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7 Ways to Get Inspired For The HolidaysMy Forest & Sea Christmas House Tour

Tiptoeing in to say … it’s less than 8 weeks until Christmas. I know! I can’t believe it. But I do not like to rush the holidays so I’ve already started planning. Mentioning Christmas on Halloween might sound like I’m suggesting we rush through Thanksgiving right on to Christmas. But the opposite is actually true. I don’t like to rush Thanksgiving or Christmas. I don’t care much about Halloween so I’ll happily move right past it :).

But, I do think the whole Thanksgiving and Christmas season deserves more than just a few weeks of rushed preparations and celebrating. I prefer to savor it all slowly.

There are always things one can do to get inspired and prepared in advance.

Today I’m sharing seven inspiring things you can do right now!

1. Start listening to Christmas tunes.

This is by far one of the most inspiring things one can do to get yourself into the festive holiday spirit, don’t you think? Here is our Cozy Holiday Home Playlist with some favorites our family listens to!

7 Ways to Get Inspired For The Holidays

2. Start your holiday crafts or DIY gifts!

7 Ways to Get Inspired For The Holidays

Find mini galvanized buckets here. Image via Country Living / Nora Murphy

It’s hard to fit in time for those holiday crafts or DIY gifts if you don’t start early! Some of you probably have been working on your projects for a year now. ;) But even with less than eight weekends between now and Christmas, we can probably fit in a couple of fun holiday projects. In fact, you still have time to make an Advent calendar! How adorable is this galvanized bucket advent idea?

7 Ways to Get Inspired For The Holidays

3. Simplify your decor.

Who needs extra chaos and clutter during the holidays? Not me! If you want to savor more and stress less, start simplifying now. Remove as much non-Christmas decor as you can before you add any holiday touches. That way each item you choose to add later will stand out all the more when it isn’t fighting for attention.

Related Post: Want to keep holiday decorating SIMPLE? Me too! Here are 7 Simple Pieces I Love for Christmas and Winter Decorating (and why I think they make so much sense).

4. Pare down your calendar.

Our calendars tend to get filled up from Thanksgiving through New Years. Sometimes we get so busy we run out of time for what we really want to do! Why not pick three holiday experiences that will mean the most to you this year and put them on the calendar right now? Maybe you want to enjoy a Christmas Eve candlelight service or visit your local light festival with your kids. Once your most treasured experiences are on the calendar, you’ll feel relieved to know you already made time for what mattered most to you.

Related Post: How to Be Intentional in Planning for Fall + Holidays

5. Pull out the flannel and plaids.

7 Ways to Get Inspired For The Holidays

 

This one should go without saying.

What is more inspiring this time of year than the plaid and flannel combo to cozy up your bed?

I rest my case.

See more of the room above here.

6. Put up your Christmas lights. 

7 Ways to Get Inspired For The Holidays

Why wait until it’s absolutely freezing to put your lights up? I don’t know about you, but if it gets too cold I start to lose my interest in outdoor holiday decorating. So while the weather is still decent, get those lights out of storage and make sure all of the bulbs are working. Then get your twinkling lights hung up ASAP! (or is it already snowing where you are?).

7 Ways to Get Inspired For The Holidays

My Forest & Sea Christmas House Tour

7. Pick your Christmas theme.

I’m not actually much of a theme-decor gal, but I do think it is really neat to have some sort of a theme for your home at Christmas. Christmas is the time of year when we should feel like a kid again, so pick a theme that inspires you to make it a more magical holiday. The process of selecting your theme (if you don’t have one yet) can be so fun, too.

We’ll of course have lots of Christmas inspiration and ideas here on the blog!

For the past few years at our own house we’ve had a Forest & Sea Christmas theme because those elements reflect our family’s story. Those elements make us feel at home wherever we live. I’ve had so much fun decorating with ornaments that help us relive memories, too.  We can’t wait to bring our refreshed theme back again this year!

If you can’t think of a theme, maybe consider a color scheme instead.

You can take House Tours of all our past Christmas homes here! 

7 Ways to Get Inspired For The Holidays

Click HERE to shop my favorite Christmas Decor

Click HERE for my gallery of Christmas decor ideas

Click HERE for gift guides

Happy Holiday Dreaming and Planning! I’d love to hear your holiday plans!

17 Comments

  1. Jo Jo

    I love your suggestion of clearing our calendars now, and make room for the things WE really want to do, see, or experience this coming holiday season. So many times I’ve over- committed myself or our family and that has led to stress & disappointment of missing out on some things. Our plans are beginning to materialize as I write this and it seems our plan to have a Christmas open house is a “go”! Having fun going thru recipes., etc. and of course will be getting our tree up and all Christmas decor out the evening after Thanksgiving. It’s tradition and both our adult children will be here to help. ❤️

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      I so agree, making room for what we really want makes all the difference. Your plans sound lovely, Jo Jo. Thank you for sharing.

  2. Brigitte

    I do the same thing when I decorate with Christmas items – I put all my regular items away because it’s just too much visual clutter! I love Christmas and, even though the kids are grown and I only have one grandson, I still have three trees in the house. The largest is in the family room (Santas, toys and Disney), the medium is in the living room (vintage and sentimental) and the tiniest is baking themed. I’m already starting to plan what I’ll bake this year.

      • Joanna

        I love the idea of simplifying your decor for the holidays. You mentioned you put non-Christmas decor away. I’ve always wondered where that stuff goes. Where do you put it?

  3. Nat

    I agree that a theme can help pull together the decor for Christmas. For some reason, I like lots of red at Christmas and beyond into mid-winter. It’s the warmest of the warm colors, which helps a lot in our long, dark and cold winter here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. So for years, I’ve had a red and gold ribbons and bows theme. But I would like to update that a little in favor of a more Swedish red and white theme.

  4. Shirley Cox

    One of your best blogs ever…it made my heart happy that you included Charlie Brown & friends.

  5. susan maclean

    Oh no, Melissa! I spotted that lovely console table again that I can’t get in the UK! But I still want to say that planning for Christmas here means just the table. We have a party of friends for an early Christmas the first weekend in December, and the table always gets it’s own design…. I hadn’t even thought about it until I read your post, so – better get going!!

  6. Deanna Rabe

    Oh my! I remember the Unraveling! Naughty doggies!

    After many years of the same basic Christmas decor, I am going to change things up a bit this year by not using some things or by using them in a different way.

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Ha yes, it was sure memorable! :) I love the challenge of using things in a new way!

  7. Mary

    I didn’t see Tip #6… but loved the whole tone of this post. Has me feeling Christmas-y all over. And, as always, your suggestions are so practical and sensible! BUT, was stunned when you mentioned we only have 8 weeks to get ready!! Yikes!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Hi Mary! Oh, good catch. It fell off the list somehow so I added it back in! :) Thank you so much.

  8. Bonnie Stoltzfoos

    What a fun post :) I love the theme idea… there is so much fun and pretty decor to choose from, that helps me narrow it down! :) I think we might do a storybook kind of theme. I can’t believe it’s November! I like savoring the holidays slowly, too. I feel like I’ll enjoy November more if Christmas coziness is already set up. :)

  9. Lisa H.

    I can’t wait to get some fresh ideas for decorating. I use the same things year after year and am interested in changing things up. Like Nat said above, I, too, am thinking about a Swedish type red and white Christmas. But I’m interested in considering other themes as well!

  10. Carolyn

    “Less than eight weeks” has me stunned, too. I especially like the calendaring important things idea. I haven’t exactly done a theme, but recall several Christmas color schemes: red and white, red and gold, blue Christmas, and gold, bronze and brass were some. I’m glad for the heads up — I have two little grandsons to make stockings for this year!

 

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