I'm Gillian, a Scotland based home & lifestyle blogger. Follow along as I navigate this new journey sharing my life from home.
Thank you to Caroline from Organize Nashville for hosting today’s Simply Seasonal blog hop! We are going to be sharing with each of you our holiday tips on getting your home ready for holidays. If you are coming from, Green With Decor, welcome! I’m so glad you are here!
If you’ve been around here for a while, then you know that I like a lot of “stuff!” I love collections and being surrounded by things that I love makes me happy. That doesn’t always lend itself to a simplified decor. Each year, I talk myself into trying out an organizational system or simplifying my life with something like Kon Mari. I always gain some great ideas and many of them do stick, but when it comes to my decor, I’ve always been a more is better kind of gal!
This year, I came up with a few solutions to help me stay more simplified throughout the holiday season. We travel to Arizona each year and spend Christmas with my parents, so it has always been a rush trying to get the decorations up and down and pack to get ready to go. Though it can be a pain, the thing I love most about the holidays is spending time with family.
When it comes to decorating my home for holidays, I love adding red. It’s a festive color which screams Christmas to me. This year, I also added black and white buffalo check into the mix and I love the way it works next to the pops of red. {Affiliate link, see full disclosure here.} These pillow covers are just a few dollars on Amazon and make a huge difference in the overall look I was going for.
Here are My 5 Tips to Keeping You Sane this Holiday Season
- Clear your surfaces before you begin- I like to start with a clean slate, so I pack up my everyday decor and then I can more fully concentrate on the areas I want to decorate. It’s easier for me to envision a space when it isn’t cluttered.
2. Pick just a few key areas to decorate. I love the look of Christmas just about anywhere, but it can get overwhelming if you think you have to decorate every room in the house. Start with a few key areas and you may find that that’s enough for you. I like to decorate my kitchen, family room, and office. In addition, I usually put a centerpiece on my dining room table. I don’t do bathrooms or bedrooms though I have seen some that are beautifully done!
3. Add holiday touches with things you use every day. I change out my white mug collection to an eclectic mix of holiday mugs for the year. It feels less frivolous to buy new decorations when I know these are something that will be used daily.
4. Establish some low-cost holiday traditions. Some of ours are driving through the neighborhood to look at the outdoor Christmas lights, making hot chocolate and putting together the teacher gifts, our Christmas musical at church, taking cookies to the nursing home, and going downtown to see the holiday trains.
5. Give some away. As you are getting your decorations out, it’s a perfect time to give away those you no longer want or use!
Here is a few more sneak peeks of my holiday home and I’ll be sharing a full tour tomorrow on the blog!
Be sure to hop on over to Two Purple Couches to hear how she readies her home for the holidays. I’ve added a link to everyone else participating {and the day they post} so you can be sure to check out all the amazing blogs in this series.
Monday, December 5
At Home with Zan
Tuesday, December 6
Wednesday, December 7
Organize & Decorate Everything
Thursday, December 8
Friday, December 9
Finding Your Joy in The Journey
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To life feeling like home!
XO,
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If you like the sort of recommendation that still holds up six months later, leave your email below and I'll write to you on Sunday.
Most Sundays, once the house has gone quiet and it's edging towards nine, a letter goes out. It's the one I'd write to a friend with good taste and not nearly enough time: one thing worth reading, one thing worth buying, and one thing to skip. No noise, no pressure to spend, just the considered version of what I've actually been using, loving, or quietly sending back.
December 6th, 2016 at 11:44 am
Lovely as always. I especially like the red accents and buffalo check!
December 6th, 2016 at 11:51 am
Thank you, Caroline! What a great hop! Thank you for organizing.
December 6th, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Ohmygoodness! The typewriter with a naughty or nice list is adorable. I love it! The truck with a tree is really cute as a breakfast table centerpiece, too.
December 7th, 2016 at 7:22 am
Ha! My kids got a huge kick out of the naughty list! Thanks for stopping by!
December 6th, 2016 at 8:26 pm
Oh my gosh, you have like the best stash of black and white pilows! And that breakfast nook is so cute! We also love to drive around the neighborhood and look at all the lights on the houses too 🙂
December 7th, 2016 at 7:22 am
Thank you, Kristen! It’s definitely a fun time of year!
December 8th, 2016 at 12:50 am
Love your holiday home and your mantel and vintage typewriter is just perfect. Thank you so much. I’ll be pinning and sharing.
December 8th, 2016 at 10:19 am
Thank you, Sue! Have a Merry Christmas!
December 10th, 2016 at 10:49 am
I love your color scheme of black and white with pops of red. My favorite spot in your home is the window bench with all of those gorgeous pillows. It is fun hopping with you!
Julie @ Love My Simple Home
December 10th, 2016 at 11:49 am
What a beautiful home! Glad I found your blog through the tour… Such thoughtful details everywhere! Hope you have a Merry Christmas…
December 10th, 2016 at 12:13 pm
Your home is gorgeous. I love the cloches and the little jars with Santa. I say Im going to make them every year but I haven’t made them yet…. maybe next year. I love all of your vintage red and green. Those are my favorite holiday colors.
December 10th, 2016 at 1:12 pm
I love all your sweet Christmas touches. The typewriter with the nice and naughty list is my favorite! Merry CHristmas!
December 12th, 2016 at 6:28 pm
Mine too, Leanne! ?
December 10th, 2016 at 2:48 pm
Great tips and beautiful home, Amy! Pinning!
December 11th, 2016 at 7:04 pm
Love all of your festive touches! And all of your pillows are so festive, love the one with the mittens! I have that same red ceramic truck, it’s so fun!
December 12th, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Thank you, Meg! It’s a fun time of year to decorate for, isn’t it?
December 11th, 2016 at 9:38 pm
Your holiday decorations are beautiful, Amy! I also prefer to start from a clean slate, and I love your tip about giving away a few unused decorations each year!
December 12th, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Thank you, Emily! I always have decorations to donate. They seem to multiply every year!
December 12th, 2016 at 1:56 am
Such great tips Amy. Christmas decorating can get very overwhelming to do the whole house. I did our downstairs and a tree in the kids room because I realized I just couldn’t do it all!!
December 12th, 2016 at 12:55 pm
Less is sometimes more, isn’t it?
December 12th, 2016 at 4:25 pm
Amy, I love your style so much! Very fresh and inviting. I totally want to sit down with a cup of hot chocolate. Just beautiful! Merry Christmas!
December 12th, 2016 at 6:25 pm
Thank you, Michelle, for your sweet words! Merry Christmas!
December 12th, 2016 at 4:50 pm
Everything looks beautiful! Your naughty or nice list is my favorite! I’m with you, I have to pack up my normal decor before I can even think about my Christmas stuff. 😉
December 12th, 2016 at 6:25 pm
Yes! Otherwise I’m totally overwhelmed!
December 12th, 2016 at 6:04 pm
After checking out your post I realized I need more throw pillows in my life! haha! Everything looks great (as always!). So glad you joined us. Pinned and shared! xo
December 12th, 2016 at 6:23 pm
My philosophy on throw pillows is more is better! ?
December 13th, 2016 at 9:52 am
I agree about cleaning up first! It’s much more fun to decorate when things already look decent, than having a giant mess to work around. Plus, once it’s all done it feels sooooo good to just relax! I love how you decorated your home.
December 14th, 2016 at 11:43 am
Thank you so much, Sarah! I get totally overwhelmed otherwise. 🙂
December 14th, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Oh Amy I looove those wood chairs with the metal frames! So pretty! Your home is lovely and looks beautiful decorated for the Holidays. Have a Merry Christmas!
December 16th, 2016 at 7:36 am
Thank you so much, Lisa!
December 15th, 2016 at 10:12 am
I LOVE your black and white pillows! So neutral but yet so comfy and cozy!
December 16th, 2016 at 7:33 am
Thank you Amanda! They are my new favorite pillow obsession!