Happy December: Tips for the holiday season

Happy December, Everyone! It's officially the holiday season aka the greatest time of year! I love the holidays, it is a time to spend with family, friends, and to enjoy the seasonal activities that I crave. Since it is December 1st, I thought I'd create a list of tips to have a successful holiday season! I'll be sharing some of my go to tips on shopping for presents, decorating, party hacks, holiday activities, and insta-worthy pictures to post during this great season! So light those holiday scented candles, turn on your fave Christmas tunes, and sip some hot cocoa, 'cause I've got some great holiday tips you need to know! ENJOY!

Decor:

Let's start with decorating! I love decorating my home for Christmas! In my family, the tradition is we start decorating the friday after Thanksgiving. Some years, we spend that day shopping, because its black friday, but to be honest, I am kind of over that hype! Anyway, I usually help my mom out to decorate our tree, the mantle above the fireplace, and the staircase. Of course, we add other holiday touches around the rest of the house, but those are our bigger attention grabbing areas. I love having a big and tall Christmas tree. We have tons of ornaments both sentimental and statement. I also add a few holiday touches in my bedroom. I have a small silver tinsel tree that I put up, just to create a holiday vibe. Then I have a ceramic decorative piece I like to put out and I love putting different holiday quotes on my lightbox too!

Important things to keep in mind while decorating is to stay organized. Label boxes and keep everything in the same area for storage. Start with your bigger projects and work your way to smaller, finishing touches. In need of inspo? Always check out Pinterest for some new decorating ideas! And shopping for Christmas decor can be fun too. Places like Target, Homegoods, and TJ Maxx have great holiday pieces!

 Insta-Worthy Pictures:

Above are some Instagram pictures I posted during the holidays last year. A big part of my holiday season is sharing with my friends and family what I am doing during the season. Whether it's attending holiday parties, drinking a tea from Starbucks, going to tree lightings, or decorating my tree, I love creating a consistent theme on my feed. I love doing things that I can have fun with but also share on social media. 

Party Hacks:

So I have a few Ugly Christmas Sweater parties to attend this season, and I am so excited! But it can get costly. Last year, I had to purchase an ugly Christmas sweater, so this year I am going to use the same one, but tweak it a bit. Adding bells, pom noms, tinsel, and other fun things can make for a whole new look, plus it can add more ugliness to it! But I also bought a really awesome sweater at target for another party, which I can't wait to wear!! You can find ugly sweaters anywhere, especially because themed parties are becoming so popular. Target has a bunch, even Walmart, Amazon, Macy's, and Kohl's. 

Planning a holiday themed party? Me too! Here are some tips that can be quite helpful during the process. First off, start with a perfect theme! Like Ugly Sweater, Pajama Party, Holiday Brunch. Then, browse through Pinterest for ideas, this is super helpful for ideas on what to make, how to decorate, etc! Next, create the perfect guest list and find cute invites too, whether it's big or small, make it a get together everyone will remember. Be sure to purchase decor and other fun things that make it really festive! Make yummy and unique foods and have fun activities for all your guests! 

In just a few weeks, my mom and I are hosting a PJs and Pancakes Brunch for a few friends and family! Everyone is going to wear a cute pajama set and we'll be eating delicious brunch foods (my favorite!) And of course, there are going to be some cute insta pics to share! I love holiday parties so much, we've started a new tradition of holiday themed parties every Christmas season. Last year, we had an Ugly Christmas Sweater party!

Holiday Activities:

There are endless options when it comes to taking part in festive activities. Some of my favorites are going to Tree Lightings, decorating gingerbread houses and gingerbread men, and seeing the Christmas lights around town. The best part is that it is spent with my family. Although it can get pretty cold while walking around, I always enjoy bundling up, sipping a warm drink, and wearing cute wintery outfits. Doing something different every year is fun! This year we are attending a Christmas stroll. If you don't know what to do this holiday season, I suggest checking out Facebook to see if there are any Christmas activities going on in your state. 

Presents:

This can get pretty stressful, but its important to keep an organized list. Do some research, find some unique gifts for your family and friends. I like to browse Amazon and other online sites because it is the easiest to do. You don't have to go out and fight crowds. But I do like to browse TJ Maxx, Target and other stores that always have a variety of fun presents for everyone. I love picking out the perfect gift for all my friends and family, but its not so fun to spend my hard earned money. I like to create a budget for the whole season, so that I don't get too carried away. Keep an ongoing list on what you'd like to spend on each of your friends and family and log what you spend. Wrapping is also a fun part too, I love picking out a cute wrapping paper so that all my gifts can be wrapped in the same wrapping paper. I always like to keep it fun and personal when it comes to giving gifts!

 Hope You Enjoyed! :) And Have A Happy Holiday Season!