The fires burn and the kettles sing,
and the earth sinks to rest until next spring.
~ Clyde Watson~
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Warm greetings, lovely readers!
We have made it to the end of October, which also means that today is the final post in my 2024 Autumn Notes from Home series. And I wanted to end this year's series with a little something different. Today, I want to point to all things Christmasy and wintry...with the hopes and dreams and wishes for the coming months and inspire you towards the same.
Christmas is a favorite time of year for me. It holds many, many fond memories for me from my childhood and little girl years, as well as sweet memories of years not too far in the past as well as many hopes and dreams and wishes for Christmases in the future. I believe Christmas to be a magical time and a time to really let your inner child have some fun and delight. It's a time for whimsy and reindeer on the roof and a jolly white bearded man coming down the chimney. It's the time for cookie baking and carol singing and cozying up with hot chocolate in hand as you drive around town to admire the lights and decorations. It's the time for comforting movies and pulling out those old records and of candy canes hanging on the tree and stockings on the mantle. It's a time of peace on earth and goodwill towards others, not forgetting kindness towards ourselves, too. It's the time to believe in those little girl (or little boy) imaginings and knowing they're as real as they were when you were five years old. Christmastime. I just love it so much.
In our home, Christmas begins trickling in around the start of November. I begin playing Christmas songs sometime during the first week or two of the month, and we also start watching Christmas movies then, as well. We decorate our house, inside and out, on the weekend after Thanksgiving. That has been our family tradition as far as I can remember. Today I want to share some thoughts on preparing for Christmas and wintertime.
For we need a little Christmas, right this very minuteCandles in the window, carols at the spinetYes, we need a little Christmas, right this very minuteHasn't snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we're in a hurry
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Preparing for a cozy Christmas...
~ Select a stack of Christmas books that you hope to read during the season. It's especially fun to choose a stack of picture books, as the Christmas stories are so magical and oftentimes have the most gorgeous illustrations.
~ Make a playlist of all your family's favorite Christmas songs. I created a cozy Christmas playlist here if you'd like to check it out for some festive fun music.
~ Make a CD case just for your Christmas CDs...yes, we're old school and still prefer CDs. I love having a designated case just for our Christmas music. It goes from the car to the house regularly and gets used a lot.
~ Make a list of Christmas movies you want to watch during the season.
~ Make a list of all the goodies you want to bake during December.
~ And also, make a list of anyone you want to gift those goodies to, as well as any ingredients and wrapping or packaging supplies you may need to pick up.
~ Give a tidy up to the area where your Christmas tree will go. We have two places in our home that we love putting our Christmas tree and each year, it just depends on what we're feeling for that Christmas. We sometimes need to rearrange or move some furniture as well. Tidying up the space ahead of time makes it a lot easier when we carry our tree in.
~ Make a list of any crafts or projects you want to accomplish during the season. I love doing a little something creative every December, even if it's just adding a few homemade ornaments to our tree.
~ Check your gift-wrapping supply stash and see if you need anything before the stores sell out of everything. We've been reusing the same gift bags for most of my life, but each year we do purchase some new wrapping paper. We also reuse bows and ribbons year after year, but it's nice to get them all organized into a bag or bin. And while we do reuse most of our wrapping supplies year after year, we also find it fun adding a couple of bits each year...nothing too crazy and we do make sure it can be used again and again. Wrapping supplies can get expensive, and it's honestly unnecessary to get rid of most of it each year. Simply reuse what you can. And as a little fun side note, it's really nostalgic and full of happy holiday memories to see the same bags and ribbons each year.
~ Make a meal plan for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ahead of time. In our home, the meals are always the same...for us, it's a beloved tradition. But we do like to make sure we don't forget anything, and we make a big grocery list of ingredients and then collect them throughout the months of November and December, instead of having to purchase a bunch of extra things in one go.
~ Check around your local area and see if there are any fun, festive activities going on that appeal to you. If so, make arrangements to attend...mark your calendar, purchase tickets, make fun plans.
~ Assemble or purchase an Advent calendar for your family. We have bought ones in the past that have those little pieces of chocolate behind doors to be opened each day of December. But, this year, I think we're going to make our own and put our favorite chocolates in to be enjoyed each day. This is fun for any age...at Christmastime, I think it's good and important to remember that you don't stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing. (George Bernard Shaw)
~ In our home, we enjoy and love celebrating the 12 days of Christmas, which take us to January 5th. To make these days special, we choose one special thing to enjoy or do each day. For example, one day we may go to a favorite restaurant or take hot chocolate in the car to drive around and see the lights one last time until next Christmas or we may have a game night and play board games and have a snacky dinner. Most of the things we do don't cost any money...but they're still so much fun. Last year, one of our celebrations was going to the theater and watching the new Wonka movie, which was a blast.
Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.
~ Edith Sitwell~
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Preparing for a cozy wintertime...
~ Select a stack of books that you want to read during the colder months when you may find yourself indoors more often and settling in for earlier evenings. I enjoy choosing a few seasonal books with lots of snowy scenes, cozy vibes, or stories that take place in the wintertime.
~ And regardless of your age, choose some children's books or picture books to enjoy during these months, too. There's nothing as cozy as a really good and beautifully illustrated children's story.
~ Make your home as cozy as possible. I've shared so much about this on my blog, so if you need some inspiration, just have a peek around.
~ Pull out your seasonal mugs and place them in the front of your cupboard so they're easy to grab.
~ And while you're at it, make sure you keep ingredients on hand to make hot chocolate and pull out any seasonal tea blends and flavors. If coffee is your thing, make sure you have things on hand to make your favorite brew.
~ Make a list of recipes and meals that you want to cook for dinner during the colder months. I am never more inspired to cook than when it gets chilly outside and all my favorite things to cook are best during the autumn and winter months.
~ Add a layer to your bed for extra warmth and coziness.
~ Bring out throw blankets to keep on your sofas and chairs so you can easily grab one when you want it.
~ Hang some fairy lights in your home. Add a seasonally scented candle to your home as well. And if you love essential oils like we do, make sure you have warming scents on hand and look up some blends online to try something new.
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That's just some of the ways we prepare for a cozy Christmas and wintertime in our home. I hope it inspired you to do some fun preparation for coziness in your own home. Do let me know some of the ways you enjoy preparing for Christmas and winter!