Is it really only 2 weeks until Thanksgiving and a little over 6 weeks until Christmas? Gahhhh. I need to get in the festive holiday spirit. Here is what I’m going to do to start getting myself in the mood:
1. Start listening to the holiday tunes. This one never fails to put me in the holiday mood.
2. Start an advent calendar. I usually think of this idea too late!
3. Put on the holiday bedding. My son has red flannel sheets that will be going on this weekend! They signal the beginning of the holidays!
4. Cram in one more house project … so I’ll have a built in holiday deadline.
5. Start dreaming up some cute holiday projects. I’m on the lookout for a new holiday garland for this year!
6. Spend some time drooling over photos of Christmas rooms.
7. Start preparing some festive holiday treats.
8. Hang our Christmas lights before it gets any colder out!
a lovely home from one of my drive bys!
9. Light up the fireplace in the evenings and use candles and twinkly lights for a warm glow.
10. Plan a game night to discuss with the kids the holiday plans. I’m already talking to my son about the best gift he can receive this year — time with his family.
You forgot about Peppermint Bark :)….I’ve already had some. :) Patiently awaiting the eggnog….That always gets me in the mood!
Oh, my. Yes!
I’ll have to try a few of your suggestions, because I for one am not one bit ready!
*chuckle* I’ve been listening to Christmas tunes for a few months now…I’m an artist and it helps me create holiday art for upcoming shows.
Such great ideas, each and every one of them. I can totally identify with the need to prepare for the upcoming season. Maybe it will help with the stress that tries to creep in and tarnish such a bright and joyful season! ;-D
P.S. Just clicked on the link for My Home Ideas a moment ago….I may have found a new fave site. Thanks!
I’m putting together a little Christmas inspiration board for this Friday – it WILL include Williams Sonoma Hot Chocolate! YUMMO! I’ve got a lot of planning to do still!
I want those little wreaths for each of my 10 windows in our sun room! Beautiful!
I am excited for Christmas this year! Our family is sort of skipping Thanksgiving this year to go to a big football game, so my mind has skipped it as well! Thanks for the inspiration!
I am loving the Red Letter Words site. Thank you for sharing it.
LOVE~want~adore…that black and white checked couch!
Amazing how those Christmas trees in that room look lovely with JUST the little white twinkling lights.
Happy Holidays Sweet Melissa!
Do you go to a Bible Study on Thursday mornings?
Just wondering…I have a friend that attends a bible study in Silverdale every Thursday morning!
Snuggles!
xo
I’m so ready-since we don’t spend Thanksgiving home I’m usually all ready to put Christmas up now! We’ve been listening to Christmas tunes and are going to dig out the decorations this weekend….can’t wait!
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fondue?? Oh my!
I need two smaller indoor wreaths for my dining room window. Something different. Need to look around.
Hi Melissa. I started following your blog round about this time last year. I do remember that one of your posts convinced me to try out white christmas lights for a change as apposed to my every-year colourful ones. I loved the change. I can’t believe it’s time to be thinking about decorating again! Thank you for a full year of inspiring ideas! (love the count-down idea!)
I’m definitely starting to get in the mood. I might just have to start listening to Christmas music later today. I could probably listen to it all year long though. I’m strange like that. But with a two year old in the house, this should be a very special Christmas :)
Love Love Love !
I prepare ! :)
Great post!!! I am still scrambling around for Thanksgiving but the Friday morning after all my Christmas stuff will be drug out and the house will be as festive as possible by that evening! Our family will be in so we are going that night to go look at the lights at Opryland – that will put me in the mood for sure!! :)
I was SO ready to break out all the Christmas decorations and fun, but then I talked to my (amazing) brother who is going to come to my house and strip SIX layers of antique wallpaper out of my living room and entryway at the beginning of December! WOW! So. Guess the decorating is going to hold off a bit, or be confined to the dining room and kitchn. But really, an amazing, strong, hard-working, funny guy to work 15 hours a day just for food and the fun of helping his sister? That’s worth waiting for.
Not quite ready to jump into Christmas yet, Melissa, although the ideas are in my head for how I want to decorate certain areas. Since I’m not hosting this year, I may go light on the decorating, but on the other hand, I may do my regular level so that it gets and keeps me in the spirit. I always admire Advent calendars, but it’s usually too late for me to get one or make one, too!
Good reminders…I like the Christmas music…:) You either love it this early or hate it…I’m a lover! Thanks Melissa
Scrambling to finish some projects, so I can move on to the holidays without worries. Christmas music never fails to put me in the mood. Oh, and peppermint lattes!
Speaking of starting an advent calendar – I just finished making some cute advent trees (a knock off from Garnet Hill). With 3 kids you can never have too many advent calendars in the house.
http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/2010/11/is-for-advent-updated.html
With the cold coming in semingly so quickly here in New England, it already seem like Christmas. Wanted to start some decorating because I was in the mood and to get it out of the way but it’s only the eleventh of November! Going to put the Christmas c.d.’s in the car and have started to look at the pics in magazines. Off to the big Deerfield Chritmas craft fair next weekend – that alway jumpstarts the shopping and my holiday season! Great ideas here, thanks.
What great inspiration, I am so ready to start decorating now. If only I could motivate my family, maybe if I just start they will join in? They think it is toooo early to start decorating, but once it starts getting cold here, there is no decorating outside.
Thanks for the inspiration,
Crystal
I am in denial that the holidays are looming. Here’s what is helping me get in the spirit: I am keeping it simple. No projects. No craft stuff this year. Just baking cookies, our advent calendar and intentional gift shopping. Last year I made a bunch of stuff and it was fun but I just don’t feel like it this year and I think that there are other things my kids and I can do together to make the season wonderful.
This post makes me really want the temps to drop here because boy do I love flannel sheets!
Can’t wait to see your finished room – the wall color is fabulous!
Cute flannel sheets – check!
Lots of candles warmly glowing – check!
White lights – check!
Now to decide on an advent calendar, where to put the tree this year, and plan time to go cut our tree the day after Thanksgiving….I love this time of year. It is not a burden, it is a joy and delight!
The holidays always come faster than we’re ready for! It’s like a freight train without brakes zooming down the track at full speed… ready or not here they come! I’m actually looking forward to all the festivities!!! I just scrolled through the Red Letter Words website, what fantastic art…
I am so excited for Christmas this year, even though it’s only 50/50 that will have snow. We just moved to the country so I have a big old farm house with a wood stove. We’ll be getting a real tree for the first time ever.
Present shopping is done, fruitcake is made. All I have to do this month is make a new advent calendar.
It’s so hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that we’re pretty much in the holiday season. Maybe it’s becasue my apartment is in such disarray because we’re in the middle of a three-week move to our new house. Or maybe it’s because summer lasted so long here that I’m just now feeling like it’s even fall! Either way, I’ll definitely have to put some of these things in practice this weekend!
Christmas is by FAR my favorite holiday – I just wish this list inspired my husband as much as it does me – I’m raring to go on getting the Christmas decorations up and he’s dragging his feet, hoping I’ll give him a few more weeks of a “normal house.” Maybe that will be my Christmas present to him this year…
Anyway, just wanted to let you know I love your blog. I have been reading for a while now and it truly does inspire me to work on our house and turn it into a home. Keep it up!
These will do the trick—add a Starbucks egg nog latte with gingerbread biscotti and I’m humming “Oh come all ye faithful”
Karen
Today we’re getting out the Christmas boxes and the kids are incredibly excited. I have about 20 huge bins, but I remember growing up, we had one, falling apart old cardboard box, but it was magic when mom brought it out and I could scour through the pretties inside.
I’m having a hard time getting into the spirit because we’re going away on a tropical vacation for Thanksgiving. Also, I’m not hosting anyone or having any parties this year, so I’m just not feeling it. Add to that having two sons and a DH and a male dog, and no one gets quite as excited as I do about making it look pretty. Lastly, my DH is working Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after for 12 hours each day.
Despite all of this, I do love the holiday, and will decorate as usual. I’m also planning at least one family day trip to get us all into the spirit. It’s the least the boys can do to make me happy!
I always love looking at beautiful holiday decorations and the pics from Country Living and My Home Ideas make me feel all warm and fuzzy.
As for the Christmas music, I’ve been listening to it since September. I just love the music, so for me, the earlier the better.
Other than shopping for presents christmas doesn’t come to our house till the day after Thanksgiving! It’s a rule and we stick to it :) but that’s not too far away now! I’m looking forward to it!
Thanks that was JUST what I needed! I can’t seem to get into it yet with so much going on, but my kids keep asking and I need to start putting some thought to it. I was in Target yesterday and bought my wrapping paper…it’s a start. Thanks for the yummy pictures. Lisa~
Just reading your post helped me…I can’t believe Thanksgiving is almost here….holy cow, what happened this year….everything is just flying by.
Thanks for your wonderful ideas.
Happy Day
I love that Charlie Brown song. Another one that puts me in the holiday mood is Vince Guaraldi’s (sp?) CD. He composed the “Snoopy” song when Snoopy is ice-skating, and other great pieces. Kind of jazzy, and very Christmas-y. It’s difficult to get in the mood when it’s 75 degrees! But you helped. :)
i am christmas’s biggest fan.
Great ideas to get in the mood, Melissa. Maybe we’ll have a white Christmas in WA. Wouldn’t that be fun? :)
Only 43 shopping days until Christmas, FYI hehe. But I am with you I have got my Christmas Cards out, I buy them on clearance each year after the holiday, bought the stamps and am ready to get to them the day after Thanksgiving. We put our tree up on the Saturday after Thanksgiving have done that for all 31 years we have been married. Get the entire house decorated, inside and out, and then we can enjoy the season. By getting the decorating done on Thanksgiving week end we are free all other week ends to entertain, or be entertained and it does let us relax and enjoy this wonderful season we are about to embark on. So take a deep breath, breathe out slowly and on your mark~~~~ get set~~~~ let the Holidays begin!!!!! Always remembering that JESUS is the reason for the season.
Happy Holidays to you all
Blessings to you and yours
Curtis & Sherrie
ps ~~ don’t forget the mistletoe hehehehehe ;^)
Melissa! I LOVE this post…You’ve inspired me to get in the spirit! Such a happy time of year…thanks for the list list of good ways to get it started off right!!!
That Charlie Brown Christmas CD is our favorite!!! I could really listen to it year round!
And that fireplace! So pretty! Don’t even get me started on the fondue! :)
These are ALL great things to do! Love the list.
Now I am ! great post. i LOVE that granny blanket! i am working on 2 separate granny’s right now….cosy!
Thank you for Melissa for the inspiration! My son helped me put the red tablecloth on the table, we lit the candles and put on Xmas music! What a great day with my kids home from school.
The title of this post got me! I need to get inspired. I am so excited about Christmas, but I feel it is going to get here too quickly now that I am working full time. It’s got me in a funk!
There is sooo much I want to do for my home and blog, and I just don’t know how I will get it all done. I am trying to focus on keeping it simple.
I know we will have lots of hot chocolate and Christmas movies for sure!
Thanks for the inspiration!
I like to consider myself a Christmassy kind of gal (i even got married on christmas eve!) but it has NEVER EVER EVER occurred to me to change my bedding for Christmas! That is awesome. I don’t know if i can get away with all new bedding, but I can definitely splurge on a seasonal throw pillow (or two…) Thanks for a great idea!
I think this year is gong to be more fun! I’m more organized, I have already written out my plan, and Bubba and I have already started watching the Christmas movies!!
Let the baking begin!!!
I just want to crawl into that bed in the Pottery Barn picture! :-)
I think it might be fun to buy some Christmassy sheets for my son’s bed; his room is on the 1st floor, which is where we decorate for Christmas. I do put some decorations in his room, but I bet he’d love sheets, too.
I never would have thought of holiday bedding. Gonna have to check some out.
I love the little parcels on the chimney by the stockings! What a great idea!
Eggnog is in my fridge as I write. Just a smidge left.
I am soooo ready. But only because we had a lovely cool snap. I figure I better get a move on…before the heat moves in. Always a northerner at heart!
I’m starting to get in the Christmas mood. Been checking out Christmas decorating videos on You Tube and the decorating ideas at Better Homes & Gardens web site. We’ve already had our local Christmas boutiques – so I’ve done some shopping. I may even start a little decorating before Thanksgiving. LOL
I usually decorate the day after Thanksgiving but I’m having surgery on Nov 22 so I’m thinking I better get into the decorating mood now. How nice it would be to come home from surgery and all the decorating is already done. One can dream, right? :)
I am so excited about Christmas this year. The kids are 2 and 4 and it’s the best age ever! I’ve even started the shopping and have plans to write and mail cards this week. Gleee!!!!
I love your style, I especially love the advent calendar.