Winter Decorating Ideas

Oh friends, I was so certain that I would head into the new year with gusto! I was going to have renewed energy and passion and I was going to get.things.done.

Yeah. That’s not exactly how it’s gone down. Instead we’ve had the flu running through our household wiping out everyone in it’s path and while I finally feel like I’m on the other side of it, I still feel like I’m dragging. It ran over me like a mack truck on New Year’s Eve and I was down for the count for several days. This meant that the Christmas decor is just now finally getting put away and I only have the energy to do a little bit at a time.

But, one thing I realized as I lay around like a slug was that no one other than me really cared if it took a few days longer than usual for the house to be put back in order. My sweet family didn’t care, you guys didn’t care, no one was coming over, nothing HAD to be done. I needed to just let it go and focus on getting better.

So, slowly but surely, life has begun to return to normal (whatever that means) and I’ve had little bursts of energy that have allowed me to transition my house from Christmas to a more simple look with touches of winter here and there.

It’s always bittersweet to pack up the holiday decor but there is something so good for the soul having less stuff around the house, don’t you agree?

And, thankfully, my master plan to decorate with more of an emphasis on winter instead of overly Christmas-y paid off and made the transition much easier.

On the mantel, I simply removed all of the greenery across the top and added a large pinecone and a deer antler.

In the urn, I kept the same faux winter greens that were part of my Christmas decor.

The dining room needed no changing at all (all of the praise hands!) and I plan on leaving it just like this until Spring.

The little trees have lights set on a timer and on these dark, winter days, it does my heart good when they come on every evening.

The hot cocoa station remains as well and is still a popular spot in our house.

A bowl of green apples adds a pop of color on the living room coffee table and I couldn’t resist tucking in some little bits of fresh greenery. Just because Christmas is over doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy the smell of pine, right?

A crystal bowl filled with mercury glass ornaments keeps things sparkling on the table in my entry.

And I still have some paperwhites hanging on adding much needed life and freshness to this space.

When I began to strategize about how to make my holiday decor work for me long after the Christmas season, I had no idea that we would all be struck by the flu from hell and I can’t help but think that this is why it’s so important in the first place to plan ahead as much as possible.

Because, there is so much in life that we can’t control which means we need to control the things we can. And simplifying my seasonal decor is definitely something I can control.

Now, I must go because my sweet girl is home again today still not feeling great and we need to just snuggle up and be pitiful together.

I hope all of you are staying healthy and if not that you are getting all of the rest and care you need to get better!