DECORATING

holiday

5 ideas fo r a fuss-free holiday

1.

Clear your family calendar in December. Jill Lamkin schedules her last home

maintenance service and doctor appointment no later than October, so

nothing gets in the way of fun.

2.

If you plan to draw names for gift exchanges, Jill says, do it as early as you

can. It’s less stressful to shop over a period of weeks or months than trying to

find the perfect gift in the last days before Christmas, when shelves are picked

over and crowds are harried.

3.

Address and stamp holiday cards Thanksgiving weekend. Get your wrapping

paper out and accessible in November. If you have gifts to mail, set a shipping

date for the first week of December to steer clear of the holiday push.

4.

Make a family photo calendar for the grandparents using software such as

iPhoto, Calendar Creator, or Simply Calendars. Do this in October.

5.

Go casual. Christmas dinner at the Lamkin house is homemade pizzas.

Everyone dons a holiday apron; Jill and Joe throw the homemade dough. Each

child dresses up his or her own crust from a kid-friendly topping bar.

A b o v e :

Mac patiently waits for a bite of his frosted dove sugar cookie.

T o p rig h t:

Yellow berries and hydrangeas offer a fresh take on the holiday table.

M id d le rig h t:

Unadorned boxwood roping adds texture to the banister.

B o tto m rig h t:

Everyday white dishes can work for the holidays. Wrap the napkin like

a mini package with a flourish of greenery, a tiny ornament, and a ribbon. A gift tag

becomes a place card.

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BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS DECEMBER 2009 65

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