“This is the one
time of the year
when we focus on
pure enjoyment,”
says Jill Lam kin,
with husband Joe
and their children,
Sam, Tillie, and
Mac, at their
Manhattan Beach,
California, cottage.
holi
DECORATING
This family’s fresh take on Christmas proves that
holiday fun doesn’t have to be red and green.
It’s Christmas Eve, and the Lamkin family is
stirring up a batch of reindeer food, a treat
made with quick oats, powdered sugar, and
edible glitter that they sprinkle on their
sidewalk before bedtime. The mix ensures a
stop from Santa’s sleigh. After all, the reindeer
can see the glitter twinkling from their route
far above the house. “We are crazy for
Christmas,” says Jill Lamkin. “It’s pure,
unadulterated joy. I love everything about
it—the shopping, the cooking, the wrapping,
the entertaining, the music—but more than
anything, the joy of kids and all the smiles.”
Yet, when it comes to holiday decorating,
Jill’s not afraid to turn tradition on its ear. In
Southern California, where the weather is
by KATHY BARNES photos EDMUND BARR styling CHAR HATCH LANGOS
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS DECEMBER 2009 6l
