From the Front Porch: A Classic Christmas

Hello from the front porch sweet friends.

Welcome to the Classic Christmas edition of this weekly series.

Thanks so much for spending time with us today.

How has your week been?

Now that we’ve officially entered the “Holiday Hustle,” how are you holding up? 

I spent part of the week doing a big holiday brain dump for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year then dividing those tasks into multiple lists.

Getting everything down on paper felt like a HUGE relief.

Notwithstanding the menus and groceries lists, I made a list of activities that were “Need To” and a list of activities that were a “Want To” to help me better manage my time.  

Another thing that has helped is to have the month mapped out with dates and events, but to focus on taking things week by week.

Finally, we usually meal prep on Sundays but sometimes our schedule doesn’t allow time for us to prep for the entire week.

So, to help take the pressure off, I prioritize meal prepping for the days I know we’ll be the busiest.

If you’re overwhelmed or feeling like you have to do “all the things” already, take a few moments to get everything out on paper and in front of you. 

That way, you’ll feel like you have a solid yet flexible game plan to lean on.

A Few of Our Favorite Posts from Around the Web this Week…

Beautiful Seasonal Home, Garden and Project Inspiration:

• The Ralph Lauren Home Christmas Trend That’s Dominating This Season (via Homes & Gardens)
• How to Get the Ralph Lauren Look (from someone who worked at Ralph Lauren) via Preston Konrad on Tik Tok
• How we celebrate a traditional Christmas at my parent’s primary home.
• Love this Mini Christmas Home Tour from Sincerely, Marie Designs. She’s a master at creating cozy spaces.
• This Blue, Green and Tartan Plaid Christmas Tree from Style House Interiors is amazing.
• How to go all out with holiday decorating in a small space via Domino
• A peek inside the Maryland farmhouse of DC event planners Rick Davis and Christopher Vazquez via Flower Magazine during the holidays.  The arches…the garlands…the floral arrangements…wow!
• 40 Fabulous Christmas Mantel Ideas (via Veranda)
• This post from Style Me Pretty Living has lots of examples on how to use citrus in your holiday home.
• Loved this post, Beautiful Natural Outdoor Christmas Decorations from Cindy Hattersley Design too.
• This post, How to Wrap Gifts Without Wrapping Paper via The Ginger Home was really creative and had pretty ideas too.

Health and Wellness Inspiration:

• How to Build Your Confidence So You Can Have the Life You Deserve (via Self)
• Positive Spiraling Is the Key to Feeling Happier Every Day (via Bustle)
• Migraines Suck: Here Are 5 Hacks That Make Them Better (via The Everygirl)

Makeup, Style and Travel Inspiration:

• 15 Winter Makeup Ideas Perfect for Mature Skin (via Byrdie)
• Winter Nail Polish Trends (via Allure)
• How to Wear a Sequin Skirt (via Design Indulgence-these are such cute ideas)
• Celebrating the holidays at Chateau Elan (via Chateau Elan)

Encouraging Words…

If You’ve Missed Anything from the Archives or the Blog, Here’s a Peek At What We’ve Been Up To…

Festive Holiday Decor and Theme Ideas

Simple Music Sheet Project Ideas and Handcrafted Society Blog Hop

Quick and Easy Ornaments Ideas Blog Hop

Say Yes Advent Calendar

Our Best Holiday Gift Guide 

Shopping Notes…

(Amazon affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)

• Dress (5 colors to choose from depending on size, I saw this on a fellow blogger and it was beautiful!)
• Stems (4 combinations available, love that you can remove the red berries after Christmas and use them for winter too)
• Napkin Ring (such a pretty gift idea)
• Book  (another great gift idea or coffee table book)
• Tree (such a beautiful shape)
• Sweater (17 colors available depending on size)
• Wrapping Paper (Mini Roll-19 patterns available)
• Napkin Ring (another great gift idea)
• Tablecloth (3 colors available depending on size)
• Ornament (fun for the tree or to place on packages)
• Polo Sweater (25 colors available depending on size)
• Magnolia Branches (3 sizes available)
• Salad Plate (17 animals to choose from, the pointers are fabulous too)
• Ribbon (velvet-19 colors available depending on size)
• Blanket (18 colors to choose from depending on size)
• Vest (23 colors and styles to choose from)

That’s all for now!

As always, we appreciate you so much and we hope your weekend is peace filled and relaxing.  We can’t wait to share even more with you next week!

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo