Christmas at the Cottage - Christmas Home Tour 2018

I'm so excited that we have an extra week to celebrate Christmas this year! There's nothing like the cozy feeling you get with all the twinkle lights glowing along with a crackling fire. Last night Carolyn and I snuggled up with blankets and pillows in front of the fire place and read Christmas stories. Oh these are the best memories, and I will cherish them for as long as I live.

Welcome to my home! If you saw my Fall Front Porch post you'll recognize certain items are being reused. I love that I can fill my new lantern with different decorations to transform it for the seasons. And yes, poor Ben has still not gotten his hay bale back for his archery range.

As you first enter the house this is the welcoming sight you have of our family room. For the first time we bought a fake tree! Of course it's almost as tall as our ceiling, so now our special angel will need a little adjustments to fit, although that will come after her head is repaired because Carolyn got a hold of her and accidentally broke her head!

The piano is ready to sing Christmas carols! This year every time I try to play and sing Carolyn comes and takes over. I don't think she likes my singing, and to be fair I have terrible pitch...

I have an obsession with woodland creatures (have you seen Carolyn's room?) so you'll see them sprinkled around. We've also gained a new decoration painted by Carolyn herself - the cute little house!

We were hesitant to set up Ben's train track around the tree this year, but we gave it a test run and Carolyn's been very careful. We also brought out her Duplo train so that she could play train and she knows the difference between toy and decoration.

Carolyn's sweet little rocking horse looks so nice in front of the tree! Maybe later I'll get to get a picture of her riding it in a cute Christmas dress.

Lucy kept following me around as I took pictures, I just love how she looks like one of the stuffed animals! All of my old Build A Bear stuffed animals have become Carolyn's and you can see the very full basket of Christmas books next to them.

Little secret for you, I used to use a strand of regular white lights that you had to plug in on my garland. But last year I came across the battery operated kind at the Dollar Tree, it took two strands to stretch across my mantle = $2, and I love that I don't have a power cord dangling off to one side anymore!

To the left of the fire place is what has turned into Carolyn's corner. We normally have a tea party set up on this table, but for December she gets to have her Little People Nativity Scene to play with. Every time we read a story with Jesus in it Carolyn goes running to it to grab her baby Jesus, it's the cutest!

Last year I added this beautiful new table runner to my collection and an Advent wreath. I always wanted to have an Advent wreath because I have such fond memories of my mom reading the liturgy at home on Sunday night before dinner and lighting the candles. I think it's so important to remind children about why we are celebrating.

Beyond the table you can see my Grandma's hutch has changed for the season. Now it sports my Grannie's Christmas village that she brought back from South Dakota one year, they're all hand painted by a lady in the town she grew up in!

Ben used his special printers to print me some beautiful backgrounds this year! Again, I'm loving those battery pack LED lights! No more dangerous power cords dangling down with a curious 2 year old! For the Santa house and workshop on the top shelf I just used a tea light in each.

The decorations don't stop in the family room, on the shelf in my hallway I have this gold pine cone tree that I made (here's the post where I taught how to make it). Flanking it on either side are more of my Grannie's special decorations. I love unboxing them each year and thinking of her. In her last few years living in her house, my mom and I would come over and set up all of her decorations. I still remember where everything goes 15 years later!

Even the guest bathroom gets some glowing lights!

Carolyn was delighted when I told her we were decorating her room.

I let her choose the towel and potholder at Dollar Tree. I wanted her to choose this lovely sparkly poinsettia design, but she chose Santa. It makes sense that's what a 2 year old would want... Hohoho!

Last year I bought this little Christmas Tree there too, along with the ornaments and star! The skirt came from Hobby Lobby though, because I felt the ones at Dollar Tree were a little too cheapy looking, yeah I know, shocker. But seriously, a whole tree for a $1, yes please! And each of those ornaments are so cute!

And a child friendly light solution! I had bought this Christmas lights necklace at JoAnn's to wear, but decided this was the safest option for Carolyn's tree. She can easily push the button to chose between flashing lights modes - love!

As I sit down to write you this post from the kitchen table, here is my view, it makes me feel so happy!

Lucy would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

I hope you enjoyed my little tour of the cottage. You can view previous Christmas Tours; I have one from 2014 here, our previous rental house here, and our apartment here.

Here is a pinable image: