Welcome back to my seasonal series designed to help you ENJOY the holiday season and minimize stress! 

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Over the past three weeks we’ve covered:

1. Clearing things out to make room for gifts that will be coming into the house; 
2. Planning things out, like appointments, reservations, and gift tracking; and
3. Tips for taking great DIY holiday photos for cards and everyday life!

This week we’re focusing on finding joy in the holiday decorating process, and I’m sharing some of my colorful Christmas decor to help illustrate how I did just that, despite all the extra work it created during a time of year that’s already jam packed! 

I have a confession to make – I really dislike putting up and decorating the Christmas tree.  I know it probably sounds crazy, but I always get hot, dizzy from winding lights around the tree, and generally become CRABBY.  Aside from seeing some special ornaments, like this DIY Memorial Ornament in honor of my dad who passed away in 2015, I think I could do without having a Christmas tree! 

In order to transform decorating the tree from a chore to a wonderful experience, I put myself in my kids’ shoes and think about how important it is to them.  (My cute new tree skirt helps, too.)  I know it’s important because they get so excited to decorate the tree every year, and it is something they really look forward to.

FIRST TIP: Putting myself in others’ shoes is the KEY to being joyful despite having to do something I don’t really love.  Maybe there are things you don’t love about the holiday season that sap your joy.  See if you can find a way to change your perspective.  It might make a world of difference for you and those around you!  

SECOND TIP: Use what you have, but change things up once in a while!  You can use the same decorations you already have, but change up their look by putting them in different places or giving them minor facelifts!  For example, I’ve used the same trees on my mantel for YEARS (see them on the hearth last year, and in the same spot as this year back in 2013), but this year, they got a new look!  I wrapped the bottoms with colorful fabric and cut off their berries and pinecone accents to give them a less rustic look.  

The same is true for the books on the mantel.  They’re pretty much always up there giving items an extra boost, but for this mantel I wrapped them in adorable scrapbook paper for an extra festive touch.  

THIRD TIP: Decorate in a way that makes YOU happy!  You don’t have to decorate the way everyone on Pinterest is decorating.  Use decor pieces that make YOU happy!  The little 1960’s “Electrified Village” was a weird find at Goodwill, but it made me squeal with excitement when I found it!  

And the colorful pom pom garland and pom pom wreath made me smile and were exactly the handcrafted look I love in my home and wanted to achieve with my Christmas decor.  

FOURTH TIP: Take the sentimental route.  Finally, one of the best ways to find joy in the Christmas decorating process is to cherish those special pieces that you only get to see for a brief time each year.  I already showed you the special memorial ornament for my dad, but my newest sentimental piece is this vintage ceramic Christmas tree that my Grandma passed down to me.  

It is so special to me and I am honored that she gave it to me!  These pieces, plus other special ones from my kids over the years, are the best part of Christmas decorating and help make the season so special.

If Christmas decorating makes you feel stressed, take a breath and think about ALL the reasons you’re doing it.  Realizing that there’s more to it than dragging boxes and more boxes out of storage (only to put them away again in about a month), will help you feel less stress and get the most out of your Christmas decorating from now on.  

Do you have any tips to add for minimizing the stress that holiday decorating can cause?  Let me know in the comments!  

Now, get to work decking those halls!

-Bre

Today’s post is making me feel like Oprah.  Not because I have bajillions of dollars or celebrity influence of any kind, but because I’m giving you a peek into my absolute favorite products of 2018 – all of which I think will make amazing holiday gifts for people on your list! 

My Favorite Things Gift Guide makes me feel so happy because these items are ALL things that I own or have purchased for others, and are ALL things that I love!  I feel 100% confident recommending them to you.  They all make perfect gifts. And, I’ve teamed up with some blogging buddies to share their favorite things gift guides, too!  You’ll find links to their wish lists at the bottom of this post, with thanks to Knock It Off Kim for hosting!  

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Okay, so here goes – my favorite things of 2018!

Nutri-Bullet High-Speed Nutrition Blender System

The Nutri-Bullet is my absolute favorite way to get good nutrition into my system.  It makes it so so so easy to whip up delicious fruit and vegetable smoothies, which I love drinking for lunch.  I pop spinach, banana, various fruits and/or seeds, and water into my Nutri-Bullet and have a tasty lunch in no time.  It’s super easy to clean, too, and makes “eating” fruits and veggies a lot easier for me.  

Women’s Suede Pom Pom Slippers

These suede slippers are like a dream with their suede upper and faux fur lining inside.  My favorite part is the hard-sole bottom, so I can take Jasper the dog out in the morning while still wearing them, and, of course, the pom pom detailing!  I am a total sucker for pom poms.  

Ryobi Cordless Glue Gun

Having a cordless glue gun is a game changer, and having one that gets super hot and bonds all the things is even better!  I adore my cordless glue gun from Ryobi and think it’s the best one on the market.  I’ve used other cordless glue guns and they’re all wimpy.  Don’t be a wimp.  

Nixplay WiFi Digital Frame

This isn’t your grandma’s digital frame, friends!  (Although it does make an amazing gift for grandma!)  This frame lets specified users email photos directly to the frame and it automatically updates.  With a built-in motion sensor, the frame turns on when it senses movement, and all new photos are automatically uploaded and displayed.  We gave this amazing frame to my grandma for her 90th birthday and she LOVES it!  Family from all over the country send new photos and her frame is constantly being updated.  This is a definite hit!  

Magnolia Table Cookbook

I do not enjoy cooking, but something about this cookbook makes it a little more fun.  Every recipe I have made turned out fantastic, and my family LOVES when I cook from this book.  The stories Joanna Gaines has woven throughout the recipes make it extra special to work from.  It’s filled with practical recipes that span breakfast to dessert, and I just love it so much that it sits on my counter every day.

  

 

Instant Pot

Since I’m not a fan of cooking, I’m constantly looking for ways to shorten my time in the kitchen.  The Instant Pot has done just that for me.  Although there’s somewhat of a learning curve that comes with it, once you get the hang of this device that speed cooks (as well as slow cooks, sautees, and more), you will love it!  It is really convenient and consistent and I am so happy to have it in my kitchen arsenal.

Lively Floral Water Bottle

I’ve been traveling a lot more this year thanks to a busier work schedule, and my reusable water bottle is a must wherever I go!  Staying hydrated makes me feel so much better when flying, and Rifle Paper Co. patterns make me happy.  This water bottle is a winner for sure!  

Leopard & Stripe Long Sleeve T-Shirt

I call this shirt my “mullet shirt” because it’s business in the front (with the stripes), and party in the back (with the leopard).  Such a fun combination!  This shirt makes me happy every time I put it on.

Accu-Cut Circular Saw Track

Prior to owning this saw track, every time I used my circular saw, the cuts would be wonky and unprofessional looking.  This amazing device solves that problem keeps the saw cutting straight.  It is a great buy for any person who loves DIY projects!

For the Kiddos: Design Your Dream Room activity book

My eight-year-old daughter enjoys watching HGTV and looking at my home decor magazines, so I bought her this activity book, which lets her punch out paper pieces and design rooms with them.  She LOVES it!  It has been such a great addition to our screen-free activity arsenal and would make a great gift for any child with a creative interest.  

For the Kiddos: LEGO Chain Reactions Book

At the same time I bought my daughter the interior design book above, I bought my six-year-old son this LEGO Chain Reactions book.  It lets him use the LEGOs he already has to create amazing contraptions.  Some of the projects are a little advanced for his age, but kids six and older who are into LEGOs will love this creative book!

I hope these favorite things of mine from 2018 give you some help with your holiday shopping list!  For even more great ideas, make sure to pop over to my friends’ favorite things posts, too!  I think you’ll love their ideas as well!

*****

These days it’s almost unheard of to send a holiday card that is not a family photo, whatever your family consists of.  Whether it’s a whole group of people, just you, or your best furry friend, the holidays are a time to re-connect and share a snapshot of you and/or your loved ones with others!  And with the photography tools available to ALL of us these days, it’s so easy to take great looking photos for your holiday cards. 

For this week’s edition of More Merry, Less Stress (your stress-free holiday action plan), I’m giving you tips for taking great DIY Christmas Card Photos on your own, without hiring a professional photographer!  (And guess what – these tips will work for ANY family photos you want to take in the future; not just holiday card photos!)  And your task for the holiday action plan, week 3, is to take your photos and order (or buy) your cards. 

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

DIY Holiday Card Photo Tip 1: Plan Ahead

Instead of snapping a picture of your family in front of whatever random background is in the location you’re at, spend 10 minutes planning ahead and the results will be worth it! 

First up, plan the location of the photo.  If you have time to go to a location with pretty scenery, you’ll instantly upgrade your holiday photo game.  Whether it’s a hotel lobby with pretty Christmas trees or the woods with natural scenery, plopping your people in a scenic spot will help your photo tremendously.  

Next, think about whether you want or need any “props” for your photos.  If you’re going to the woods, for example, maybe you should bring a blanket for everyone to sit on.  If you’re taking the photo in your living room, do you want to add in a cute holiday pillow to make the photo more festive?  Take a look at this amazing Pinterest board for lots of great prop and pose ideas.

Finally, if possible, plan the outfits your family will be wearing in the photo to avoid clashing colors, graphic or “message” t-shirts, etc.  You don’t want to look unnatural with overly matching looks, but coordinating colors goes a long way for a professional-looking photo.

DIY Holiday Card Photo Tip 2: Get Them Smiling

When it comes to taking a holiday photo of a group, you’re almost guaranteed to get someone who doesn’t want to cooperate – especially a child or a pet.  Bring some treats along with you to help soften any attitude.  

Another great tip to get a really natural look in photos is to say something that makes the people being photographed laugh.  I often tell my kids that they can say a “bad” word they’re not allowed to say (before you jump on me in the comments, these “bad” words are things like “butt” and “fart.”  Not really the bad words you might be thinking of.)  This makes them crack up and I get awesome, natural faces in our photos instead of cheesy, faked smiles!

DIY Holiday Card Photo Tip 3: Technology is On Your Side

Thanks to smartphones, it is SO much easier to take a great holiday photo these days.  These tiny devices can take such nice photos, especially if you know how to use some of the most basic features that are built right in!  Brush up on camera skills for your particular phone with a quick Google search.  You’re bound to find tutorials that will teach you things about your phone’s camera that you didn’t know before, like how to brighten the image before even taking it and how to set the timer for a group shot.

Add-on accessories for smartphone cameras can also be very useful – especially when taking group photos that you want to be part of!  I love my phone tripod and remote control, which lets me set up my phone as a camera anywhere and snap the photo wirelessly when we’re all in place.  It makes taking family photos so much easier!  

And if you’re going for super high-quality, pull out the trusty old camera to take even sharper images.  Just make sure to minimize use of the built-in flash and use natural lighting instead.  That always leads to a better image!

DIY Holiday Card Photo Tip 4:  Edit, Edit, Edit!

Finally, the best thing you can do for your DIY holiday card photos is edit them before printing!  The good news is that you don’t even need an expensive editing program to do it.  While I use Adobe Lightroom for editing my blog photos, there are awesome online programs that you can use, too!  PicMonkey is my personal favorite.  There is a free 7-day trial, and a monthly membership option after that (currently $9.99 per month).  Or, you can download their app for your phone for free and edit that way!  The app is a little trickier to use and does not have as many features as the desktop/web version, but it still works well.  

Here’s a quick tutorial of how to use PicMonkey to take your photos from OK to awesome!  You’ll see me edit a photo of my kids in under four minutes.

If you don’t want to use an external editing program, use the editing tools built in on your phone or computer.  You can’t edit as much, but something is better than nothing!

Use the editing tools to do things like crop the photo to a good proportion, brighten the photo, enhance the colors, smooth away stray hairs, etc.  Simple fixes like that will make a world of difference in your pictures!

Now that you have all these great tips for taking a wonderful holiday card photo, get out there and do it.  Then make sure to order your cards or print your photos to add into your cards.  That’s your task for this week’s More Merry, Less Stress Holiday Action Plan. 

Do you have any DIY holiday photo tips to share?  Make sure to share them in the comments below!

-Bre

Welcome back to my seasonal series designed to help you enjoy the holidays as stress-free as possible: The More Merry, Less Stress holiday action plan!  Last week (our first week!), I explained the reasoning behind this series and gave you an easy-to-accomplish organizing task that will serve you well once presents begin arriving in your home!  No worries if you haven’t done step one – there’s still time!

To give you a quick look at where we’re heading with this stress-free action plan, here’s the roadmap for the series:

• Week 1:  Clear It Out (VIEW THE POST HERE)
• Week 2: Spreadsheets, Lists, or Apps – Oh My! (this week’s post!)
• Week 3:  Picture This
• Week 4: Simplify the Decorating
• Week 5:  Gettin’ Crafty With It
• Week 6:  Wait a Minute, Mr. Postman
• Week 7:  Shake, Rattle and Roll

Make sure you’re on my email list so you get notifications of these new posts as they’re released! 

While last week’s task probably didn’t put you into the holiday spirit, this week’s tasks will have you thinking more about what’s to come!  So without further ado, let me present to you the SECOND action in our More Merry, Less Stress holiday action plan:

Spreadsheets, Lists, or Apps, Oh My!

Here, my friends, is where we start to get ourselves booked, committed, and organized in a way that helps us feel in control of all of the moving parts the holidays bring!

First up this week . . .

Please sit down with a piece of paper (or the note function in your phone, or an app like Wunderlist if you’re tech savvy like that (note: it’s the only list-keeping and reminder app I use.  I highly recommend it!)), and list the appointments and reservations you need to make to be ready for the holidays.  Here are the types of things I’m talking about:

• Grooming appointments for the family – hair, nails, makeup, etc.
• Travel reservations – airfare, a rental car, hotels, etc.
• Pet boarding or pet babysitting reservations 
• Restaurants and/or catering 
• Special event reservations and tickets 
• Babysitting for your child(ren)
• Days needed off work
• Housecleaning services

Once you have your list, schedule these appointments, make these reservations, and/or ask for this time off, and make sure to write all the dates and times down or put them in your electronic calendar.   

Getting this done sooner rather than later will help you have a good vision of your holiday season.  Plus, you won’t be scrambling to get appointments or reservations at the last minute and settling for less-than-ideal times, locations, or service providers.

Once you’ve finished that . . . 

Move along to the second part of this week’s plan, which is getting your gift giving strategy in check!  Shopping for many people can be an overwhelming task in and of itself, but if you’re not keeping track of what you need to buy or have bought, it can become a total disaster in no time, leading to over-spending, last minute rushed shopping, and/or forgotten purchases.

Obviously you can keep track of this type of information in a small notebook in your purse or a list of paper in your wallet.  You may also consider using an app on your phone to help you track your purchases.  That’s what I did in past years, and while the app I used is no longer available, there are lots of similar apps to choose from, and many of them are free to download.  Some you might consider are Santa’s Bag or The Christmas List.  

If you don’t want to add another app to your phone, I have another solution for you, too!  The gift tracking strategy I’m using this year is a customized spreadsheet tracker I created in Google Sheets, and I’m sharing it with you for free.  You can add or remove columns as you wish, add sheets to segment groups of people for whom you’re buying gifts, and more!  The beauty of using this sheet (or one you make on your own), is that you can enter the information on your computer or on your phone (if you’ve downloaded the Google Sheets app).  It’s also easily shareable, so if you’re collaborating on gift purchasing with someone else, this makes it a breeze.

To download your own copy, you’ll need to make sure you have a Google account.  Log in and CLICK THIS LINK.  You’ll see this window pop open, and then click the “Make a copy” button in blue.  

Once you click that button, the Holiday Gift Tracker will be added to your Google Sheets account, and you can begin filling it in however you like!  It will not be visible to me or anyone else – you will be the only one who can see it!  

Good luck getting yourself organized this week.  Just remember it’s all about More Merry, Less Stress. 

Stay on top of things and you’ll be feeling so good come Christmas day!  I’ll see you here next week with week three of your stress-free action plan!

-Bre

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