What are you doing to celebrate the holidays this year?
We hope you are enjoying the time spent with people you love; that’s the best gift of all!
Holiday Camping
Are you trying to think of something fun to do with the kids during their holiday break from school? Try camping indoors! It’s something they probably don’t do often and can be a family event. Who knows, maybe it will make it into the list of holiday traditions.
The Tent: You can put up a real tent in the living room or have the kids construct their very own with blankets. You can use cushions for a place to sit and gather around for stories.
The Food: Make something easy and that still carries the camping theme. Try hot dogs, potatoes, and a vegetable. The dinner should be an easy clean up that requires few utensils. Put down a blanket you don’t care too much about so if there are messes, you can toss it in the washer without a worry. For dessert, make s’mores in the kitchen; after all, s’mores are a camping tradition!
The Activites: Having flashlights will be fun for the kids; they can make up a shadow puppet holiday story and share with everyone. Instead of scary stories around a fire, try to gather around one flashlight and have everyone talk about what makes this time of year special to them.
It’s the perfect time to cozy up and eat a few melty s’mores so do something fun with the family this season!
Don’t Get Too Wrapped Up This Year
Do you find yourself stressing as the holidays approach about getting everything wrapped and ready? Here are some suggestions to reduce the demands of gift wrapping and give you more time to enjoy the season.
Set up a gift-wrap center: Whether it’s a card table in front of the TV for a few weeks or just a spot on the floor, prepare a place for wrapping. Include good paper scissors; an office-style tape dispenser that can be used one-handed; and your gift-wrap supplies including paper, ribbon and tags. With just a little planning, you have a go-to space for everyone in the family to wrap gifts.
Pace yourself: Unwrapped gifts scattered around the house look and feel like clutter, but wrap them and you have instant holiday decorations. When you come home after a day of shopping, take part of the evening to wrap up and label the spoils of your labor.
Pre-sort: Will some gifts be brought to a family member’s home and others stay? Are certain presents planned hostess gifts? Create separate sections for each category of present, so it will be easier to pick up the ones needed at the right time.
Make a list, check it twice: Before wrapping your gifts, be sure to make a list of whom you’re giving what to, so that you know when your shopping is done.
Keep it simple: This may mean just one style of wrapping paper and ribbon so that you don’t have to worry about balancing colors. It may involve using stick-on bows or thicker wire-edged ribbon that makes it easy for your gifts to look splashy with little effort. You may want to have a few holiday bags for those gifts such as footballs that just don’t work with wrapping paper.
This year make your gift-wrap process easier and more streamlined, and you may have time to sing a few holiday songs and even bake cookies.
Get Your Dining Room Ready for the Holidays!
If you are fan of decorating shows and blogs, you’ll know there is a big trend right now to mixing and matching furniture. Breaking up sets of furniture and adding pieces from different eras and styles are popular with designers on and off television. So, don’t be afraid of bringing in different chairs around the table for more seating for your guests. The typical set of dining room furniture where the chairs, table, buffet and china cabinet are all purchased together is changing and evolving. Adding your personal touch to a set of furniture will make it feel less like you are living in a furniture showroom or model home.
As you can see in the dining room above, there is a mix of three different sets of chairs around the table. It still looks elegant with this collection of chairs. The chandelier is a great way to add sophistication to the space. The neutral patterned wallpaper enriches the entire room, without overpowering it. The storage cabinet in the back is a perfect solution for storing plates and decorations. The mirror makes the room feel bigger; if you have a mirror hanging just make sure to have it reflecting something pleasing to the eye. A buffet area would allow for extra space to place food or drinks that are easy to access during the holiday meals.
Make the holidays interesting by having special table settings and decorations around the room. Cut into a gourd or pumpkin and you can place your guests’ names there for place settings. Candlesticks or vases with flowers are always a great option for centerpieces. Get the kids involved and have craft time. You can display their special crafts as centerpieces for the table or décor for around the house.
Have fun with your dining room decorating this holiday season! There are no rules as long as you enjoy it. Get creative and enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
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