The season is upon us. Time to hang the lights and trim the tree. I don’t know about you but our neighborhood is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
While I love the decorations and lights, I do have a hard and fast rule to wait until after Thanksgiving to put up the decor. I would like to give Thanksgiving it’s special day with a few extra pumpkins still in place. Having said that, the Friday after Turkey day, I’m pulling boxes out of the attic and the process begins.
I have always liked a more natural look and I buy a real tree and use lots of the left-over branches. Not only does it look beautiful but it’s a good way to help reduce consumption of plastic. Once Christmas is over, you can recycle the tree and branches and add them as mulch to your garden.
Here are a few ways that I like to bring in some natural elements into decor:
Our Christmas Tree
I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas trees. I buy a real tree, white lights, and red, green, and silver/gold ornaments. Although my kids are older now, I still put up their handmade ornaments from their younger days. Those will always have a special place on the tree.
Window Boxes
I have 2 window boxes on the front of our house and fill them with Poinsettias, Dusty Miller, and a Norfolk Pine. Once Christmas is over, I repot these plants in our backyard. The Dusty Miller goes straight into the garden!
Christmas Bells and Fresh Greenery
To dress up the carriage lights by the garage, I bought these red bells from Walmart and dressed them up with some the Christmas tree cuttings that we picked up when we bought the tree. Have a fireplace or a firepit? Add the branches in there after Christmas for a “woodsy” scent.
Garland and The Reason for the Season – Mary, Jospeh, and baby Jesus
On the front entry table, I always put out my ceramic figurine of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. This is the reason for the season, surrounded by garland and lights.
Chandelier with Fresh Greenery and Ornaments
To dress up the chandelier above out table, I again used several branches that we had left over from the Christmas tree cutting. I secured them to the frame of the chandelier and decorated with ornaments and citrus.
These are just a few ways that I like to bring in natural elements into our Christmas decor.
My kids have hit the age where they are no longer trick or treating. They absolutely still want candy, but getting dressed up and knocking on doors in not in our plans this year. So, how can my kids, and my husband and I, still enjoy and partake in the fun that is Halloween? Here are a few ideas:
Pass out the candy: My kids can still get their fill of candy by passing it out to the younger ones. It will be different being on the “other side” this year. I will basically need a bowl for the trick or treaters and one for my kids. Living in Florida, I’ve noticed that, given that the weather is usually conducive to this, most people set up tables in their driveway with the candy and treats. Some BBQ and hang out with neighbors. It becomes a bit of a social event and you get to enjoy a nice evening while handing out the goodies.
Set up a table of “small sips” for the adults: One Halloween, my neighbor set up a table of small shots for the adults while the kids filled their buckets with candy. He offered a choice of whisky or apple cider. I chose the former. Why not? I thought this was a great idea and one that I plan on implementing for my neighbors.
Candy Apple on the Rocks: . Combine 1.5 oz. apple schnapps with 1.5 oz. peach schnapps. Pour over ice and top with 2 oz. of cranberry juice. Easy! If you swap butterscotch schnapps for the peach, it becomes a caramel apple on the rocks.
Witches Brew: This cocktail is made with 2 1/2 oz. of each ingredient, so it couldn’t be easier to put together. Combine Midori melon liqueur with orange juice in a shaker with ice. Shake, pour, and top with any kind of lemon-lime soda.
Volunteer to be a trunk for Trunk or Treat: Many schools and churches offer a Trunk or Treat/ Fall Festival to help celebrate Fall with a not-too-scary option for the little ones. This year we have volunteered to be a “trunk”. Again, the kids can help set up the trunk decorations and pass out candy. This can also engage them to help facilitate games for the kids and to spark their creativity. Our theme this year: Welcome Great Pumpkin (see below).
Candy and Wine pairings: Did someone say chocolate and wine? Absolutely, count me in on this! Two of my favorite things and paired together. Yes, please. Here are some suggestions of good candy and wine pairings that I personally recommend:
Halloween Dinner: I think there are two ways you can go with this:
1. The fun “Halloween Finger Foods” dinner.
Chocolate, Fruit, and Cheese BoardApple Chips, Graveyard Nachos
2. A more elegant, savory, delightfully dark, sit down dinner. Whichever one you choose, set the table to match your theme. And, don’t forget the drinks. Here are some suggestions for both dinner options:
Pumpkin Carving/ Painting Contest: It doesn’t matter how old I get, pumpkin carving is a tradition that will live on for as long as I am able. I thoroughly enjoy carving pumpkins. It allows for some creative expression and they just look so darn cool lit up at night. If you don’t like handling knives and pumpkin guts, then painting pumpkins is just as fun. Here are some links to some creative pumpkin decorating ideas:
Compromised Decorations: While the kids are getting into the seriously scary Halloween decor ( I am not a fan), I decided to scale back on some of the overall decorations this year. Less is more, right? So my kids and I came to a compromise: I decorate the house. They decorate the yard. Needless to say, the yard has hanging ghosts from trees, skeletons coming out of the ground, and spider webs covering tombstones. I stepped back and let the eerie creativity happen. All in all, they didn’t go overboard and it doesn’t look half bad.
On my end, I put out a variety of pumpkins, some pumpkin lights around the door, and some stick-on bats on the garage door. That’s it. Once we add carved, lit pumpkins, the two decorating styles should come together. Until then, this is compromise city.
The Entryway Table
Here are a few links to some Halloween decor items that may not pass my kids idea of decorating, but they certainly pass mine:
