Christmas Decorating on a Dime

Is it just me?  Is everyone else going out and spending hundreds of dollars on new Christmas décor?  Because this year I’m Christmas decorating on a dime.

In fact, the past couple of years I have weeded out most of my old Christmas stuff and really have very little now.  I don’t usually put up a tree, so I don’t even have that!  Yikes, minimalism at its height.

But I do like a cozy, cheerful house for the holidays.  And a little nod to Saint Nick.  And Baby Jesus.  And the Maccabees.

You might call it winter decorating rather than Christmas decorating.

But I’m not spending money on holiday décor.  Well, maybe a couple dollars just to fill in a vase or two.  But that’s it.  And it mean it.

In my humble opinion, the goal was achieved.  The house seems cozy, festive and not overdone.

Here’s what I did.

Light it Up

I put those suckers on everything.  Ha! 

Three years ago (!) I purchased a 12-pack of fairy string lights from Amazon.  In addition to the other strings I already had on hand, I have a lot of fairy lights. 

But they are pretty and really add to so many things.  Not just Christmas, either.

Also from Amazon, these battery, remote control tapers are lovely to use and safe.  No need worry about dripping wax or falling asleep with a lit candle.

The lighted Christmas scene picture and gingerbread house were purchases last year and they add to our bar area.

In fact, anything I can find that has a battery in it gets turned on.  Going around at night and turning it all off though.  Ummm.  I know you can hook it all up to Alexa, but I’m not doing that.

Nativity

A beautiful Lenox nativity has been in our family for most of our marriage.  It’s lovely, but small and sometimes get lost in the crazy.  This year it has its own spot in the kitchen.

Menorah

This year Hanukkah falls smack in the middle of the Christmas which I love.  I love the story of the Maccabees and their trust in God and the celebration of light.

We are Christian, but feel like having a menorah is inclusive and we honor that part of our faith.

Now, it might dawn on you that there is a little religious vein here.  If anyone needs a good bible story, I’m your gal.  Sit right down and I’ll tell you one.

Bring out the Bottle Brush

Bottle brush trees and woodland animals are still popular this year, so I placed them out too.  The vintage look makes me feel nostalgic, they are simple and they are affordable.  They aren’t too fussy and stow away easily after the holidays.

Wrap Books

Making the coffee table a little more festive, I used some neutral Christmas wrap to cover books and tie a pretty ribbon with berries converted the books to a Christmas decoration.  For free.

Add Greenery

Using balls I already had in a glass bowl on the kitchen table looked a little bare and lost. I thought a candle ring around the base would look pretty, but to no avail. It appears they don’t sell too many of those anymore.

From Michael’s I found this wreath on sale. It was cheesy, but I fluffed and puffed and added ribbon and berries. And Roxy deconstructs it daily. So I get a new DIY daily. Cats!

My hope is that you can see I’m pretty happy with Christmas decorating on a dime.  It’s simple, but I think it still works.

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

Really, the Best. Thanksgiving. Ever.  As usual we started with the club’s turkey trot.  Amanda and her team did a great job hosting the event.  Our posse (DFs Barb, Stu, Denisse and Evon and hub John) trekked from our house to the starting line.  The round trip is over five miles, so we earned a few calories, don’t you think?

We even earned medals!

There were hundreds of people who participated.  With their kids.  And their dogs.  It was wonderful seeing so many people we know out enjoying the perfect morning.  My adorable workout buddy, Cassandra, snapped this pic.

Oh, and then?  The really, really good part?  Mimosas at the finish line (our house).  And then the other really good part?  Hub stuck the turkey breast in the oven and did most of the work.  Denisse stayed and we had a wonderful afternoon.

Oh, and then?  The other really good part?  Evening Zoom call with my DSs, Susie and Monique. 

So blessed by family and friends.

Okay team, let’s take a deep breath and get this Christmas season started!