Guess who’s back… back again… PAULA’S BACK, tell a friend!
This break from blogging has been way too long and let me tell you I HAVE MISSED IT SO MUCH. I promise it was for a good reason. After 5 months of studying, I am officially a certified personal trainer! I am so excited to start doing what I love, instead of just studying it. If you’re wondering what my next steps are, you’ll just have to wait for my upcoming post on that now that I’m back to blogging!
I have a lot of exciting plans and ideas that have been in the works for the past 5 months, so Eat, Lift & Be Married is basically a loaded cannon. I hope you are ready for it!
For now, let’s talk Christmas decorations. If you have ever walked into a beautifully decorated house, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, or any similar store around Christmas-time, you have probably looked longingly at the picture perfect decorations and wondered when/if you will ever have anything that compares to it. If you are planning a wedding, you know that time and money is extremely limited. It may be tempting to throw in the towel and “skip decorating this year,” but I assure you, a little can go a long way. There’s still 10 days until Christmas and lots of winter days ahead, so put on your favorite Christmas sweater, listen to a holiday Pandora station (Sufjan Stevens is a personal favorite) and get to decorating!
Decorate for winter, not just for Christmas. Once the presents have been opened, it may seem like your Christmas decorations have an expiration date. Decorate with more of a winter theme in mind and your hard work won’t have to be taken down so soon!
Accept everything that people offer you for free! When you start talking to people about decorating for Christmas, you may find that they have a lot they don’t even unpack anymore. Offer to put it to good use! My folks offered me a small fake tree they used outside last year. I gladly accepted it, and we now are using it for our Christmas tree. Yes, its “tree stand” may be my kitchen utensil holder that is stuffed with dishtowels to keep the tree straight… but you would never guess it!
Let it snow. For a small price, you and a friend can bring the beauty of snow inside… without bringing the cold weather in too! Get creative with your cuts, and no snowflake will turn out the same. Spray a little glitter on them for an extra sparkle. I used fishing line to hang our snowflakes in the hallway for a winter wonderland. These patterns are simple to follow and turn out beautifully!
Frame free printables and winter pictures. Switch your existing photos out of their frames and give them a winter makeover! Choose from hundreds of free holiday printables online, or print out a picture from your latest ski trip or any other winter activity you’ve documented.
Free printable | winter photo via Artifact Uprising instagram
Try any of these cute DIY projects!
Kate Spade inspired ornaments | pom pom garland | wood and burlap wreath
Pick a couple of special things to purchase each year. You may be tempted to buy the whole holiday section at HomeGoods this year, but be patient. Pick out a couple things for now and you’ll start to slowly build your collection of decorations. This year, I decided to buy a string of white lights and stockings to hang. Everything else was either free or homemade!
What is your absolutely favorite Christmas decoration?? Mine is a favorite ornament that says “Home is Wherever I’m With You.” Happy decorating!
Eat, Lift & Be Married 