I love decorating for the holidays both outside and inside. Pulling out the decorations every year always fills me with joy. Every item has a story attached to it. My music box snowman reminds me of my boys. I still remember finding it at a small local shop right after Christmas. The three little snowmen immediately reminded me of building a snowman (the few times there was enough snow in Dallas) with my three boys and my hubby. I don’t recall the price, but I remember the piece was expensive enough on sale I thought long and hard before buying it. I wandered around the shop and kept circling around to look at the music box before I finally picked it up.
Other pieces remind me of the person who gave me the item. The snowman and penguin spelling snow was a gift from my Aunt Wanda and Uncle Erlin. The geese came from my Aunt Mugs and Uncle Wayne. The crystal angel, the large size not the small, came from my BFF Lori. (She pointed out I got the larger one as did her mother and sister, while other friends got the smaller angel. ?) When I put out these gifts, I smile, think of these incredible people, and say a prayer of thanks for the difference they’ve made in my life.
I put lights everywhere starting with my mantle and the behind the sofa table. The Christmas tree in the entry way adds a sparkle there. In the family room, I have candles, the penguin (that I bought because my youngest loves penguins), and another snowman with lights. My favorite thing to do during the holiday season is light the candles, turn on the other lights, turn off the overhead ones, and watch a Christmas movie.
The downside of having all the decorations and the lights is taking them down. Not that I don’t like and have connections to the items I have out the rest of the year, I do, but somehow removing the holiday décor makes me a little sad to return to the everyday. I guess that’s it. Taking down those decorations mean we go back to our everyday lives filled with work, responsibilities, and day-to-day activities. Too often it feels like the joy and wonder of the season gets packed up in the boxes along with the decorations and we go through the post-holiday blues. Add winter to that with its shorter, colder days (however as I’m writing this it’s 68 degrees here in Dallas) and it’s a double whammy. But this year, I’ve realized it doesn’t have to be that way, and I’ve decided to make a change.
I’ll take down the Christmas trees and some of the decorations. But this year, I’m leaving up the lights/garland on my mantle and sofa table. I don’t know yet if whether I’ll replace the holiday with my non-holiday items or leave the snowmen out, but put away Santa and the stockings. I’ll see what speaks to me when I get started. The snowman and penguin lights could stay for a while since they’re wintery too. Hmmm, maybe I’ll switch from Christmas decorations to a winter theme at least until the end of February. I kind of like that idea. Hopefully it will help me hold onto the joy and light of the holidays longer. I want to embrace the hope that Jesus’s birth gives us, how His light that can shine through us, and can cut through any darkness.
Happy New Year and may your 2023 be blessed and full of memory making moments!
Giveaway: To be entered in today’s random giveaway for wrist wallet and a signed copy of A Cure for the Vet, leave a comment on how you fight the post holiday blues.
Julie Benson has written five novels for Harlequin American, and her Wishing, Texas series is available from Tule Publishing. Now that her three sons have left the nest in Dallas, when she isn't writing, Julie spends her time working on home improvement projects, rescuing dogs, and visiting Texas wineries with her husband. Visit her at www.juliebenson.net.
I love your idea of keeping the lights up. A lot of people do that, and it keeps things sparkly and fun.
I’ll be putting my Valentine’s decor up next week.
Denise, I’m excited about it. That’s my project for today–to get the holiday items out of the living room and redo the mantle. I’ll take down the ornaments that I scattered among the lights and greenery on my sofa table, but leave the rest and add some of the photos that are normally out. For the holidays, I only had three pictures of making snowmen with my boys. Poor hubby isn’t in them because he took the pics.
Wishing you a wonderful 2023. Keep me posted on the college progress!
My wife and I keep out decorations up all year. I am a Halloween and she is a Christmas. Our bedroom is split down the middle. Each item has a story and we look at them and remember. Keep the holiday spirit all year long.
David, what a wonderful idea! I love that the bedroom’s split down the middle. You’re right, it’s a great way to keep the holiday spirit alive all year. Maybe I need to keep out one definitely holiday item that means a lot to me to remind me to keep that joyous, giving, and forgiving spirit alive all year. Thanks for the tip and for being here today. May your 2023 be blessed.
I spend a lot of time with my grandchildren. I visit my neighbors to make sure they are okay. I also belong to a movie group, so we go out to eat and the movies.
I love this! What a great way to ward off the post holiday blues! I need to find a movie group. That sounds so fun to go out to eat and then see a movie! As the mom of three boys, I’m always needing girl time!
Thanks for being here today and for sharing how you deal with the post-holiday let down. Take care and may your 2023 be fabulous.
Your decorating reminds me of my daughter. She too loves to decorate with lights and memorabilia. It turns out beautifully!
I keep active. I try to swim and walk everyday. I love being outside in the fresh air. I like to read and I also do small embroidery projects. Time flies by!
Laurie, your daughter sounds like a smart, creative gal!
I always admire the houses that are what I think of as “professionally” decorated for the holidays with floral, greenery, and items all coordinated. Then I think of all my holiday items that mean something to me, and I know there’s no way I could do that.
I’m trying to walk more because being outside always clears my head. I’m just struggling to work it into my routine. I miss cross stitching. (I put names on stockings for my boys but never got around to doing hubby’s or mine.) Instead, I’ve gotten into Cricut, jewelry making, and quilting. (I love piecing together the front but am terrible at putting the quilt together!)
Thanks for stopping by the corral today and for reminding me to stay active in the new year. I hope 2023 brings you all kinds of wonderful things.
I loved the comments about your decorations. I think of what each item means to me too. I have A LOT of my Grandma’s decorations. They mean the most.
Our oldest’s birthday is January 6, Epiphany, so I’ll keep everything up until then. But I have winter dishes, dishtowels to brighten things up until Spring. In February I’ll decorate for Valentines. In March, St. Patrick’s Day.
Kim, how wonderful that you have so many of your grandmother’s decorations! Both of my grandmothers were huge influences in my life, and what I have that belonged to them means a lot to me, too.
I decorate my front porch for Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s Day, but I’ve never decorated inside. Maybe I need to keep my eyes out for some great sales this year on items for those holidays. I don’t have a lot of spring things either, though I do have some Easter. I need to make sure to get out what I have and look for new items this year. Thanks for making me think of that! Decorating for those holidays and spring’s renewal is a great way to transition from holiday decor.
Thanks for being here and chatting with me today. Take care, and may your 2023 be blessed.
Thank you! I got a bunch of Spring/Easter stuff last year. My decorations cheer me up!
I guess reading is what I do. I also crochet
Debby, I love to crochet! My Grandma Walter taught me when I was maybe in middle school. (Though I still struggle with my side edges being even!) She made these beautiful doilies from stuff just a little thicker than thread. I once asked her how to do those, and she rattled off how she did them–basically winging it. I really wish I knew how to do those. Of course, I’m not sure even if I knew how my eyesight could see the tiny work. I had fun this holiday break making fingerless gloves for some baristas at the Starbucks where my youngest works. When the super cold hit, the folks working the drive through had trouble with their hands being so cold.
Thanks for stopping by the corral to chat. Take care and have a great 2023!
Love your meaningful post Julie. I enjoy white lights to adorn a room … just warms my heart. I too cherish special gifts from friends especially and I put them out every year. Such a bond they have with my memories. My dad was a pastor so I put up my white church in his honor. Sometimes, I wish time could erase the loss of dad’s absence. But, someday, I will join him in a great reunion of all time. Thank you Jesus!
The post holiday blues always affect me. I take a day to be lazy, call my siblings, and then head for the woods to thank God for His provisions in my life, and, as you know, there have been many.
Kathy, you have an incredible perspective in life. I swear, you’re the most positive person I’ve ever met. I admire that about you. You have inspired me to always try to see the good in people and situations.
I agree, there’s something about white lights in the dark of winter. It does warm the heart. I was talking to my BFF yesterday, and she said her favorite thing to do during the holidays is sit in a room lit only by the Christmas tree’s glow.
I’m going to take your suggestion for coping with the post-holiday blues. I don’t have a woods to walk through, (sigh) but I can walk around the neighborhood and remember all the ways God has blessed me.
Thanks for being here today, dear lady. Take care and may your 2023 be filled with memory making moments.
Good morning, Julie! I think the older we get, the more our memories mean to us. Our priorities shift, and we’re entitled to hang onto the things we hold dear for as long as we want, how ever we want.
As you know, Christmas is a multi-day event for my family. Like an entire week. So after the last formal dinner, I’m ready for some normalcy. Still, I miss the beautiful garlands and lights – but only for a little while. Ha! I replace Christmas treasures with a few winter treasures like you do, and the transition is easier.
Here’s to a new year with you, my friend!
Pam, boy are you right about priorities changing as we get older. It’s also true that the memories mean more. I can’t wait to see what the new year holds for us fillies!
It was hard putting up some of my decorations this year, especially my music boxes as they were all given to me by my oldest brother who passed away in November. But I did it anyway after speaking to my sister in law who said that it was hard for her to put them out too. Rick was a collector of Christmas music boxes. And it will be just as hard to put them away. One of them is a wintery one so I may leave that one out until March.
We don’t take our decorations down until Jan 6th. Little Christmas as my dad called it.
Kathleen, some years it’s been tough for me to decorate for the holidays, too. One year was so difficult, I didn’t put anything out except the tree, and we waited until December 23 to do that. I can’t imagine how hard it was to put out those precious music boxes after just losing your brother. It’s never easy losing a loved one, but it’s doubly hard at the holidays. Let yourself grieve, and do what you can handle. I hope as time goes on putting them out every the music boxes will make you smile and bring back wonderful memories of your brother.
I’ll pray for you and your family to feel God’s presence and that you find comfort in your memories.
watch movies
Thanks for being here today. I’ve been binge watching a couple of TV series. I watched Avenue 5 on HBO, and am trying to get current with The Resident. I want to watch Yellowstone and had DVR’ed the first couple years but I somehow lost them. Of course, I missed the marathon catch up over the holidays and would now have to pay to watch the first 4 or 5 years. Grrr. I can’t bring myself to do that.
Take care and have a great 2023!
I don’t really have post holiday blues. But, I’d deal with it the way I deal with everything else. Bible reading, prayer, music, and reading!!
Trudy, how wonderful that you don’t get the post holiday blues! The older I get the less they affect me. I think it was tougher when I was younger because I would get accustomed to my boys being around all day and enjoyed doing things with them. Then all of a sudden, they were gone all day again. Now it’s not as big a change, especially since my hubby works from home three days a week.
Take care, thanks for stopping by today, and may 2023 bring you only the best.
The older I get, the less I bring out at Christmas. The things I do bring out are treasures, some way back from my childhood.
Melanie, I’ve scaled back a lot too as I’ve gotten older. I did way more decorating when my boys were little. It was especially fun once they were old enough to help put things out. Decorating the tree was a major event. We’d put on Christmas music or a Christmas movie–often The Muppet Christmas Carol–and tackle the tree together. The boys would unpack their ornaments and we’d talk about the story or person associated with each. Now, like you, I only put out items that I truly treasure or give me joy like the lights.
Thank you for being here today, and may your 2023 be blessed.
Since I am a lover of spring, I turn to seed catalogs to plan for what flowers and vegetables I will be planting when it turns warm.
Connie, what a great idea! I haven’t planted a garden the last few years, and I miss doing so. When my boys were younger we would plant one during spring break. If I can find a place the dogs can’t get to that gets enough sunlight, I will definitely plant a garden this year. Thankfully because of your comment, I can start looking for that spot now, and if I can’t find one, maybe I can figure a way to keep the dogs out.
I’m so glad you were here today to get me thinking about planning/planting a garden now. Take care, and have a fabulous 2023.
Yes to keeping a winter themed lights up!
Teresa, I’m going to. I’m not ready for the sparkle to go away. Thanks for being here today. I hope your 2023 is off to a wonderful start.
Last year I kept out a tabletop wooden sleigh. It has pinecones, artificial leaves ,and fruit in it. It also has pinecones and white sparkly garland around the runners. This year I’m thinking about leaving a small Christmas tree out which is made from baby hangers and red garland. I put in it twinkle lights. It makes gorgeous light light in the night. We’ll see. We still have Christmas to do with my youngest daughter and her family so all of my Christmas stuff is still out.
The sleigh sounds wonderful and would be great to leave out to keep a little holiday sparkle. I also like the idea of leaving out a small Christmas tree. That’s one thing about having various celebrations. The decorations get to stay out longer. This year the holidays seemed to go by so fast. Enjoy the celebration with your youngest daughter and her family. Thanks for being here today and have a wonderful 2023.
When the doldrums begin each winter I too have lights to brighten my mood and the darkness. When I was young and we lived in the Great White North winter was long and harsh. We had a heat lamp since sunshine was rare. Now I go walking in the sunshine, read, drink lots of tea and enjoy the blue skies and outdoors. Displaying family treasures gives me great pleasure and is meaningful and important.
Ruth, I can’t imagine living in the Great White North and having such long days and harsh winters. It takes a strong person, both physically and emotionally to survive there! Sounds like you developed great strategies to avoid the post holiday/winter blues. I’m going to try taking your advice by walking more while enjoying the sunshine and blue sky. Thank you for being here today. May your 2023 be blessed.
We just took ours down and it is kind of sad… I am still listening to Christmas music… reading always makes me happy… so I am enjoying my TBR.
Colleen, this year was odd for me. I didn’t listen to much Christmas music or watch many Hallmark movies. I usually do a lot of both. But now that you say you’re still listening to holiday music, it’s calling to me. I may have to do that. I hope you have a wonderful 2023 and thanks for being here today.
You got me so enthused by your decorations and the memories they invoke so I just had to make a trip down memory lane for some Christmas items I keep in my china hutch year round. Each one has a tale to tell although I have a few pieces I do not remember their origins. They are still lovely and I do not want to put them away until next year. Memories are so precious and nothing can replace them or the people I remember because of them. Thank you for bringing back these lovely thoughts. January always seems to be the longest and saddest month of the year. May your new year of 2023 be blessed with much success and peace in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Judy, I had fun thinking about all the memories associated with my decorations when I wrote it, and I’m so honored my post took you on your own special journey down memory lane. For me, that’s what I like about my house. The items have meaning or memories attached to them. I couldn’t ever have a decorator come in and put things in my home just because they fit perfectly with her design.
Hopefully, this January will be brighter and not long and dreary for your. Always hold onto the Lord’s light and the promise that it can overpower the darkest, longest January night. Thank you for being here today and your kind words. May your 2023 be blessed as well.
Sweet memories! I don’t get the holiday blues but when I do feel low I go with a walk.
Rachel, how lucky you are that you don’t get the post holiday blues. Based on what everyone’s said today, I need to add walking to my daily routine since all y’all say it banishes the blues.
Thanks for stopping by today, and may your 2023 be bright and blessed.
I always think of New Years as a consolation prize. Then after that I’m pretty ready to put stuff away. There’s still some good holidays to look forward to–Valentines, St Patricks, Easter!
It’s the summer doldrums that got to me this year– that long, long span of days too hot to go out, and nothing to do, and no holidays.
Abby, you have a wonderful perspective on the holidays. I’ll have to try that next year. Thanks for being here today and have a fantastic year!
P.S. I’m refusing to think about the 100 degree summer days that are in my future!
welcome today. I feel the same way about you putting the decorations up and pulling them down. I dont put up extra lights anymore. To help with the doldrums I have christmas music on and either a book ready to read afterwards or a sewing project all set up. I grab some hot tea and go to it. I usually leave everything up until mid to late january
Lori, thanks for being here today. I like your idea of having a project ready to start once the holiday decorations come down. I also think having Christmas music on is great. Now if it would only get cold enough for me to have hot tea. Take care and have a wonderful 2023.
Walking the dog 3 to 4 times daily. Visits from the grandchildren on weekends and meals together. Reading and enjoying foreign movies.
Anne, I wish I had grandchildren. My oldest is getting married in September so hopefully someday I’ll have little ones to visit. Enjoy every moment with them and thanks for being here today. May your 2023 be filled with memory making moments.
Decorating for another holiday. Valentine’s Day will be here before you realize it.
Diana, a lot of y’all have suggested decorating for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and then Easter. I definitely need to invest in decorations for those holidays. Though I do have some Easter things. For the other two, right now I only decorate the front door and porch area.
Thanks for stopping by today and may your 2023 be blessed.
I use avoidance. I read. I can escape to the beach, mountains, a suspenseful story, a wonderful mystery or a love story. Before I know it, time has drifted away. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you. Happy New Year.
Hi Julie, I don’t have post holiday blues, like a few of your other commenters I too decorate for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter & lighted flowers for the summer, Fall decorations, Thanksgiving & then Christmas again. I leave a few Christmas lights up all year & light them with the other decorations (white lights). Like you, I enjoy the sparkle & lights all year long. Have a AWSEOME 2023. Have blessed day.
We keep up most of our decorations up until January 6th which is when the Epiphany and the end of the 12 days of Christmas. We have a nice dinner and dessert and then exchange small gifts of no more than $10. It kind of ends things on a happier note and lets us enjoy our decorations a little longer.
I am usually too tired after the holidays to get the blues. I don’t look forward to the mess of putting things away. I like your idea of leaving some things up, updating them for the season. Why not. We had a friend who put up an artificial tree and left it up until summer. She took the obviously Christmas decorations down adding a bit more to make it a winter theme. Towards February she would decorate it for Valentine’s Day. After that it would be shamrocks, etc. for St. Patrick’s day. Then it would morph into a Spring themed tree and Easter decorations were added at the appropriate time. I don’t remember what she did for summer, but she did decorate it for the 4th of July. After that I think it got a rest. One could continue changing it up year round if you want.
I might get a small, 2 ft., tree next year to leave up and decorate it the way she did. I have put up just a branch painted white to decorate for Valentine Day and the Spring holidays. Did one for Christmas one year when we spent Christmas week at the beach. I have always enjoyed decorating for the holidays. It was even more fun when I was a children’s librarian and got to decorate the library.