Christmas decorating...

I love Christmas decorating but it seems that this year I just don't have the desire to put up quite so many trees.  It may be because my husband and I are flying to my daughter's on Christmas day and will be gone for that whole week. I think that must be it, because I will have all of that work when I get back!

I usually put up a tree down stairs.

A tree in the living room.

Three trees in the dining room, and sometimes I have put a small tree in each of the bedrooms!

I think that this is maybe what I should focus on more this year instead of putting up so many trees.

I have done some quick and easy projects though. I was up to the barn and saw this old sled, it was used and reused when my kids were little. So I thought why not reuse it again and add some old skates to really make me reminisce. I have had a hard time getting rid of the skates because they bring so many memories of when we had a skating pond in the park where we used to live and my kids loved to go and skate there.

Add a bow and some greenery and a pop of red and that was pretty easy!

I have put up the Santa's on my mantel. This is a fun project as well. Collect pieces of drift wood and get your dremel tool out and carve a little on the wood and then add some simple painting  and you  have a darling Santa. (Warning, you will not be able to make the same one twice! and you will just want to keep making more!)

See, this one looks a little tipsy!

and he looks quite stately!

My dining room table.

The downstairs mantel.

This is the tree that I decided to put up, it is where we spend most of the time.

So, I think it is okay to simplify my life a little this year, no big parties planned and no out of town guests.  I don't think I could go without decorating a little bit though, so hope all of your decorating is going well too!