Do you ever think of the feeling or atmosphere of Christmas? Maybe the nostalgia from your childhood is awakened around this time of year. This post is all about creating a cozy home of warmth, comfort and unlocking the secrets to a slow Christmas time and all season long.
To start, lets break down the word cozy from the Oxford DIctionary
co·zy
[ˈkōzē]
ADJECTIVE
- giving a feeling of comfort, warmth, and relaxation:“a cozy cabin tucked away in the trees” SIMILAR: snug, comfortable, warm, restful, home-like, homey
I’d like to create a home and atmosphere that my children will always remember fondly 🥰- good smells from the kitchen, a warm fire, soft laughter and always arms open for a big hug.
Each of these things are quite straightforward.
Simple yet well seasoned meals, fresh baked goodies, warmth and welcome. sounds easy right?
I think we often over complicate things in our rush, worrying more about the menial things than necessary.
I love beautiful décor and gifting, but it isn’t about how expensive or intricate an item is or even about the gift itself at all. Let’s not forget that this season; but remember The One Gift that none of us can truly live without, Jesus Christ. There is a song that says it just right, called “It’s About the Cross” by the Ball Brothers. You can check the song out here. I sang this song with a youth group at Christmas time once, and I think it is beautiful, and has such true lyrics.
Setting up a cheerful and cozy home
To begin.
It starts with you. Seriously.
I don’t think this can really be overstated. If you want to create a place of peace and comfort, one needs to first be at peace, and happy themselves. By happy, I don’t mean you need to dance around singing Christmas songs all day, (though that is quite fun) but to have contentment and joy in creating a sweet and inviting place for your family.
A smile. A cheery voice. A bit of music.
The little things add up to be very big and wonderful things.
In unlocking the secrets to a slow Christmas, THE two most important things you can do is be present with your family and to be intentional with your time.
With those two things in mind I want to share some other wonderful ideas for the season that are easy AND nostalgic.
Keep in mind that If something is too much right now, its ok to say “NO”. A good way to keeping things simple is to pick a few ideas, write them on your calendar or list and just give yourself permission to forgo any other commitments or projects that might take too much of your time.
Secrets to a cozy home
Food, wonderful food. There is some odd but wonderful power in making a fresh baked treat. It doesn’t have to be a tedious or fancy recipe, just a simple cookie or other baked good will envelop the house in a sweet or buttery scent. It’s interesting what it does to your senses, but even more so for visitors coming in. It is a silent welcome, and a great way to make just about anyone think you are an amazing host 🥖
Soft lighting. Adding Soft and Warm lighting drastically creates a cozy setting. It could be simple Twinkle lights.
Candles. A naturally scented candle, or just plain ones.
Greenery. Pine branches or garlands (you can even make your own of greenery just from the outdoors )
A Christmas Tree. we like to find one on our property. It is so much fun to go chop it down or dig it up. (like we did last year 😂 the tree we picked was pretty small so I could basically call it a Charlie Brown tree.) There is something about picking and harvesting your own tree is satisfying. Maybe just because it’s fresh 🌲
Activities
I confess, some of these activity ideas double as decor but they are so much fun I had to include them here 🙂
An advent calendar. These are so much fun. You can make one or buy one, either way it does not have to be expensive. We bought a simple chocolate advent calendar from ALDI last year (so cheap, I think it was $1.99. Literally!
It created a neat routine that Gabriel loved, of course he was more than happy to taste a bit of chocolate every day 😋
For multiple children be sure to grab one each, as they generally are 1 per person.
A great way to keep your Christmas time centered on Jesus during the advent Calander activity is to include a scripture or story to go along with celebrating Jesus’ birth.
Reading a good Book. Any book of interest will do, however a winter novel or story would add to the cozy setting.
Telling the story of Joseph and Mary’s long journey to Bethlehem and Jesus’ birth in the stable.
Brown paper snowflakes: these diy decorative paper snowflakes are so much fun to make. Though they seem a bit intricate, they are quite simple, and surprisingly no origami skills are needed. Just a pencil, scissors, hot glue (or glue of your choices) and brown paper lunch bags.
Don’t forget to include your little ones on a craft or two at their age level! below are a couple crafts great for littler children.
Reindeer Puppet: Using brown paper bags and google eyes we had on hand with a puffy red ball this littler reindeer was so much fun and i just love how he turned out.
reindeer clothespin ornament: can you tell I’m apparently in to reindeer? 🤣 these are too cute and super kid friendly. Check out these super cute Christmas crafts here
Christmas cards: this is one of my favorite things to do for Christmas. I LOVE Mail and therefore find it so much fun to make my own Christmas cards to send to friends and family. You don’t have to have any fancy supplies to make a sweet or even pretty card!
I made these with simple 3×5 index cards, washable markers and a bit of shimmery stamp ink.
This is also a wonderful craft for toddlers and older children alike. even if it is a scribbled, something about it is sweet and gives a personal touch. letting the children do some art is especially great for aunts, uncles and grandparents. Set aside a few cards just for them to make or let them do the whole batch 😆
DIY Christmas Decor
Dried orange slice garland: read below for drying instruction. The. String slices on string at desired length. You can string them pay themselves or add cinnamon sticks and rosemary.
citrus ornaments: slice citrus fruit about 1/4 inch thick and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours or until it is no longer tacky. you can hang the dried citrus fruit plain or string it with cinnamon sticks and rosemary.
Making Dried citrus décor causes the house to smell so good and brings a homey visual interest.
Clove and orange potpourri – take an orange and poke little holes in it just big enough for a clove to fit in. Then cloves in. You can do this all over the orange equally spaced or create a specific patter with the cloves. Either hang it somewhere or let sit it on the counter for a few days. It smells wonderful.
Citrus potpourri : Little Pine Learners has a good tutorial here.
Christmas card display garland : it can be a simple string to lay cards over or use mini clothespins to pin them on
I do confess certain crafts are WAY easier done when said little ones are in bed. And it is good to get creative on your own once in a while too 😉 it’s therapeutic.
Making your own Christmas decor. If you have any craft supplies, be it markers, paper, ribbon, beads or bells… you name it! With a few supplies and a bit of creativity you can make your own decorations for Christmas.
Not only can you save money, just by getting creative, you are making memories. (you CAN get carried away buying too many cool supplies, trust me 😂 don’t fall into that trap)
A Few Sweet Budget Friendly Treats
While at ALDI last week I picked up these fun little treats for this Christmas season.
A few things that we love at ALDI this time of year are :
small chocolate advent calendars: these were so much fun with Gabriel last year (my ALDI is out at this time)
Speculatius spiced cookies: (originally a cookie from Holland.) These little cookies are perfect to pair with coffee, and just the right amount of spice.
Moser Roth Mini Chocolate Truffles: The hazelnut is the perfect little sweet, It is our favorite flavor.
takeaway: Always remember less is way wayyy more.
However you choose, it will be a perfect Christmas.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post all about unlocking the secrets to a slow Christmas.
What are a few things you that do to make your home extra cozy in the Wintertime?
Merry Christmas,
Lori
If you liked this post about unlocking the secrets to a slow christmas, you will enjoy reading about getting it ALL done with a toddler, too.
How To Get It All Done With A Toddler
Tags: A slow Christmas, Christmas, cozy home, family, homemaking, slow living, traditions
