It’s hard to believe this is our second holiday season in this house. You might have caught a glimpse in our new kitchen door post, but here’s the full tour. Year two feels more pared-back but still festive—less themed and more of a relaxed, collected look.
Last year we had a small real tree upstairs and a skinny faux tree in the bedroom. This year our main tree has a new, central home in the pantry nook of the kitchen, which feels perfectly placed since it can be enjoyed from so many spots. Because the tree is visible most of the time, we skipped adding a second little tree upstairs.
Placing the tree in that corner unexpectedly gave us more curb appeal from the outside. We literally experimented by pushing it into the pantry nook and immediately loved it. It’s cozy, decorative, and doesn’t interfere with traffic flow—during the rest of the year we usually have a large potted plant in that corner, so the main change is the height.
The contrast of flip-flops and a lemon tree outside with a glowing Christmas tree inside never fails to amuse me. The tree sits out of the way but still feels central, and the kids loved helping decorate it. It’s tall but not intrusive, and it gives the kitchen a warm, festive focal point.
We favor an eclectic, collected tree—ornaments gathered over time, sentimental pieces, and handmade treasures from the kids. Gone are the coordinated theme trees; instead we crowd every branch with meaningful ornaments and enjoy the cheerful mishmash.
The kids put their stuffed animal Burger near the tree the first night and I cried. We miss him so much; he’s represented across the tree with ornaments and lives on in our memories.
We also have Raychard, named by our daughter when she was very small—he’s been part of our family for years and gets into mischief every season.
Upstairs we kept things minimal. I arranged a tray of assorted ornaments and a few small bottle brush trees—a simple vignette using a mix of bottle brush, wood, ceramic, and mercury glass pieces I treasure and carefully packed when we moved.
By the TV there’s a dough bowl filled with shiny pink and silver ornaments for a bit of sparkle. I store that bowl pre-filled in a bedroom wardrobe so it’s ready to go each year—easy and dust-free in a closed cabinet. In the past I labeled bags for specific ornament groups, but this simple approach works well for us.
The living room vignettes, with a pink painting, a brass sconce, and a stack of books, felt just right with a few tiny trees mixed in. I couldn’t resist a few inexpensive new bottle brush trees from Target’s seasonal section—small accents with big charm.
More bottle brush trees found a home on our desk, where everyday life—like Legos scattered on the floor—reminds us this is a lived-in, family house. Many of those Legos are from John’s childhood, saved by his mom, and it’s a joy to see our kids playing with them now.
I also added a disco ball this year—such an easy, year-round bit of fun. When the sunlight hits it, the reflections are delightful.
We finally introduced a beautiful menorah to our home. Growing up with both Christmas and Hanukkah traditions, I wanted the kids to share those memories. Lighting the menorah felt meaningful and created new family moments—complete with the real-life touch of kid-smeared handprints on the dishwasher.
Outside, John wrapped an oak tree in warm white lights, and I love how it glows at night. We can see it from the porch and the sitting room—so pretty with the evening light. I’m half-jokingly lobbying to leave it up year-round because it’s so lovely.
Our neighborhood embraces holiday whimsy—our neighbors have inflatable dachshunds on their lawn, including seasonal favorites, which always makes us smile. Even at the beach, with temps in the 70s, it’s beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas.
Wishing everyone a happy holiday season!
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