Decking the Halls! (Day 13)

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The beauty of getting all of your Christmas shopping, planning, and card sending done early is that your time is free to enjoy some of the more nostalgic Christmas festivities. Like decorating!

Every year of my childhood, Black Friday was spent not in crazy shopping, but in crazy decorating at my parent's house! As little girls my sisters and I delighted in that day.

Mom would put on her classic Bing Crosby Christmas CD. We started the day early with cleaning- but we didn't mind and did it quickly in anticipation of the fun to come! Then all of the boxes came out. We played with our Christmas tree ornaments and nativity sets, and perused Christmas story collection books while Mom hung garlands and wreaths.

Even today the memories are precious :). I follow my Mom's routine and decorate the day after Thanksgiving. My hope is that little S (and whatever siblings the Lord provides) will grow up with the same sweet memories of evergreen, holiday tunes, and twinkling lights. Sigh...

Here are a few thoughts to inspire and assist you as you think through Christmas decor:

• If it isn't fun for you, its okay to skip it entirely or seriously simplify!
• If your collection of Christmas decorations is in short supply, stock up after Christmas for next year and enjoy the super sales! My mom was able to purchase tree skirts, gorgeous ornament sets, and tree stars for me and each of my sisters future homes this way.
• There are countless ways to decorate your home all by yourself- with little cost or effort involved! Check out my "Merry Christmas" pinboard- I've been collecting lots of ideas to inspire you!

Today's Assignment: Just for fun, dream up your perfectly enchanting vision of home decorated for the Holidays. What aspects of this vision can you turn into reality without spending too much time or money? Pick a day to decorate. If you are crafty, start making a few decorations from my pinboard, magazines, or other online sources. Have fun! 

Don't Miss the Other Posts in this Series!

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 Introduction
Gifting: Your Plan of Attack
Gifting: Think Outside the Box
Gifting: To Make or Purchase?
Christmas Cards: Your Plan of Attack
Christmas Cards: Making Your List and Checking it Twice
Christmas Cards: I've Got Your Number
Holiday Food: The Menu
Holiday Food: A Timetable
Holiday Food: Let's Get Down to Baking
Playing Christmas Keep Up
Holiday Schedule: Keep it Simple, Keep it Meaningful
Holiday Schedule: Plan and Chart
Your Holiday Cleaning Plan