A few years ago I made the decision to decorate my house for Christmas as soon as we put the Halloween stuff away and it made me wonder why I waited so long to make that change. Listen – nothing is more tedious and entitled to me than wasting time being judgmental of when and how other people decorate their homes so please do or don’t do whatever you want…just make sure at the end of the day whatever you do it brings you joy. Because honestly why put in the effort for something as frivolous and non-essential as home decor if it’s just going to be a burden!
My joy comes from the feeling of seeing my house decked out in twinkling lights and the memories that we’ve collected over the years on display. My joy comes from watching my family decorating the Xmas tree before sitting down to eat Turkey and waking up the next morning knowing that decorating the house is already checked off my list. My joy comes from friends stopping by and getting to see the house all decked out for Xmas because we don’t really get a chance to entertain over the holidays. For me there’s nothing that puts me in a better mood for the month of December than knowing that all of the decorating, shopping, and (if I can squeeze it in) present wrapping is done by the end of November so I – the maker of the holiday spirit in this house – also gets to enjoy the season.
To be fair I also really find joy in finding and giving gifts each year. Earlier this month I shared a larger DIY gift guide based on my favorite hobbies (DIYing, Cooking, and Crafting) but if you actually want some of my favorite gifts waiting for my friends and family this year here are a few:
MLB Sundae Slugger Ceramic Ice Cream Bowl Set | Adventure Bucket List Cards | Cody Foster Glass Hue Trees + Ornaments | Chomp Saw | Emily Lex Watercolor Workbooks
I love making treat baskets of homemade goodies for my friends each year the weekend before Xmas. I try to include a good mix of sweets and snacks that don’t need to be eaten right away and aren’t too stressful to put together because I make quite a few. While I may change up the recipes each year I’ve found that if I keep to one from each of the following categories I check both boxes. To top them off I include a homemade tag on the treat bags listing what’s inside.
- A signature cookie that is included every year (for me it’s these delicious Vanilla Pudding cookies)
- A second cookie flavor (like gingerbread, hot cocoa, or peppermint)
- Chocolate or White chocolate bark (super simple to make and include different toppings like pretzels, peppermint, nuts, or candied fruits)
- Something a little more savory (homemade granola, candied pecans, homemade crackers or spiced nuts are my go-to’s)
- Truffles (or just think of them as chocolate covered cake pops; this is where I may play around with a more adventurous flavor like Red Velvet or Eggnog, or make them adult but adding some liquor like Rum or Limoncello)
- Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods (another thing that gets included each year. They’re super easy to make and you can play around with decorations however you want)
NOTE: If you have friends who have anyone at home with nut allergies make sure to anything containing nuts gets made and bagged LAST and is not included in their treat bags to prevent cross contamination.
Click here to read more about the Hilltown House challenge – one To-Do list item checked off each week of the year. The last two months I checked off:
- Upgraded the builder grade vent covers in the house to these fancy ones
- Fixed the hooks in the coat closet door
- Re-attached the missing piece from the upstairs banister
- Hemmed the living room Christmas curtains
