my grumpiness.. and His presence gave me the “hug” I was looking for. I want to simplify.. and remember why I am celebrating..
A mason jar (or any clear jar we all have, even a spaghetti jar) dump some epsom salts in the jar to look like fake snow (1.50 for a boat load of it at Walgreens) and lay a votive candle in it (we all have votives) Simple, elegant and inexpensive!! I have them clustered on my dining table, small and large jars, it very Pottery Barn on a dime! :0)
A mason jar (or any clear jar we all have, even a spaghetti jar) dump some epsom salts in the jar to look like fake snow (1.50 for a boat load of it at Walgreens) and lay a votive candle in it (we all have votives) Simple, elegant and inexpensive!! I have them clustered on my dining table, small and large jars, it’s very Pottery Barn on a dime! :0)
This is my husband and I’s first Christmas in our house so we get the pleasure of buying all new things. So i think we are going to start with lights.
I’m in.
I’m in!
I stress about decorating. Thanks for the great tips!
I’m in!
I’m in.
I’m in
Decorations are in tubs/totes and labeled with masking tape. This year, I’m putting up minimal and let single son take some decor for his apartment.
I’m in! Thanks!!
Love the Command hooks!! They just pull right off and don’t damage the walls!!
I’m in. Thanks!
I’m in.
I’m in!
I love your destressing ideas! Thank you for sharing!!!
Merry Christmas blessings to you and your family, Renee!
“I’m in!”
I would like to be more organized for Christmas and enjoy the process with my family even more. I want it to be more of a positive memory for my girls, not a chore, because ultimately I love the result.
It’s a special time. Everyday is a special time. It just takes a lot of patience and stepping back from our own expectations to just let each day unfold as it will.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I’m in! Thanks so much!
WOW Renee!!! What a give away!!! I want to win!!!
I too took pictures of my decorating one year, and it does make it so much easier. Gracious I can’t remember one day to the next, so remembering where all the Christmas decorations went each year was a challenge. I think it’s age!
I’ll share an easy Christmas decorating tip I just read yesterday. The book I was reading suggested you just pull out a pretty Christmas piece of stemwear…clear glass…and fill it with Christmas peppermints and have it on the table for guests who visit. It looks lovely and friends and family can enjoy the treats.
(Renee…so excited about seeing you in January!!!! Can’t wait!!!! If I win, don’t worry about mailing my prize..hee hee..you can hand deliver it…with a hug!)
Love ya,
Joy
Love your ideas. I don’t always put things in the same place from year to year, so I have drawn pictures or put key words of items in each box and tape it to the top/side…try to store like things together (all the bows, garlands, candles, etc.).
Use only what you love or know to be useful- classic for everything in the house- not just Christmas!!
I begin the weekend of Thanksgiving and seem to still be re-arrangingor moving things up until Christmas Day! Must be an illness! LOL!
I’m in
easy decorating for us – put up the things you love, and don’t worry about the rest
I am in!
I’m in.
Buying cute little trinkets at the dollar store. Then we give them away at the end of the season as gifts or use them as package adornments the next year.
putting up a small table top tree, small trinkets….and remember Jesus
I must be honest. We do not do a lot of decorating for CHRISTmas. We put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving. I have a few small things we put up…a wreath and some homemade ornaments.
jenbrandes(at)frontiernet(dot)net
Christmas balls in a large jar is a great centerpiece!
It takes me days…no simple fix. But I love each and every part.
I have a large built-in buffet that I used to clutter up with all sorts of Christmas decorations. A few years ago, my mom gave me a large nativity set that my Great-Grandma made years ago. It’s 19 pieces of painted pottery, and takes up quite a bit of room. Now that’s all I put on the buffet, so I had to pare down my other things, as I no longer had anywhere to put it all. I love how uncluttered my buffet looks now at Christmas time, and what a beautiful reminder of what the season is REALLY about!
I love to cut greenery from outdoors and bring it in to my home for Christmas. Thank you for sharing your ideas. Merry Christmas!