The holiday season is one of my favorite times. There’s a lot to look forward to, between my birthday, Christmas, traditions, quality time with family and some time off. We’re in full Christmas mode over here so I thought I’d take you through some of our Christmas home décor, our favorite ornaments and a simple DIY you can make today. It would be perfect if you’re looking for a last-minute gift with only 3 days to go until Christmas.

Confession – I’ve never had a real tree before. That may seem odd to some, but I grew up having an artificial tree and it’s what I know. Plus, the smell of pine gives me an instant headache so artificial has always been the best option. I usually start decorating the week of Thanksgiving so I have 6 weeks or so to enjoy it all. Most of it is centered in our living room, but I put something in nearly every room – small little trinkets, Christmas lights, signs. The baby has his own tree in his room too.

When we bought our house, there were basically two tiny living rooms joined by a door. The design made no sense. Someday I’ll share the before and after in its entirety but let’s just say there was farm animal wall paper and carpet holding so much dirt and allergens the water was still black after 4 steam cleans. We started over – ripped out the floors, knocked down the adjoining wall, installed a beam, whitewashed the fireplace and added customized woodwork on the bottom half of the walls throughout, since it already existed in one of the rooms. Now we have one large open living space. We have an area for Callan to play and have his therapy appointments comfortably. And we now also have the perfect spot for our tree.

The Christmas tree was my birthday gift this year. It’s snow-covered, pre-lit with warm lights and so so so beautiful in person. My initial goal was to get a galvanized tub to put the tree base in. I started the hunt for one more than 3 years ago. I wanted something vintage and keep checking antique shops to no avail – which is probably because it’s suddenly everyone’s plan. But for now, the tree collar does the job.

We kept the ornaments simple this year, mostly including those that hold special meaning for us. Here are a few:

Let’s talk this birth announcement ornament I made. I’ve been making these for loved ones for special occasions for probably a decade now. Weddings, baby showers, birth announcements – you can really do it for anything you want to keep as a memento. And it’s so easy! Here’s a brief how-to:

• Buy plastic craft ornaments (or glass if you don’t break everything like I do).
• Cut your invitation or announcement into skinny strips. Tip: If there is an image you want intact or text you want to read in full, then cut accordingly. For a birth announcement, cut out the name, birth date, weight, etc.
• One at a time, take each strip and wrap it around a small pen or pencil. Hold it tight for a few seconds. Let it go and you’ll have these pieces that resemble curled ribbon.
• Fill the ornament with the curled pieces, making sure the images/text you want to see are visible.
• That’s it!

Another tip – you don’t have to do this only for a special occasion. Keep it simple by using patterned or different colored paper to create unique ornaments. If you happen to make one, I want to see it!

I hope you all have an amazing holiday season filled with the moments that matter. Thanks for joining me on this journey so far. We have lots more to come in 2019!