A Head Start on Christmas Decorating

My home this Christmas is filled with greenery, and touches of red...

We are not done. We will get our trees and wreaths next weekend.

I also still need poinsettias and paper whites for the window sills.

But I feel like I've achieved a pretty good start.

Come on in, I'll show you around...

My banister and mantle garlands are from Hobby Lobby.

I think they're really beautiful embellished with faux roses and berries from Walmart.

Pine cones and deer antlers are a nice addition, too...

I used fresh greenery from around our yard in the kitchen,

and up in the front room as well...

Pine cones, red berries, boxwood, and pine can all be found on nature walks and it's free!

I tend to always go a natural and authentic route with seasonal decor. I feel it satisfies my old farmhouse better than what's new and trendy.

My home is 107 years old. She is very much stuck in her ways and doesn't want her glory days forgotten.

It would sure hurt her feelings if I were to force modern decor on her!

I have been happy to respect her history.

"Although it is a common temptation at Christmastime to be extravagant with decorations, staying true to the essence of a home's design theme may be even more impactful."

- Victoria magazine 

But having said that, I did cave and purchase battery candles (above). Even though real wax and flame candles are superior, having them among fresh greenery makes me nervous! I've been happy with these. I found a box of twelve for $8.00 at Walmart. They "flicker" just like the real thing!

My antique rocking horse gets a bow around his neck, and lighted garland at his feet every year...

He's never complained.

And my pine topiary ball receives a red berry garnish...

There's still much more to do, but that is my head start on this year's Christmas decorating.

Now if we'd just get a fresh blanket of snow!

You can see that we need it!

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas, and hope you are, too!

Have you decorated yet?

xo,

~ Courtney ~

Presentation Day

Today was a special day in our homeschool journey...

Today was "Presentation Day!"

(I'm not sure why Soren is saluting, haha.)

Aren't they cute?

They did a great job!

Being a homeschool mother means taking on the huge responsibility of educating your children all by yourself.

Yikes!

But I don't like to think of it that way.

I prefer to look at it like I get to have my children all to myself, pioneering a way of life for us that suits our family perfectly.

That means, we do what we want!

So we pursue interests, like last winter when we made individual little hot dog roasters...

Or last week when we spent the afternoon watercolor painting at grandma's house...

When a weakness in personality arises, I can address the issue in whatever way I see fit.

Recently I noticed a habit of mumbling in one of my children, along with a tendency to get bashful while speaking.

Remembering back to my own childhood of having to give speeches, like oral book reports in front of class mates, I created an opportunity for each of them to give a talk today.

Each child wrote a speech based on a topic they chose.

I provided guidelines and tips like...

- Provide a visual aid

- Include three main points

- Speak clearly and confidently

- Don't ever turn your back to the audience

etc...

It was a special day. Our "audience" consisted of my mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and aunt.

The kids were up at 6:30 this morning setting up the living room and getting things ready...

Elsa's speech was about flamingos...

Roman's speech was about lions...

Nola chose to talk about wolves...

And Soren gave a talk about socks...

(He's got a goofy sense of humor. Notice the sock banner, ha!)

Today felt special and fun since we had some relatives over, so I put together a nice lunch for us afterward...

The kids did really well with their speeches and even asked when we could do this again!

What a fun day!

Recently a veteran homeschooling mama told me to create such an environment at home that home is the place to be! 

I love that mission.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." -Proverbs 29:18

I hope to continue purposely crafting a home that is unique to us.

That is my vision.

How do you create a culture in your home for your family?

You are welcome to leave a comment.

Thanks for reading, friends.

xo,

~ Courtney ~