Head Start On The Holidays

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November is such a lovely month to be a homebody! There are Thanksgiving plans to make, favorite recipes to pull out, and a little Christmas decorating to think about. Even an ordinary afternoon at home can feel special with a lamp turned on early and something delicious in the oven.

dough bowl with greens, pinecones, orange slices and pheasant feathers

This time of year, I have to remind myself that every idea I love does not need to become something on my to-do list. Perhaps you need that reminder too! We can appreciate a beautiful table, a wreath, or a new recipe without finding a place for all of them in our own celebrations.

I like to begin with what will make the biggest difference for our family. That might mean getting the guest room ready, planning a few meals ahead, or checking the Christmas lights before winding them around the tree. These small things make hosting and decorating so much easier when the calendar fills up.

Today’s Monday Favorites is filled with ideas to help you enjoy the home you have and prepare for the weeks ahead. Pick something that would be useful or lovely in your home, pour yourself a cup of something warm, and spend a little time with me.

This Week’s Favorite: A Welcoming Thanksgiving Table

There is something so lovely about setting a table for the people we love! Thanksgiving gives us a wonderful reason to open the cupboards, bring out our favorite dishes, and give a little extra thought to each place.

You probably have much of what you need already. A few pretty layers, something seasonal, and a thoughtful detail or two can make familiar dishes feel special. Let’s start planning now so we have time to enjoy putting it all together.

Start With Your Favorite Dishes

White dinner plates are such useful things to have! They work with almost any napkin, charger, or little seasonal plate you put with them. For Thanksgiving, try adding a salad plate with a pretty motif or an interesting edge.

🌿 TIP BOX: Don’t worry if everything isn’t from the same set. A little mixing makes a table more interesting. Choose two or three colors and repeat them so the different pieces look lovely together.

Add Something From Nature

pheasant feathers in a holiday arrangement

A basket, a few apples, and hydrangeas can become the prettiest inspiration for a fall table. The woven texture adds warmth, and repeating the green of the apples in the flowers makes the arrangement feel pulled together.

Use this idea with what you have. A favorite bowl filled with seasonal fruit or a low basket of dried hydrangeas is a lovely place to start. Keep the arrangement low enough for everyone to enjoy the conversation across the table.

🌿 TIP BOX: Give your table a little balance. When the centerpiece is full and abundant, keep the place settings simple. If your dishes and linens have lots of pattern, choose a quieter centerpiece.

You can see this idea at work in my Fall Hydrangea And Green Apple Table.

Make Each Place Feel Welcoming

pheasant feathers tucked into a napkin ring on a Thanksgiving place setting

Pheasant feathers add a field-and-woodland feel that is hard to get any other way. Their bronze, rust, and cream markings pick up every warm tone in the room. A few go a long way, so tuck them into arrangements and wreaths sparingly where their pattern can show.

Find more inspiration in 60+ Easy And Festive Thanksgiving Table Ideas You’ll Love.

Give The Buffet A Little Attention, Too

If you serve Thanksgiving dinner buffet style, carry a few of your table’s colors and textures over to the serving area. White serving dishes, a coordinating runner, and a small seasonal arrangement help the two spaces look lovely together.

Simple food labels are a thoughtful addition, too. They help guests know what they’re choosing and are especially useful for dishes containing nuts or other ingredients someone may need to avoid.

My 10 Tips For Setting A Beautiful Thanksgiving Buffet will help you plan the serving space.

A Little Table Planning For This Week

You don’t have to set the whole table yet. Try putting together just one place setting.

Choose a dinner plate and try a few different salad plates with it.
Add a charger or placemat for texture.
Pick a napkin that brings your colors together.
Decide on one small seasonal detail.
Take a picture so you can easily recreate it.

While everything is out, count your dishes, glasses, and flatware, and check your linens. Finding what you need now gives you one less thing to think about Thanksgiving week.

A beautiful table is a lovely way to welcome people into our homes. Start with the things you love, enjoy the planning, and leave plenty of room for the people gathered around it.

An Item I’m Loving: Pretty Ribbon

One thing I love to have on hand this time of year is pretty ribbon. A simple velvet or satin bow can make something we already own feel ready for Christmas!

Try tying one around the neck of a lamp, the handle of a basket, or a favorite ginger jar filled with greenery. There’s no need for a perfectly shaped bow. Soft loops and long tails are so pretty all on their own.

Choose a ribbon that works with the colors in your home and repeat it in a few places. It’s such an easy way to bring a little Christmas charm to a room before the rest of the decorating begins.

Small Habit

kitchen countertops with glss canisters and a lamp

Before you head to bed, take a few minutes to put one well-used spot in your home in order. It might be the kitchen counter, the coffee table, or the chair that seems to collect everything during the day.

Put away what belongs elsewhere, straighten what stays, and leave that little area ready for tomorrow. Keep it simple enough that you can do it even on a busy evening.

There is something so welcoming about walking into a room in the morning and finding a little order already waiting for you! One cleared surface may seem like a small thing, but it makes a lovely place to begin the day.

What I’m Reading Right Now

If you enjoy a good mystery, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman might be one to add to your reading list. Four friends in an English retirement village meet each week to puzzle over unsolved crimes, until a murder close to home gives them a real case to investigate. What an interesting premise!

There’s something so lovely about ending a busy November day with a book, a cup of tea, and a comfortable chair. What are you reading these days? Share a good recommendation in the comments!

A Little Over 6 Weeks Until Christmas: 46 Days

A few small steps each week keep December peaceful.

Christmas preparations feel so much easier when we give ourselves a little head start! This week, let’s take care of a few practical things and leave room for something creative, too.

Christmas Things To Do

Update your Christmas card addresses and order cards if you haven’t already.
Check strings of Christmas lights before putting them on your tree or garlands.
Put family gatherings, church services, and holiday outings on your calendar.
Choose a simple wrapping paper and ribbon combination, and wrap a few gifts you have already purchased.

Home Organization

Give your pantry a little attention this week. Check baking supplies, toss anything past its prime, and group what you’ll need for holiday recipes together. Add missing ingredients to your grocery list so you can pick up a few with each shopping trip.

You Choose

Choose one thing that will make Christmas a little more meaningful for you and your family. This is a lovely week to try a simple handmade decoration or gift. A little wreath, a pretty ornament, or dried orange slices can be such a pleasure to make when there is no hurry! You’ll find plenty of inspiration in 6 Beautiful DIYs To Craft A Handmade Christmas Home.

Fun

Ask everyone in your family to name one thing they would love to do this Christmas season. It might be seeing Christmas lights, watching a favorite old movie, or baking together. Write the ideas down and choose a few to put on the calendar. Sometimes the simplest traditions are the ones everyone looks forward to most! one of my favorite ways to dream up ideas for the season.

Before You Go

There is so much to enjoy as we prepare for Thanksgiving and begin thinking about Christmas! Here are a few ideas to help you along the way:

Before you buy anything new, take a little time to look through what you already have. Your favorite dishes, a well-loved bowl, and a spool of pretty ribbon might be the beginning of something beautiful. Creating a welcoming holiday home can start with these simple things.A few simple things from nature can carry your home beautifully from the first cool days of fall through Christmas morning. Start with what you have, add one piece at a time, and enjoy every week of the season.

Happy decorating, friend…

Monday Favorites: A Cozy Home and a Head Start on the Holidays