CHRISTMAS IN A SMALL HOUSE
Christmas in a Small House doesn’t automatically translate to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Having recently downsized from a five-bedroom house to a two-bedroom townhouse, we’ll definitely be having a little Christmas this year at the Ely household. Even though the holidays are still several months away I’m already thinking about how to make things merry. There will be challenges, like decorating.
Retrieving the decorations from the storage unit should be interesting. (Why did the word ‘avalanche’ just flash through my mind?) The living room isn’t big enough for all the boxes, let alone the forty years worth of ornaments they hold, and let’s not forget the 60 years worth I inherited from my folks. I did manage to sell the kid’s train set – it was either that or the dog.
TREE TRIMMING at christmas in a small house
Even with all the space in our old house, setting up the tree required rearranging furniture. Our new place is so small it took a computer program to figure out how to make our furniture fit; there’s really no room to stash a chair to make a tree work. There is however a really big blank wall space above the TV screen. Maybe I could just hang a wreath and call it a day.
COLOR SCHEME for christmas in a small house
Luckily for me, my upholstery is red so I might be able to get by with just tossing a couple of green throw pillows around – and scatter some cotton balls on the cushions to make it look like snow?
DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS IN A SMALL HOUSE
No fireplace, so the stockings will not be hung by the chimney with care, but I suppose we could try dangling them from the sides of the portable fire pit out back. Santa will have to find another way in this year.
THE PRESENTS AT CHRISTMAS IN A SMALL HOUSE
Normally I scrounge around for some room in the closet or under the bed to hide the presents until I get them wrapped (usually around midnight on Christmas Eve). Um, nope – no room at the inn. Sorry, we’re full. Hmmm. I know – gift cards!
THE FOOD FOR CHRISTMAS IN A SMALL HOUSE
I got all excited about the Honeysuckle turkey on sale for $.59 lb. this week until I remembered that the freezer here is barely big enough to hold a bottle of vodka, and I need that to make my holiday cranana daiquiris. A girl has to keep her priorities straight, after all.
THE TABLE AT CHRISTMAS IN A SMALL HOUSE
The grandkids are worried there won’t be room for us all to eat but I told them we’d get the folding tables out of storage and set them up on the patio – just sweep the crumbs into the grass and hose down the tables afterwards. Works for me!
THE PLAN FOR CHRISTMAS IN A SMALL HOUSE
Check back with me in a month or so but for now I’m ok with all this. Simple sounds good to me this year. Less is more they say and maybe they’re right. Less decorating, less shopping, less cooking, less stressing. More playing with the grandkids, more laughing, more time to think of others, more energy to actually do for others. More quiet time to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.
Definitely more time together washing dishes, cause this apartment size dishwasher won’t even hold the appetizer plates. So, maybe we won’t have appetizers or maybe that’s all we’ll have!
Whatever your holiday plans for decorating, entertaining or shopping, now’s the time to strategize about how to make it all go more smoothly. A great resource to help you is my eBook HOLIDAZED. Published last year, it talks about How to Slow Down, Spend Less and Restore Sanity to the Holidays and includes loads of festive recipes too! It’s for sure on my ‘must read’ list this year what with all my new challenges! I’ll be sure to keep you updated with how my Christmas in a Small House is going!
Good things, after all, come in small packages.