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This year, I was more excited than ever to decorate for Christmas. I think it’s because I’m now seeing the holiday season through my kids’ eyes, and for them, every little bit of this season is exciting and magical! We always put our tree up on the Friday after Thanksgiving and Rory talked about it every single day that week. She then had a ball looking at every ornament and being my helper to get the tree up and looking beautiful. I think we have a Christmas lover on our hands!
Today, let’s take a look at my simple holiday home tour. I say “simple” because I’m not one to buy a ton of new stuff every year to decorate. Instead, I opt for a few new pieces of greenery or fresh pine cones to add a little life here and there. This tour may look similar to my 2020 Christmas tour, but that’s a-okay with me!
Our Holiday Window Box
First, let’s step outside to peek at this year’s holiday window box. I shared my how-to for this little DIY back in this blog post and it’s one of my favorite things to do to kick off my holiday decorating. This year, my mom and I made an afternoon of it and had so much fun creating this gorgeous arrangement.
We found holiday greenery bundles from The Home Depot and we used those along with fresh garland and additional berries, pine cones, and ornaments. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. We always say the more greenery the better, and we just keep sticking it in until it’s full and lush. I then use these solar spotlights to light up the window box at night.
Our Christmas Tree
When we bought this house, I was most excited about displaying a Christmas tree in the front windows. It truly is the perfect spot for a tree and it lights up our entire house at night.
We purchased this tree from Balsam Hill three years ago and it was the best decision ever. The tree looks real and the quality can’t be beat. Their trees are pricey, but worth it!
Our star topper and many of the “fancy” ornaments are from Balsam Hill as well. But then I sprinkle in lots of personalized and family ornaments too! I’ve got hand prints for the kids, a photo ornament for every year, ornaments we purchased on our travels, and many more. It was really fun to look through all of these with Rory as she helped me decorate.
The Entryway & Christmas Card Holder
On our front entry console, I have some garland along with our stockings.
We don’t have a fireplace, so I use these gold clips to keep the stockings in place right there on the console.
I have a few bottle brush trees and a Christmas photo of the kids welcoming guests into our home.
My latest addition is this cute wood holiday house (similar). It’s actually a candle when you take the top off! I purchased a few of these to give as gifts this holiday season.
On the right wall, I have my large chicken wire frame that I use for holiday cards.
I haven’t gotten too many yet, but in a week or two, this frame will be filled to the brim with cards! I found the chicken wire frame at a flea market many years ago and it’s the perfect way to display all of the cards that come in the mail. On top, I display this gorgeous metallic magnolia wreath.
The Living Room
As for the rest of the living room, I like to keep it simple since this is where we play with our kids.
I have more garland on our TV console, along with our framed annual holiday cards. I just ordered this frame to display this year’s photo and I can’t wait for it to arrive.
The Kitchen & Dining Rooms
This is actually the first year that I’ve decorated the kitchen and I didn’t have to do much. I swapped out a few pieces of decor on the shelves to make it a bit more festive.
These red houses (no longer sold) were a steal from Target and they even light up at night.
Here, I have some greenery, a few reindeer, and fragrant pine cones from Trader Joe’s in a thrifted gold bowl.
My favorite piece of decor is the teapot. It was in my childhood home growing up and I always loved playing with it. My mom gave it to me a few years ago and I still adore it. It’s such a special piece.
Finn’s favorite piece is this handmade advent calendar that he had growing up. I hung it down low so Rory and Ellis can play with all of the felt pieces and stick them onto the little Christmas tree. It’s such a fun and interactive piece of decor for them!
Garland Up The Stairs
I took a couple of years off from hanging garland on the banister and I’m so happy that I brought this back. It adds so much life to our stairwell! I used a total of four pieces of garland (these are old, from Hobby Lobby) and hung them directly onto our metal banister, using clear zip ties. I love this view at night when the chandelier is shining!
Small Details For The Kids
Upstairs, I didn’t do too much decorating, besides a few additional Christmas trees for the kids. I have this adorable little tree (similar) in Rory’s room with the cutest little tree skirt (no longer sold) and angel topper (similar). Rory feels very special to have her own tree!
Ellis isn’t quite ready for one in his room, so I added his to their joint bathroom. It’s a nice little holiday touch in the space that they get to look at during bath time and when they brush their teeth.
Our Simple Holiday Home – At Night
I couldn’t help but snap a few more pics of our tree during the evening hours. I love everything all lit up and glowy…
Shop Our Simple Holiday Home Tour
As mentioned, most of my stuff is old and saved from years past. But here are a few items so you can recreate this look in your own home…
Our Christmas Tree // Frame Ornament // 2023 Picture Frame // House Candle (similar) // Chicken Wire Frame (similar) // Metallic Magnolia Wreath // Red Village Houses // Metal Reindeer // Felt Advent Calendar // Holiday Teapot // Sled // Gold Bells (similar) // Fresh Wreath // Stocking
I hope you enjoyed my simple holiday home tour. I didn’t photograph last year’s setup (newborn phase with Ellis!), so it was fun to capture it this year.
Oh, and if you’re still doing some holiday shopping, be sure to check out my gift guide! I’ve purchased lots of gifts from it this year.
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