Preparing now means feeling more relaxed closer to Christmas when things will start feeling more hectic, check out our tips to help you set the perfect scene and feel more tranquil in the months to come.
1. Put Up Your Christmas Tree
Decorating and catching glimpses of festive Christmas trees through the windows is absolutely one of our favorite activities every holiday season! Decorating your house is an added bonus but the Christmas Tree is the centrepiece for this festive season. Find out what size of tree best suits your space, fake or real decide on a height that will look good. Then take that ornament box out of storage and sort through which tinsels and balls you want to use and if you need to purchase new ones. We recommend to start searching on Pinterest, you can find tons of beautiful Christmas tree themes that might suit your personality and style. Whether it’s garlands hanging tree bauble sets in different shapes, sizes and designs, opt for Christmas tree decorations that will complement the overall appearance of your tree and your home.
Pro tip: not every tree is perfect, you may see that there are a few gaps with unfilled baubles, so use the open space as a frame for featuring a special or favourite ornament. For the final touch, put some of the presents under the tree it will fill everyone in the family with excitement waiting for the 25th of December !
2. Winter Decorating Your Home
Whether you choose to start winterizing your home in November or December is entirely up to you, but a little preparation is always good. Pick the rooms or places in your house you want to emphasize or what accessories are important to you before getting started, make a list and make it an entire family affair, enjoy every moment of it! First of all, don’t forget to do cleaning and decluttering before you start the festive decorations. It’s easier to deep clean now than when your house is filled with tree and decorations like garlands and lights. Adding decorations does not mean Santa Claus’s on every corner, to keep it chic and matching with your home décor, choose a colour palette first and style that go hand in hand with your existing space. A great place to start adding wintery vibes is your home’s entryway, as soon as you enter your home you are filled with a warm and cosy feeling. For example, add a beautiful DIY Christmas wreath on the front door (get the whole family together one weekend to make them). If you have a staircase, wrap fresh or artificial garlands around the railing and if you don’t you can fix it along any door frame.
We personally love setting the scene for winter with scented candles, place one of the living room’s coffee table and choose a fragrance that reminds of those winter months: cinnamon, clover, pine and cedar for instance. Lastly, for the bedrooms make them extra comfy by draping plush velvet or linen throw over your bed and adding a few throw cushions. For one final touch, hang Personalised Christmas Stockings from the mantle, staircase or windowpanes to include the entire family.
3. Create a Christmas Playlist
Nothing spreads Christmas cheer like classic holiday tunes coming out of your sound system. No matter what genre of music you like, traditional carols or more contemporary Christmas music, hearing “All I want for Christmas is You!” is an instant Christmas spirit uplift! This time of year, allow yourself to really enjoy those favourite songs at home. While you are baking, doing your morning routine or in the evening over a glass of wine, this will put the whole family into the mood of this wonderful festive season. Buy your favourite albums on iTunes or look for those songs on Spotify or YouTube to make your playlist with sounds of the season. We personally love the smooth and warm voice of the Frank Sinatra Christmas Album, cosy vibes guaranteed! To kick start your search we’ve put some ‘not to miss’ songs for you right here: “Have Yourself a Very Little Christmas”, “White Christmas”, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”, and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. Once you are done with the music playlist, we highly recommend moving on to a movie list, re-watching those Christmas Movie classics like Love Actually, The Holiday, Home Alone, we promise it to be a joyful event for the entire household.
4. Plan your gift list
Giving Christmas gifts is a tradition that brings a lot of joy, as much for the receiver as for the giver. Kids usually get toys from “Santa” on Christmas Day, but this season it’s often customary to give presents to everyone you love. As the saying goes, it’s better to give than to receive. Gifts don’t have to be big or expensive. Even giving a chocolate bar, baked goods, or small handmade gifts is welcome, after all it is the thought that counts. Taking the time to find the right gift for the right person is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. Make a list of your family and friends and write down ideas for each of them to ensure that you don’t miss anyone and start brainstorming. A good starting point can be choosing a gift based on the personality or your relationship. For example, if the person is an old friend who recently got married, a set of dinner napkins to fill their home is a really thoughtful gift. For your mom, a special treat for her to relax in with a buttery smooth Silk Kimono. We also love personalized gifts, from monogrammed cushions to toiletry bags with initials, it makes the receiver feel extra special to see their name letter. Start planning, write down, research, and don’t forget anyone this year!
5. Stock up on essentials if you have overnight guests over
The holiday season often means more visitors in your home enjoying the celebration. Don’t be unprepared when it comes to the items needed to entertain your guests. Little things make such a difference to how comfortable you feel when you’re staying away from home. Think about the things you’d like to have if you were the guest then prepare those essentials in your home before welcoming people; perhaps that’s fresh towels, hanging space in the wardrobe or the wi-fi password. It could be as simple as just telling your guests to help themselves to drinks and snacks whenever they need to. Stocking up on their favorite food and snacks will make your guests feel impressed and special by your meticulousness and care. In the bedroom that your guests are staying, make sure you make the bed with fresh sheets and add an extra bed cover in case they get cold at night. Having some travel sized toiletries on hand for overnight guests is a nice touch too to leave in their bathroom. The home comforts really don’t take much time or effort to provide, and if you think about them in advance you’ll also free up more time to enjoy your visitors’ company.
6. Change your Bed for Colder Months
As the weeks pass and we are edging closer to December, time moves forward and with it brings some lower temperatures. The cold is setting in and it’s time to be duvet ready!
Away with thin and light bed sheets from the summer months and welcome that thicker duvet and those comforting blankets. They may well be stashed away in your linen closet from the last winter so make sure you air them out, give them a good shake or for good measure give them a quick wash. If you are planning to upgrade your bed this year, now may be a good time to look into a new set of high quality Cotton Duvet Covers with matching Pillow Shams. You can’t go wrong with crisp white sheets to complement your room for all seasons, but to add that winter touch, don’t be afraid to add colour with a warm toned linen bed cover for example.
Pro Tip: to make your bed look cosy and wintery we recommend layering your bed, this means keep your standard set of pillows, duvets and fitted sheet but add those beautiful decorative cushions, that plush bed throw to create a full look!
At this point, your home is well-prepared for the holiday. It’s time to exchange presents, sing Christmas tunes, and spend time with friends, family, and loved ones.
