Christmas Decorations

Every other year, I seem to share our Christmas decorations on here. Last year, I think I was so flustered from moving and getting ready for baby #2 that I didn't share any! So here you go...Christmas in our "new" (can we still call it that, a year after we moved in?!) house. 

Bless that poor little wreath on the front door. It is on its last leg. Next year, I really want to get a pre-lit wreath, like this one. I also probably need to get new wreaths for on the windows. These are getting pretty flat, and I'd like to find some that are slightly bigger. (I know no one cares about what I want to do next year; I'm really just putting it on here for myself, when I refer back to this post next year as I am decorating for Christmas!) 

Inside, I used the garland that we used to have outside at our old house on the banister. I still want to get some to go outside around our front door at some point!

I love it at night!

More from the foyer...

Moving into the living room, we have our cracked out Christmas tree. It's probably crooked, and it's definitely crazy, but I kinda like it. 

Oh and side note: If you're wondering, "wow that's dedication...she took all of these pictures and then went back and took more at night," I have news for you: I started taking pictures around 4 PM, and then got distracted (you know, 2 kids and all...) and finally finished after it was dark! Ha! So these were all taken within like a 2 hour time period!

Next we have the dining room, where I may or may not still have cranberries in the vases from Thanksgiving. Whoops!

The garland on the light fixture used to be on our staircase, but I like it a lot better on the lights!

Going around to the back of the house (where the previous owners decided to stop painting the trim white, so there is A LOT of wood coming up in these next few pics!), we have our Christmas cards and calendar. Every year I make 3 Shutterfly calendars: one for my parents, one for Trav's parents and one for us! I love looking back at pictures from the same time last year...our December picture was taken on Christmas last year when we found out Lucas was going to be a boy! 

I am also happy to report than since I took these pictures last week, we have gotten many more Christmas cards...thank GOD! 

In the kitchen, we have a wreath....

...some flowers that Ella has not destroyed yet (knock on wood)...

...and Ella's felt Christmas tree!

Oh and my Happy Everything platter! 

Next is the family room. Please join me in my "Convince Travis this wood needs to be painted white" crusade. He thinks it looks "expensive, like a country club." I think it looks dark and outdated. Anyway...here are the decorations amidst the plethora of dark wood and gross wallpaper. Try and look past those things if you can. 

Above the TV, we have all of our Christmas cards, dating back to 2011! 

I have since moved the big black frame and put up this year's Christmas card!

I found this sweet Advent calendar in the dollar spot at Target. Ella loves moving the gingerbread man every day after her nap!

In that silver Advent calendar (also from Target, last year), I have different Bible verses (I followed this schedule). Ella has been really into reading the Bible lately (????!!!) so we've been reading a passage each day!

And in the corner of our family room is our family Christmas tree. This is where we put all of our family ornaments...places we've been, events that have happened that year, etc.

Some of my favorite ornaments for this year:

Upstairs, we have more garland.

{Ignore that carpet. Another thing on my home improvements list...I want to replace it so badly with hardwood floors.}

Each kid has a Christmas tree in their room...

I finally let Ella add ornaments to hers this year! 

And on Lucas's tree....

You'll be SHOCKED to read this, but Travis actually used this tree, lights and ornaments when he was a single guy. I know, so weird he would have UNC colored lights and all these UNC ornaments, right?! Not like he's a big Tar Heel fan or anything.... ;)

Last but not least, the bonus room!

Here's where you can tell I used to teach kindergarten:

I can't tell you how excited I was to pull out my Christmas books to put on Ella's bookcase!

Also, those pointers are a really easy, fun thing to make! Get paint sticks from the paint store and hot glue different wooden designs on them (they sell these at Michael's for like 59 cents each). Ella uses them to read and point to things around the room. 

Whew! There you have it! Christmas decorations 2016!

PS-Mindy in 2017: I really hope you've painted that family room and replaced the upstairs carpet with hardwoods ;)