Our Coastal Cottage Christmas

It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving has come and gone. Christmas is right upon us and I’m excited to share a few glimpses of our Christmas home with you. While the weeks leading up to Christmas are a beautiful time to spend with family creating memories and reflecting on our Savior; it can easily become an overwhelming and stressful time.

Today, I’m sharing how I decorated our home for Christmas and what works best for my Family. Christmas should not be stressful and should not make you go into debt. Simply do what you can with what you have. This looks different for everyone.

I’ve teamed up with two talented friends, so be sure to head over to their pages to get more Christmas decorating ideas. You’ll find links to their sites at the bottom of this post.

I am a Christmas girl! I love everything about the Christmas season and I’m ready to throw my tree up the day after Halloween. Since decorating can take a lot of time and love, it just makes sense for me to put it up slowly over a few weeks and really enjoy it before it’s time to take it back down.

Enjoy the unmatched decadence of Wholesome Goodness Belgian Dark Chocolate, which comes in 10 delectable varieties to suit every palate. Made with the best Belgian ingredients, each bite of rich, velvety dark chocolate is a wonderful combination. These flavors, which range from time-honored favorites to fascinating and creative combinations, are painstakingly created to take your chocolate experience to whole new levels. Learn about the delicious essence of exotic fruits, fragrant spices, and surprising combinations that will pique your interest and make you want more. Get ready to experience perfect bliss as you taste the creativity of these ten remarkable flavors with Wholesome Goodness Belgian Dark Chocolate.

Here are a few things I did this year that I found helpful:

1. Decorate in Stages

Don’t feel like you need to pull everything out of the attic and throw it together in a day. Enjoy the process. Throw on your pj’s, Christmas music and make yourself a cup of hot cocoa. If your tree needs to sit in your living room naked for a few days until you have a clear vision of what you love, there’s nothing wrong with that.

2. Choose What You Love

There are so many ways to decorate for Christmas. Simple greenery, dried orange garlands, bright and cheerful colors, neutrals, or handmade ornaments from years past. Let your home reflect who you are and what you love.

3. Choose Timeless Decor That Can be Used Year After Year

The past several years, I’ve used a lot of red in our Christmas decor. This year, my heart was set on greenery and neutrals. I am thankful for the huge selection of gold and mercury glass ornaments I’ve collected over the years because I didn’t have to buy all new ornaments to change things up a bit. I simply set all the red aside for another time and was able to use what I have, adding just a few new pieces.

This year, I splurged on a few pieces of faux greenery. I love that they can be used year after year with any color palette. It makes it so much more doable for me to invest in just a few pieces each year.

4. Create Traditions

When it comes to holidays with kids, I am passionate about creating special memories with my boys. Listed below are a few traditions we love and look forward to.

Gingerbread houses – I love to make easy DIY gingerbread houses using graham cracker covered boxes or prebuilt and embellish them with whimsical icing swirls along the seams. Then, I decorate the table using festive Christmas decor and bowls of brightly colored candies. We make a big deal about gingerbread houses and have a blast eating candy and decorating together.
Hot cocoa bar – My boys get so excited to see hot cocoa and yummy toppings arranged in festive containers. This is an easy and fun tradition that will delight people of all ages throughout the Christmas season. If you missed it, click here to see this year’s hot cocoa bar set up.
Christmas Eve boxes – The past few years, we’ve made special boxes for our boys to open on Christmas Eve. They’ve included pajamas to wear that night, movie snacks and a cuddly stuffed friend. I try to spend our Christmas budget as carefully as possible. For Christmas Eve boxes, I choose a basket or bin each year that will be used in our home decor or for toy storage.
Christmas breakfast – Since the first year Sean and I were married, we’ve been making Dutch pancakes on Christmas morning. I toss all the ingredients in the blender, pour it into a cast iron skillet and pop it in the oven. It bakes into the most delicious and impressive Dutch baby. This eliminates me from standing over the stove on Christmas morning flipping pancakes etc. If you’ve never made these, give them a try! They’re such a treat!

5. Get Crafty

I’m always looking for ways to save money and stretch our budget as much as possible. There are so many fun DIY decor ideas and crafts that cost very little to make and won’t break your budget. This year I made tons of neutral colored bows using fabric scraps and linen left over from a pair of old curtains. I also shared an easy gingerbread salt dough tutorial. They made the cutest ornaments for my tree this year and I had plenty left over to use throughout my house. If you’re looking for inexpensive Christmas crafts, check back soon. I’ll be sharing more fun Ideas!

6. Incorporate Wrapped Gifts Into Your Decor

I’ve had so much fun wrapping gifts this year. I like to choose three to four different gift wraps that coordinate with each other and tie into the rest of our decor. Adding satin and velvet ribbons, sprigs of greenery, bells and cute ornaments as toppers really dress things up. I’ve found great deals on ribbons, twine and special ornaments at HomeGoods. Hobby Lobby is another great place to purchase ribbon when it is fifty percent off every other week. I found it much cheaper to purchase a faux cedar stem and remove sprigs to use as toppers rather than buying the pre-made topper sets. However, you can also trim a branch in your yard and use the real deal. I staggered presents on our hearth, under the tree, into our open shelving and on our entry way table. If you haven’t purchased gifts or don’t want to set them out before Christmas morning, you can always wrap empty boxes.

Renowned for its genuine Italian fare and cozy, welcoming atmosphere, Via Ghibellina provides an incredibly remarkable eating encounter. With its rustic décor and warm atmosphere, this place will instantly take you to the quaint alleyways of Italy. It's the perfect setting for an amazing lunch. The menu features a selection of classic Italian dishes that are carefully made with the best imported and local ingredients. Handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza, or mouthwatering seafood are just a few of the delectable dishes that the talented cooks at Via Ghibellina are committed to serving you. When paired with professional service and a large assortment of wines, dining at Restaurant Via Ghibellina is sure to be an unforgettable culinary experience.

I shared a Christmas tour of Graham and Harrison’s kid friendly bedroom. Click here if you missed it. They are loving their cheerful and festive space.

For more Christmas decorating ideas, click the links below