A Great Week of Holiday Tips in Review

Sharing a week of inspiration today from holiday recipes and Christmas decorating that will set you up for great food and festivities. I hope you will be inspired! Hope you love the holiday tips I am sharing…

In case you missed it, the Cinnamon Roll Bites have been a true hit. You can click on the title to take you directly to the recipe. Who knew that Pillsbury had a roll out crescent roll dough that made these so easy to make?

TIP: Pin this recipe to have for a quick brunch during the holidays.

How’s your Thanksgiving Menu coming?

This week I shared a savory Sweet Potato Gratin that my niece made last year for Thanksgiving. We will be cooking together on Wednesday for Thanksgiving and this recipe along with many more favorites will be made or prepped for our Thanksgiving dinner.

TIP: Prep as much food BEFORE Thanksgiving Day to make it easier.

Where’s your frozen turkey right now?

Hope your turkey is thawing in your refrigerator! If it’s not a fresh one, you may want to make sure yours is in the fridge today to get it ready to cook on Thursday!

TIP: Take your frozen turkey out of the freezer NOW to be thawed by Thanksgiving.

My husband will be grilling ours again this year and more safely than last year’s house Thanksgiving experience!

November’s Vue now online and on stands.

If you have been following me long, you will know that I share monthly in the Vue magazine. I’ll be serving the cranberry brie and cinnamon pecans at Thanksgiving dinner. HERE is the link for the recipes!

What type of Christmas decorator are you? BEFORE or AFTER Thanksgiving?

For me, an AFTER Thanksgiving decorator is what I have been. The fall beauty and decor is always a favorite to have for Thanksgiving dinner decorations.

Are you like that?

Or have you had your tree up since the day after Halloween? I have some friends who had everything decorated November 1.

TIP: Research shows that those who decorate for Christmas earlier have more joy during the holidays.

Who knew? That may be the excuse I use to begin earlier than after Thanksgiving this year.

Hope those who have their feet under my table for Thanksgiving dinner don’t mind!

On Tuesday, I’ll be sharing my menu items for Thanksgiving dinner. Hope you will join me for that.

Christmas Inspiration

This week I was a part of 30 bloggers who shared their Christmas inspiration. If you missed it, go back and check out all the links on that post here.

TIP: Christmas Decorating Inspiration from 30 bloggers that you won’t want to miss.

Each day’s group brought new favorites and more inspiration.

To be truthful, the inspiration they shared had me change my mind for this year’s decorating from basic green and red, to metallics, to rustic garden theme, and then just the simplicity and elegance of white with greenery.

Do you do that?

Although there was so much inspiration in each post shared…

Here are just a few of my favorite inspirations from the week:

• Simplicity and elegance of white with greenery.
• These cedar placemats need to join my decorating theme this year.
• Loving this jello mold wreath!
• Cost saving DIY metallics and wood Christmas tips you don’t want to miss.
• In love with this porch.
• Orange slices may make a comeback this year.
• This may be my favorite of all.

But ALL of those bloggers shared something that I loved and inspired me for entertaining or decorating my own home. Hope they inspire you, too.

TIP: Go back through years of Christmas decoration photos to inspire you on what to add and what decorations you have to use.

Do you get overwhelmed by the bins and volumes…even if well organized? I do! Those photos help!

My FAVORITE Christmas decorating tip this week…

This one came from a friend who is simply one of my favorites.

She gave 5 tips on Christmas decorating that were wonderful. Here’s her first tip…

TIP: Remove all fall and everyday decor before you begin Christmas decorating.

I stopped in my tracks. And, as she always does in her genius writing, she made me think.

What a better way to START decorating than with a clean slate.

There are two advantages–

1- only showcasing Christmas decorations shows the focus on those items that you love.

2-then, after Christmas…how better to restore your home decor than with a clean slate?

GENIUS!

Those bins bearing Christmas decorations will simply hold the everyday things until they are switched out after Christmas.

Isn’t that the BEST idea?

If you aren’t following my friend, Heather, please do so now. Here’s the link to that great post.

While you are on her site, why not read more that she has written. Her notes for her daughters speak volumes about her faith and navigating life. They are so wonderful, that I often read them out loud to my husband. I think he loves her writing as much as I do. Her ability to “word smith” captures both of us every time.

My friend, Tracey, shared a great neighborhood gathering. Her great ideas can be found here.

TIP: Ways to Survive the Holidays

is the topic of one of my friend’s Elizabeth’s posts this week. A great reminder for us all on how to remember others and navigate the holidays in a way to bring joy and remove stress. You will want to read her wisdom here.

I hope that this next week will find you counting your many blessings–with hope in your hearts–surrounded by loved family and friends–and enjoying a great Thanksgiving dinner with feet gathered under a table to celebrate life and those things that we are thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!