It only took me a week to get the house ready for Christmas this year! Granted I'm forty weeks pregnant, and granted part of "getting the house ready" included painting the fireplace black (more on that later)……but it feels extra cozy in our house these days and I'm looking forward to snuggling with my newborn in it. When it comes to Christmas decorations, I tend to go the simple and classic route. Growing up, one of my favorite parts of getting ready for Christmas was getting out all the old ornaments and decorations that had years of memories attached to them. I think if I went a more modern route with Christmas decor, it would only last a few years before I grew sick of it. So here is what Christmas in our house looks like this year, and I will be taking a break until after the holidays to spend quality time with my soon-to-be family of four. Merry Christmas! 

Another shot of this DIY advent calendar (and free printable) I made last year…..

Here you can get a peek at our newly painted black fireplace and the pinecone garland I made this year (from pinecones I half-dipped in gold paint a couple years ago).

Not pictured, but another favorite Christmas DIY from a couple years ago are these sleigh bells. Merry Christmas, see you in the New Year!

When it comes to gifting for friends and family, I usually try to buy something that they would never buy for themselves. I love the chance to spend the time thinking about each individual on my list and how to show my love and appreciation for them. While most of us girls can justify buying an occasional new top for ourselves, here are some ideas I think most of us are more likely to admire from afar: 

I've gone back and forth with doing a gift guide this year. I've been particularly annoyed with the amount of emails (thirty-five one morning!) I've been getting this year from stores vying for my attention. On one hand, I try to steer clear of focusing too much on all the shopping hype….and there's so many great gift guides floating around already, and yet on the other I love putting thought into gifts for the ones I love.  We tend to be pretty minimal in our house…so when we do buy a gift for R (Christmas and birthday), I put a lot of thought into it. Here are some ideas that are either already big hits in our home, or ones that I'm very certain she would love: