By now the stores are bursting with Christmasy goodness. While this might offend your not-until-after-Thanksgiving sensibilities, it does assist with this week’s mission. Week 6 of Twelve Weeks of a Simple Christmas is all about decorating–that doesn’t mean you have to decorate this week. Heaven knows my husband would keel over dead if I decorated before Thanksgiving weekend. He is barely surviving the Christmas music my kids turn on every time they think he’s out of the trailer or asleep. My man. Grin.
Back to topic–this week’s mission is decorating according to your family’s traditions. If you (like us) are a Thanksgiving weekend decorator, that’s great! If you decorate now, fab! If you decorate on Christmas Eve, that’s fine, too, if it suits your family. Your decorating day(s) should already be on your Christmas calendar.
What you’re really doing this week is getting your decorations ready so the process is simple and fun.
Ideally, you wrote down or took care of any issues after last year’s Christmas, but just in case you didn’t…wink:
A Quick Christmas Decor Checklist:
- Where and when are you cutting your tree? Give a quick call for hours of operation or go out to your back 40 and mark your favorite tree now before it gets coooooolder.
- Is your fake tree good or needing replacement? Replace before decorating day.
- Do your tree lights work? Replace if they’re deader than Jacob Marley.
- How are your outdoor decorations? Do you even want to do outdoor decorations? If you are expanding the collection every year to go for a National Lampoon’s look, add to your stock. (Personally, I’m a red ribbon and cedar bough girl, myself.)
- Do you hang edible decorations on an outdoor tree for all God’s critters? If so, have the supplies on hand (and enough to continue throughout the winter so the critters don’t start depending on the food and then have nothing).
- Are your nativity sets in need of repair?
- Do you string popcorn and cranberries? If so, buy them…and string…and a needle if you don’t have one. Do you hang cookies on the tree? Buy the ingredients. Do you need tinsel? Stock up.
- Do you add an ornament or another collector’s item every year? Get going on this.
- While you’re at it, stock up on cocoa and mallows or apple cider and cinnamon sticks to make your decorating day extra fun.
- Are your surfaces decluttered and clean so you can decorate instead of stash and dash on decorating day? Please gradually declutter as you prepare for Christmas so you can enjoy the holiday instead of stash stuff–ugh, stuff.
- While you wait to decorate for Christmas, get your autumnal or Thanksgiving decorations out, particularly if you are hosting the meal.
When the day comes, decorate! It will be simple and fun since you’re so ultra-prepared.
I know some Christians have an issue with decorating. The Young family’s Christ-Centered Christmas talks about how decorating can be Christ-pleasing.
Accountability Time
Lasts week’s wrapping supplies mission was…well…let’s just say I shopped for wrapping paper, choked on a lung at the price, and didn’t buy it. “Well begun is half done,” says good ol’ Mary Poppins. (By the way, that book is nothing like the movie. Just thought you ought to know.) I don’t really think that’s well begun at all, do you? Boo, me. I did stock up on tape, however. That deserves an extra marshmallow in my cocoa.
For all the Christmas missions so far, click here. For more help in simplifying your holidays, read my book.
How are you doing on your Christmas missions?
