For today's Christmas post I wanted to share a quick recap of some of my favorite holiday moments over the past month. I've shared posts covering an array of holiday activities and now that I am officially done with all of my preparations, I can sit back, enjoy the fruits of my labor and of course this very merry holiday!

Trimming My Christmas Tree

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My husband and brother both announced that this year's Christmas tree is my best to date. I would have to agree! I love the way this "Woodland Chic" - themed tree glitters in my living room and I can't tell you what a difference it has made using green floral wire to aid in decorating my tree. I think you should always push yourself do your very best. Even though I am taking a moment to enjoy the way this beautiful tree came together, I have to admit that I have already started thinking up new ideas for next year!

Christmas Tablescape

I hosted a Christmas dinner for both my parents and my in-laws this past Wednesday. We had a delicious dinner complete with Beef Tenderloin, Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin, Roasted Asparagus and a Sticky Toffee Date Cake soaked in a bourbon sauce for dessert. While the dinner was a big success, I have to say that I was especially proud of my Christmas Tablescape. It was pretty, festive and the only new pieces I purchased to create this scape came from the grocery store (flowers, ribbon, peppermint candies)! It was a good lesson for me to keep in mind with future tablescapes-- assess what you already have before going out to the store to buy more merchandise you may not even need.

The second and probably most important lesson I learned from hosting this most recent dinner party is to refrain from taking on too much. Yes, I ended up hosting a lovely and delicious party, but I was a little bummed that I wasn't able to spend as much time being with my family because I was too busy in the kitchen. When hosting a party in the future, I am going to make a conscious effort to keep it both simple and delicious so that I can have more time to spend with the people who matter most.

My Holiday Baking Marathon

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From my homemade peppermint bark recipe to the dozens upon dozens of bourbon balls I rolled for my colleagues at work, this month has been quite the baking marathon. So happy to have successfully delivered all of these treats and to finally have the many delicious temptations out of my house (cookie intervention please)!

Homemade Eggnog

Last night I served this recipe for holiday eggnog while we opened up gifts. Whatever feelings you may have had about eggnog, just forget them because this recipe is fabulous and a definite must try.

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While my holiday hostess duties may finally be complete, the holiday celebrating continues! My husband and I are currently on our way to Utah for a fun and snowy ski adventure with my sister and brother-in-law. Stay tuned for Redefining Domestics "Utah Edition" coming to the blog next week!

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

The Christmas Tree is without a doubt my favorite aspect of holiday decorating. I kid you not, I get so excited every year to pick out our christmas tree and then spend the weekend decorating it. The smell of a real tree in my home sings holiday season and I love the elegant (and slightly whimsical) touch it brings to my living room.

My tree decor theme has evolved over the years. Originally it was a traditional red, green, gold and tartan tree with an assortment of fun and very classic ornaments (i.e. a whole lot of Santa Claus on my tree). Over the years, my taste/style has evolved first to a rustic chic and finally into it's current theme: "Woodland Chic."

What the heck is "Woodland Chic?!" Well to make a long story short, it is essentially rustic chic (pinecones, acorns, burlap and gold) with the addition of a few forrest animals (Moose, Owls, Snow Foxes, etc…). I love the way this tree has come together over the years. It certainly speaks to my style (elegant and rustic with a splash of fun) and of course I love that my tall ceilings can support a whopper sized tree (which I most definitely take advantage of). Below is a breakdown of how I go about setting up, decorating and maintaining my christmas tree throughout the holiday season.

Prepping Your Tree

Lay a trash bag followed by a towel on top of the floor where you intend to have your tree stand placed
Place the tree stand on top of the towel
While the tree is still wrapped, place it in the stand. Have one person hold it and the other person can stand back to assess if its standing straight and then screw the tree into place.
Once the tree is secured, fill the stand with water
Cut the net off the tree and help to gently pull the branches down
If you have a tight space for your tree- use either Friskars or Wire Cutters (unconventional, but they work) to trim off the extraneous branches to help the tree fit the space. (*Note- If you plan on making your own garland and/or wreath, save those tree trimmings!)

Decorating Tips

Add a little tradition- trees tend to evolve over time into a large collection of memories. Even if you prefer a more designer-esqe tree, theres no reason why you can't incorporate small touches of meaningful memorabilia. Since my husband has German heritage, we include a pickle ornament every year. In addition, you all know how crazy we are about our dog Dolly, so a bulldog ornament is an absolute must for our family Christmas tree.
Use Wire- green floral wire is a decorating essential during the holiday season, especially when it comes to decorating my tree. I use green wire to help hold up the ribbons of burlap, adjust branches to fill in holes, support my tree topper (which weighs 10lbs..not really, but it is heavy) and even as a tether for anchoring my tree to the wall (safety first everyone!).
Lights - I love a well illuminated tree, so I tend to have a heavy hand when it comes to tree lights. Among my favorite types of lights are garland-style lights (unfortunately not the easiest lights to find in stores). They have three bulbs per stop, which really helps to give your tree a beautiful and very bright look. Just make sure to buy light strands with a wattage of 100 or less. I made the mistake of buying strands this year that had 125 watts and ended up having the lights on my tree go out three times (it was awful).
Water- There is nothing worse than having a crunchy tree. Be sure to check your tree's stand water daily or at the very least every other day. Most homes around this time of year are running their heating systems, which causes the tree to drink even more water. A major part of keeping your tree looking its best revolves around proper hydration.