The holidays are supposed to be jolly, and this year is going to be freaking jolly. We're doing things differently this year. It's going to be great.
Being jolly includes decorating with lots of Christmas lights, keeping things low-stress because there are no rules, and just enjoying all the little bits. That's what I decided for this year. We forget that the holidays are all about those little bits. We get so wrapped up in the how that we forget about the why.
Anyway. More lights.
I've entirely embraced that only things that bring me happiness and peace are allowed this year. Everything else can fall off a cliff. I'm finding time to finish my shopping and looking forward to a Christmas Day filled with delicious food, my favorite people, and football. I want to bake a cheesecake and maybe some cookies. Maybe cookies.
It's jolly over here, remember?
Candy cane lights. I've already lost one of the stakes and broken a second. Using them anyway.
So, Kiddo No. 1 doesn't live here anymore, which is weird, but it removes the need for me to separate his birthday from Christmas for decorating completely. For the first time in more than a decade, we'll be celebrating Christmas Day at home. Kiddo No. 2 is also a full-fledged teenager, and it's much easier to have still-wonderful but much lower-key Christmases at this phase of life. We're totally doing that.
My new light-up Christmas tree and sign.
I gave myself one of my days off to decorate for Christmas. All the outside and most of the inside got an entire day. I cleaned, set up, and froze my ass off. Anything, aside from the bin downstairs, that wasn't set up didn't get done. I went in with a game plan, and everything was finished with only a few sketchy moments on the ladder. It was a total win.
The tree, all lit up. I have it on the combo light setting... I get a little of everything.
Last year, I got my very first pre-lit fake tree, and I swear I'll absolutely never go back to a real tree. Sorry, not sorry. I bought a candle that makes the house smell like a real tree, and I'm not vacuuming pine needles forever. Have you seen the prices of real trees? I'm good. This is good.
No rule says you have to get a real tree. Are they nice? Sure. Does it fit my "protect your peace at all costs" mindset? Nope. Do what makes you happy. I'll be getting at least one more Christmas tree to add to the indoor fun for next year. I always wanted a pink tree.
This year's Christmas mantel. Lights and those Kiddos. Maybe I'll add some other Christmas stuff, perhaps I won't.
I have a (previously mentioned) bin that still needs to come up that has the tree ornaments, some random Christmas decorations, and lights. I'll give that a night after work to finish up completely. Plus, I have a DIY tree stand/cat bed that I'm making, which might be a terrible idea, but needs to be finished before the ornaments go on.
Do I need a DIY tree stand/cat bed for the Christmas tree? Absolutely not. Am I giddy about making this dumb thing and seeing if it works? Yes. Yes, I am. There will be a post shortly so that you can try your hand at a possibly terrible idea. No gatekeeping here, friends.
This might be the jolliest part of my holiday. If it works, this gets added to the list of fun things to do for Christmas going forward.
This is a terrible picture of what I have going on outside. It's adorable, and I love my little blow-up gnome guy. It makes me happy, and that was the entire point.
For maximum jolly effect, I've also been playing this "holiday" playlist nonstop. It's a great mix of the music I've been playing all the time, with just enough holiday music to remind you it's the holidays. I play music nonstop when I'm home, so this is wonderful.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68rQJX9vh13kNw60RjFcgX?si=TxOY0lBPSEmqu28xORrnWQ
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas, and I hope it's as jolly as it can be.
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