Christmas decorations and celebration preparations are well on the way at the That One Mom household. There wasn’t a lot that got finished due to illness last year, so this year I’m trying to make up for it. Unfortunately, I still don’t have all of the energy I need to do all I want to do. The house is looking pretty though and I have ingredients to make some treats to share…what more do we really need?!?
While I’m finishing up the house, I thought I could share some of the past decorations we’ve had and a few food ideas for your Holiday meals.
Some of the first things that get decorated here are the shelves in our living room. We used to have three windows and they all had shelves above them. We built on and one window became the door and one got boarded up. I left the shelf above it though and my thought was to paint it with chalkboard paint. I should really get on that…it’s only been a few years!
There is also a large shelf on one wall that came from my Momma’s old house. Part of the year it is just used to display photos. At Christmastime, it gets a little fancier! I don’t always know how it’s going to look, but it’s fun to play around and see what will go together.
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As you can see, I do try to switch things up and use ordinary household items with my Christmas decor. One just never knows what it’s going to look like when they walk through the door!
The hallway and the rest of the living room (including the tree) tend to get decorated next. We have on old Hoosier cabinet that belonged to my husband’s grandmother and I use it in the hallway to display things on. It needs a little work, but it’s probably one of my favorite pieces of furniture. I have a piano that belonged to my great-grandmother that I would love to have in it’s place, but it’s still in storage. Bummer.
Anyway, the theme in the hallway changes every year, but the same ornaments pretty much go on the tree always. There are a few exceptions, but I’m pretty sentimental so about the only thing that changes is the topper and where the ornaments go. The kids used to help decorate it, but they aren’t much interested in that anymore.
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Which rooms get decorated and how much is put out depends entirely on my time frame and energy level. There is typically a lot going on this time of year anyway and it seems like someone always gets sick. I do try to put at least a few things out in the kitchen and make the front porch look presentable. You’d think I would do the porch first, but it always gets shoved to the back burner for some reason.
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I do so love to decorate and I also love to craft. I’m just not very good at making my own stuff. Doesn’t stop me from trying though!! My favorites are the really simple things and anything I can spray paint. Printables are also an awesome thing!
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Another thing that is incredibly important during the Christmas holiday is food! We have various dinners and celebrations that we go to and cooking (also eating) is one of my favorite things to do. I do like to try new recipes, but there are some foods that are staples for us during this time of year.
Christmas Eve is not complete without Sausage Balls, spinach dip, and Rocky Road Fudge. Christmas Day is for turkey and ham, but sides like my Pineapple au Gratin are a favorite. And no Christmas season is complete without Hot Mulled Cider and Cassoulet!
Also check out 10 Delicious Food Ideas for Your Holiday Menus.
These are just a few ideas for Christmas celebrating. Hopefully you will find something that sparks your imagination or your appetite.
Come back soon and see what other decorating ideas we have going on here!
