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Real Life Christmas Grinches

It seems as though every time I turn on the television I see yet another news report about some wacko dismantling, destroying, or stealing homeowners’ outdoor Christmas decorations. Just this week alone, seven homeowner’s in our city reported incidents of vandalism and theft involving outdoor nativity sets and inflatable holiday lawn decorations. It got me wondering whether this was an isolated event (as in just in the Midwest) or whether real-life Grinches are stealing Christmas decorations across the country? I discovered that while it is not a national epidemic, there have been numerous reports of holiday vandals wreaking havoc on … Continue reading →

Tips For Maintaining Your Christmas Tree

So you’ve got your Christmas tree up and decorated–congratulations–you’re ahead of the game in my book. In a previous blog I provided tips on how to choose the perfect Christmas tree, but that job is just the first step. After you cut your own tree at a farm or pick one from a lot you should have it wrapped with some type of netting to bring it home. This makes it easier to transport; protects the tree when you bring it in the house; and makes it easier when you put it in the stand. Which is a great tip: … Continue reading →

Tips For Choosing The Perfect Christmas Tree

The first Saturday in December is traditionally the day our family picks out and puts up our Christmas tree. We’ve hunted down the perfect tree on tree farms (where we not only pick out just the right tree, but also cut it down ourselves), tree lots, and believe it or not, one year I even helped my sister-in-law pick out a Christmas tree from the back of a semi-truck parked on the side of a rural highway. No matter where you choose to purchase your tree there are some hard and fast rules you want to keep in mind before … Continue reading →

It’s Beginning To SMELL A Lot Like Christmas

In a previous blog I told you about my 2-year-old daughter’s insistence that we get our Christmas decorations up on the double. Last night we finished getting up all but a few (I winced each time I unwrapped decoration after decoration–all were neatly swaddled in tissue paper—the pain derived from the thought of how long it would take me to take down all that we were putting up). But, Christmas only comes once a year and since we will be only spending part of it at home this year I figured I would indulge my daughter and get a jumpstart … Continue reading →

Creating A White Christmas–Indoors

In previous blogs I listed ways you could add a few touches of nature to your home’s holiday décor. Some people living in warmer climates may have a harder time finding some of the items needed to pull off a completely “natural” look. If that’s the case with you–don’t fret–this blog’s for you. I grew up in Hawaii, where the closest thing we had to a true white Christmas was a flocked tree. (Which was technically more silver than white and only stood in our living room for one year–that’s all it took before my mother decided we would “never … Continue reading →

Natural Christmas Décor Part 2

Anyone can open a box and pull out a string of colorful lights or plant a set of plastic reindeer pulling a stuffed Santa the yard, but nothing beats taking a little extra time to deck the halls with some natural holiday décor. In “Natural Christmas Décor Part 1” I provided tips on how you could easily and affordably add some “live” decorations to your home in time for the holidays. Here are some additional ways you can add a fresh look to your home: Tabletop Decorations Tabletops are great places to display the natural bounty of the season. But, … Continue reading →

Natural Christmas Décor

Have you started decorating your home for the holidays yet? My 2-year-old daughter saw the mall decked out in its Christmas glory yesterday and asked why our home didn’t look as “sparkly.” Needless to say, we have about half of our decorations up now. In unpacking the boxes I’ve noticed we are lacking natural décor. Granted, natural items don’t lend themselves to be packed away and reused from year to year, but they help bring the outdoors in and help create a wonderfully fresh background to your holiday décor. Here are some easy ways you can deck your halls with … Continue reading →

Six Ways to Beat Holiday Stress

The holidays are looming, and while they are often a time of joy, they can also be a time of stress. Here are some tips to help you stay calm, cool, and collected — so you can enjoy the holiday season without stress and strain. *Keep your outside decor simple — like a wreath on the door — and save the effort for inside. After all, that’s where your friends and family will be! *Don’t have a financial crisis. If you go overboard on one gift, don’t make that an excuse to go crazy with every gift! Keep things balanced. … Continue reading →

Decorating Your Home For Kwanzaa

In my previous blog I discussed the holiday of Kwanzaa. We are now just a week away from the start of the seven-day festival, which focuses on heritage, family and community. Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one and is meant to serve as an inspiration to African-American families and the community. And while the celebration begins on December 26th and ends January 1st, neither the observance nor the decorations should be combined with Christmas, Hanukkah or the New Year. People celebrating Kwanzaa deck their homes in black, red and green. That color scheme is carried throughout the … Continue reading →

Frugal Decorating with Pine Cones

As you may know from some of my other blogs, our family is in the middle of a move. We found a nice little house in a more rural area. The house comes with two acres of mostly woods. We just can’t wait to move in. Well, yesterday, we drove out to the house to meet with our agent. On the way over to the house, my husband and I discussed holiday decorating. We’ve haven’t really gotten started, because of the move. I started doing a little bit with cranberries, and I liked the warm, natural appeal. While we were … Continue reading →