There’s nothing more heart-warming than coming home at the end of a busy day to fairy lights and the Christmassy scents of cinnamon, clove and oranges.  If the thought of this fills you with dread, don’t panic – we’ve got you!

Maya Angelou once said: “I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” .  One thing that helps with all of these things is a little glass of your favourite tipple.  So, first things first, before you even attempt to dig in your garage / basement / storage for last year’s tree, fairy lights and ornaments, get yourself a minced pie and a warm glass of mulled wine / apple juice.  Trust us, it’s going to help you get through this.

Set aside one day to pull out all of your décor, or to shop for it.  We would normally say do this early December, but hey, it’s 2020 and rules don’t apply. We’ve been drinking mulled wine and basking in fairy lights for a week or so now.

Twinkle twinkle little ‘stair’

Our absolute, failsafe, first go-to, is a stair garland (if you have stairs, if not, we say put that garland up around your door frame, windows, kitchen cupboards) – it totally sets the tone, and adds some glorious twinkle to the house.  You can buy pre-prepared ones, or create a simple one at home with a plain faux greenery garland, fairy lights, faux berries and lots and lots of ribbon.

 

Classic always wins

It doesn’t get more timeless than a (real) tree trimmed with an angel topper, red ribbon and classic ornaments.  Follow the same theme throughout the house – we’ve even been known to decorate the bedroom.

Deck out the kitchen

If you’re anything like us, we spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and (not that we need any excuse to decorate but…) we think the house isn’t decorated if the kitchen isn’t! We’re big lovers of the kitchen mini wreath – hang them anywhere – cupboards, backs of chairs (maybe not above the oven…), dried orange and cinnamon stick garlands under the kitchen upper cupboards and big bowls of winter fruits on the island.

Get Lit

Instead of a garland, dress up a mantel, sideboard or dining table with a variety of taper candles, or, even better – one our beautiful candle centrepieces – www.lavenderandmay/shop

Fake your fireplace

If you’re reading this in the UAE, chances are you don’t have a real fireplace.  We actually bought one years ago and then moved into a house that already had one in it. I think we were definitely the only people with 2 fireplaces in our house in one of the world’s warmest countries! Get one made, or pinterest hack one if you can, because there’s nothing more Christmassy than stockings on a fireplace.

Get cozy

Even if you have to have the AC blowing down on you, get cozy.  Lots of throws, blankets and fleecy Pyjamas.  Drape them over sofas, chairs, the end of your bed and on garden furniture.  Come mid-December and the coldest days of the year, you’ll be glad you did!

 Decorate Your Bedroom

Just because most people can’t see it, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go all out. Wrap a garland around your headboard and swap out your pillows.  Make it your very happy place!

It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

We like to burn copious Christmas candles (diptyque’s Fue De Bois, Pomander and Bath and Body Works Tis The Season are firm favourites), BBW plug ins and if we have company, simmer mulled wine on the stove top. Easy ways to achieve alllll the Christmas smells is dried oranges, cinnamon sticks and pot pourri.  A real tree also adds a beautiful fresh scent to the house.

Fresh flowers for the win

If all else fails, just grab lots of fresh florals in Christmas colours and pile them into vases.  It’ll look so beautiful, nobody will even notice you’ve decided against a tree!

The main thing is that you want to be comfortable and relaxed at home, and you want your guests to feel the same.