If we’re driving around at night and spot a house or yard covered in Christmas lights, one thing is guaranteed: a tiny two-year-old voice will shout from the back seat, “It’s Christmastime!” It’s funny and endearing, and it often happens a dozen times in a single minute. Even after the fifteenth proclamation we still cheer and laugh. The holiday season has officially arrived at our house. I usually resist pulling the decorations out for a bit, but once the urge hits I can’t wait—I go from “almost ready” to “ridiculously festive” in a matter of days. And yes, I find myself shouting, “It’s CHRISTMASTIME!”
Here’s a tour of our home decked out for the holidays. Our living room tree looks wonderful from the kitchen now that we opened up and remodeled the space. The view from the kitchen into the living room is one of my favorite parts of the renovation—what used to be a wall and a wet bar is now an open, connected area that makes the tree feel like part of the whole room.
Sometimes I’ll sit at the island and just stare at the tree like a goon. Guilty as charged. The living room is full of ornaments collected over the years—kid-made treasures like popsicle stick reindeer and paper bells hang alongside old family keepsakes and a few handmade ornaments I made during our first house years. The mix is eclectic and meaningful: chihuahuas, initials, tiny red bikes, and even a feather-filled ornament and a snow-capped creation from earlier DIY days.
Our tree is far from a themed showpiece—now it’s a memory tree, covered in things from childhood, school projects, sentimental discoveries and odd little finds from trips and thrift stores. I even have silhouette ornaments and tiny traced hand prints made when the kids were small. Those ornaments are the kind I want to see every year because they tell a story.
Next to the fireplace we keep a thrifted birdcage that I fill with faux presents. It’s a silly touch that makes us laugh every time—we used to stack those things on the mantel and then I turned them into a little vignette behind bars. The stocking situation is simple: one stocking for each child and a big gift bag for the dog. We don’t do big stocking exchanges among adults, and the kids usually get a few small surprises tucked inside.
When the tree fills the corner the armchair simply shifts over in front of the built-ins. It becomes a cozy little reading spot, and I sometimes entertain the idea of adding a second chair so the seat could remain year-round. For now I’m keeping it simple and lazy: one chair that moves when the tree goes up.
The built-in shelves are where my miniature holiday collection lives. I made glass boxes filled with faux snow and tiny ceramic dogs and trees a while back, and my mom recently passed down small angel and Santa figurines from her collection. Placing these fragile pieces on higher shelves keeps them safe while still letting us enjoy the holiday charm.
I also added holiday touches to the kitchen shelves—small white ceramic houses, a bowl of ornaments, and a framed print torn from a magazine that captures the cozy vibe of the season. On the stove and counters you’ll find a few wood and bottle brush trees, more ornaments in bowls (this has become a signature move), and green cloth napkins to bring in color.
I like a touch of cheer in the foyer, but this year I kept it simple: a white feather tree and a pair of red rubber boots filled with faux evergreen sprigs. They used to live on the porch, but placing them by the door lets me grinningly enjoy them every time I come and go. The paper flowers on the console were bought from a local craft fair and add a delicate, maintenance-free accent that the kids haven’t managed to crush—yet.
We drape faux greenery down the stair railing each year. It’s a little effort—there are cable ties involved under the ribbon—but once it’s up it feels festive every time you reach the top of the stairs and see it in view.
Each child has a small tree in their room, too. We picked up a tiny tree for our daughter last year so she’d have one that’s all her own; it lives in a hand-painted basket that tucks neatly into the corner and is decorated with felt ornaments she helped choose. This year we also added a mini tree to the bonus room, placed in front of a window between built-in shelves. It glows from the hallway and even shows through to the driveway, so we get little glimpses of holiday light from different angles outside the house.
Outside we keep things fairly simple: red lanterns with lights on the steps, a magnolia wreath on the front door, and just a few well-placed accents instead of going overboard. We opted not to hang a wreath on every window this year since our new landscape lighting already provides a warm glow at night. On the back porch we hung Moravian star lights, which are one of my favorite decorations because they’re special-looking yet timeless. They’re easy to rig with a few cup hooks and an outlet, and they add instant charm.
All in all, we are completely finished decorating and utterly enthusiastic about it—think Will Ferrell in Elf-level excitement. IT’S CHRISTMASTIME!!!
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