Make the Holidays Special on A Budget

I’m pleased to introduce my friend and former co-worker, Lynn, as my guest blogger this week! Even though Lynn resides in Port Barrington, Illinois and, I in Canfield, Ohio, we have many commonalities. We both love books, home decor, organizing, vintage finds, good food, and of course, being Lifestyle Bloggers!  

Lynn and her husband live in an absolutely gorgeous home on the banks of the Fox River complete with chickens and the most darling coop! I can’t wait for you to check out her home from her fantastic blog, “Living Large In a Small House”. Please follow her for many great ideas. She will inspire you. Thanks so much to Lynn for sharing a little part of her beautiful life with us here in Ohio! 

Today I’m going to share with you how I make the holidays special on a budget.  I’m so excited to be guest blogging on Judy’s site.  You can pop over to my blog at Living Large in A Small House where she is sharing her post with my followers today.  

Here are a few of my tips and tricks that didn’t cost a lot of money and help to make my home more festive.

Dollar Tree Ornaments

I found packages of white plastic snowflakes at the Dollar Tree several years ago.  They still have them available as of this posting.  I’ve bought more over the years and have quite a selection of sizes and shapes.  I put up several trees in my house and I use these snowflakes on every single tree.  It’s that one thing that is the same and it helps to pull all the trees together.  I have hung them in my windows, outside on my porch and even from the arms of the chandelier in our dining room.  Fishing string works great but you could also use a festive ribbon or string in the colors of your decor.

Etsy

I absolutely love finding things on Etsy.  I never feel guilty about buying items on Etsy, even if it’s not made in America.  You are supporting a cottage industry of primarily women who are making things to support their families.  Probably my favorite item that I’ve found on Etsy, for the Holidays, are the wooden laser cut names that I got from FranJohnsonHouse.  She’s in Bulgaria but I’ve gotten my orders so quickly and the price is crazy reasonable. You would never know it was an international shipment.  The unique touch of having these names tags on my plates is so special.  I’m actually thinking of getting laser gift tags this year!  

Another Etsy purchase was a Holiday Printable planner from PrintablePineapple.  It’s not dated so I can use it again and again.  I just print out the pages that I need and I love having a record of what I did from year to year.  I also keep notes on what I want to change up for the following year.

DIY

I’m planning on a very minimalistic Christmas this year since we won’t be having any big gatherings.  I’m going to keep my tree really simple with my white snowflakes, along with homemade popcorn and cranberry strings.  This is the year I’m going to use all those rolls of Christmas paper that just have a little bit on the tube.  It will be a potpourri of gift wrapping under the tree.  If I do buy anything new for decor, it will definitely be on a budget.  I really want that old-fashioned Christmas feel this year, so I’m planning on visiting thrift stores and Goodwill to find a few new things.  I’m also pretty sure I have a bin filled with ornaments from when both “Handy”, me and our kids were little.  I will be sure to pull those out too!  

Ease the Stress

The holidays can be stressful enough, but I find that if I can make the holiday special on a budget, it helps relieve some of the stress.  

Several years ago, we started a new tradition in our family.  It was a huge stress reliever for me both mentally and financially.  My kids are older but I’m sure you could adapt it just as easily, if you have littles.  My kids get four items for Christmas.

• Something You Want

• Something You Need

• Something to Wear

• Something to Read

They actually love it and they now know that they have to think of four things that fits into each parameter.  

My wish for everyone this season is to make the best of whatever your holiday looks like. Pare things down so that you have less to do and it will by nature be easier on your budget.  

Happy Holidays

Peace