When it is too early to decorate????

 Discussion happening over here on the blog.  A few of us, one in particular, loves to decorate for the seasons. We are not talking just Christmas holidays but also for fall.  You know pumpkins, leaves, scented candles, comfy throws, all in those fall colors. 

To enjoy the season when is it acceptable to put your fall décor up?  Remember there is also Christmas décor to go up. Once we flip the calendar to September it is four months to squeeze it all in. Should fall decorating start in fall - September 21st?  Or September 1st? 

If the decision is to decorate on the official date of September 21st that gives just over a week for September, all of October, and what? Mid-November?  We are consistent on not putting holiday decorations up until after Remembrance Day. That is a given.

So fall decorations until we switch out for Christmas. That discussion point is yes, after November 11 for sure, but when? Not until December? That seems a shame as one month to enjoy the Christmas decorations. We realize a few items like snowmen can stay up into the new year.  Christmas seems cheated.

The consensus was to put the fall decorations up after Labour Day. You get the majority of September to enjoy them. Add your Halloween themed ones in October.  Start the switch over to Christmas décor after November 11 so maybe mid-November. That way your place is fully decorated for Christmas for the entire month of December to enjoy.    

What are your thoughts on seasonal decorating? When should we start? What might be too early?

Favoriate Holiday Blog Posts to Checkout

 There is so much on the web - for every holidays.  We thought we'd collect a few of our favorite posts for the holidays.  You will see familiar blogs as a few of us have out "go to".

Inspired by charm will hit a lot of your holiday needs and eye candy in one post. 175 Holiday ideas!!

Salted turtle candies mouth drooling already.

Over at A Beautifulmess they show us how to set up a hot chocolate bar.

If you have limited space this Christmas tree might be what you need.

One of my favorite cookies so I had to include soft chewy gingerbread cookie.

This is a lovely way to sit with a coffee or beverage of your choice - calm Christmas podcast

This is an older post. Had to include as trees so pretty.  Plus a DIY. Maybe a craft night?

But I smile anyway has recommendations on Christmas books to read. This is one. I can't be the only one that enjoys reading Christmas stories around the holidays.

Head over to the happy happy nester for some Christmas inspiration.

This is a taste. So much more on each site. I could do a Holiday post on just Inspired by Charm blog.

If you have any favorite please drop them in the comments. We would love to check them out.

Wrapping things up

 It is hard to wrap our head around but in a week and a half Christmas is here.  No idea where December went let alone the rest of the year.  It will soon be time to take stock of the year and start a fresh one with possibilities and plans.

This year was different.  I'm going to use that word as parts were hard and parts weren't.  We are still in a pandemic but things opened up.  We got to go to restaurants, sit on patios, take in a few shows and be with family and friends.  Oh yeah and get vaccinated!  

The hard parts were still not travelling outside of province, numbers rising and still restrictions. Thinking of we were clearing this only to be into another wave. Things are again tightening up before the holidays with numbers rising.  

This year was making the best out of what was available. Sitting on those patios, BBQs, cottages, the beach, family and friends.  Grabbing our wins when we could and shifting what was important. Supporting our community buying local.  One of us purchased artisans gift boxes all year as they are struggling with less craft shows and less people coming to the ones that were open.

So we are heading into another year in a pandemic. Another holiday season.  There is no point in being bitter of what we can't do. Everyone is in the same boat - word-wide.  If family can't get to you shift your thinking - Zoom.   Opening presents together via Zoom.  Decide to make the most of what we can do and what we have. What about making a care packages as a family for the homeless?  Check in on neighbours or people with no family near. 

We have some control over how we spend our holidays - our attitude is a major one. Decide now no matter what restrictions are in place to be positive. What ever plans you have to change, you are going to take a breath and make the most of it.  What we can do? What can we do differently?  Maybe you will find out differently is the new way to go!

Holiday Collections Anyone ???

 Turning the calendar was a bit of a shock.  How did we get to the last month of 2021? What happened to 2021?  Remember March 2020 and being told March break would be extended for a week due to COVID19 well.....we know how that went down and here we are rolling into 2022 and the world is still dealing with it.

Enough of that we want happy posts.  So we decided to showcase a few things worth collecting and displaying for the holidays.  In no particular order.....

Christmas trees.  One of us has collected glass Christmas trees for a few years. It is a beautiful collection as they come in different colors and can be placed in grouping or as a single tree.  Yes glass so can be put on the bathroom vanity so a splash of the holidays.

Nutcrackers.  This was debated to include as some like and a few others find creepy. All individual choice.  Have seen one collection going up the stairs which was a neat way to display. 

Holiday mugs and/or Santa Mugs.   Inspired by Charm (fabulous eye candy blog). Has a Santa Mug collection which he display.  This is a neat item to collect as you actually use them.  You can swap out your mugs for your holiday mugs end of November (if not before) and enjoy.  

What about holiday sweaters!  Snowflakes, ornaments, maybe the Grinch!  Something fun to pull out.

We know someone who always collects a Christmas ornaments during her travels. It is a small memory she pulls out every year.  Imagine having a tree full of travel memories.

Snowperson would be in-line with Christmas trees. Something fun to display during the holidays. Really they could be out all winter!  Such a great variety in various materials. They would look great in a grouping or scattered throughout the house!

If you have a collection please let us know. It is fun to collect a specific item and display.  Are you thinking of starting one?  Let me know.

Happy Holidays.

Holiday entry ways - few ideas ! !

 

Happy Holidays!  Hope it is okay to say that before December!  We enjoyed our post of holiday front doors we were crushing on so much that we wanted to do it for entry ways.  We limited ourselves to our top two to show each other and then pick the top five from that assortment. It was hard but fun to discuss as a few similar.  Hope you enjoy!

Holiday doors we are crushing over

 The holidays are approaching and they will be different this year. There will be less visiting and for some people family and friends will not get home. We have little to no control over restrictions. Only to make sure we do our part to keep our community safe.

What we can do is decorate and celebrate at home. Here are a few of holiday doors we are crushing over.  It was a fun post to do and hopefully you'll enjoy and make get a few ideas!!

PS we might do this for a few other crushing holiday decor!!

Not yet! Seriously.....

We were talking the other day that it seems like every year they put holiday items out earlier and earlier.  This year one large store had snowsuits out in August.  Hmm..... a little premature. 

Halloween and Christmas are now out at the same time! I mean really it is October.  No scratch that it started in September. Can we not celebrate Halloween first.  Remembrance Day next (still no Christmas items out yet) and then WHAM be all done up on November 15th if that is your preference.

What is the rush? Money and profit. There it is out there. That is the rush. Get people spending sooner and longer - cash some can't afford and the majority of on items we don't need or want.

What do you think of Christmas items or any items out months before the actual holiday or event?

Halloween and Christmas! Maybe we should rethink this.....

Coffee conversation centred around when do you think it is the appropriate time to put Christmas items out for sale.  In some stores, in our area, they were out the same time the Halloween items were being sold.  Hmm…. That doesn’t even take us into November.  

One individual felt Christmas items shouldn’t be displayed until after Remembrance Day (November 11).  It was acknowledged that there are only so many pay cheques before Christmas but really if you are that concerned start picking up items in July. Can you really not focus on one event at a time? Not dilute it with the next big thing? 

It was anonymous that October was too early to be putting Christmas out there at the shops.  Also why not wait until November 12^th and then make a big splash that says Christmas/Holidays are now approaching! Enjoy!

Simplify Christmas

The Coffee Cluster discussed how overwhelmed people get at this time of year.  The discussion was all over the table with “its a yearly event so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise” to “this can be such a sad time of year for people”.  Well, there was no disputing either statement.   Yes, the holidays arrive every December but people are also living lives the other 11 months a year.  Not everyone one (hint at the table) is a planner.  Others rush and are stressed this time of year and there are even a few people that get off being overbooked and having too much on their plate.  Yes, there are those people.

How can we get to a happy medium and enjoy the season?  What can we do to take some stress off?  A few ideas batted around the table were lower expectations, set a limit on gift giving and start earlier.  It is all easier said than done for some people.  The planner said create lists early – most of us know who we purchase gifts for so look all year around for that unique item.  Another idea was have a discussion about purchasing family gifts or donate in someone’s name to a charity. 

What about cutting back on decorating?  There were moans around the table, as there is an expectation of pulling it all together for people.  In that case get “these people” to help decorate if they want the place to look like Christmas.  Yes, we can be brutal at the table.  What about a tree decorating party – we did have that one year and it went over well.  Make it a potluck of course!  Delegate was tossed around to frowns and smiles.

Recap of what we went away with was to have a tree decorating party one evening next week for someone overwhelmed.  Another person is going to bake a large batch of short breads and divide up.  We are all going to go through our decorations when we pull them out this year and toss anything we feel is no longer us and simplify.  A few of us are going to go shopping one evening right after work next week. 

So is there anything you can give up?  Delegate?  Get rid of?  Simplify this holiday season?  Do it.