I’ve never been one to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but this year was the exception. Anything you can do to bring joy, peace and a smile to someone’s face in 2020 is welcomed. Can I get an amen? We went all out this year, stringing lights and hanging wreaths on every window; we even added a beautiful nativity scene with a spotlight in the front yard.
This is the second Christmas we’ve spent in our home (we bought a new house in October of 2019), and last year, while in the attic, we discovered a huge, dusty green wreath wrapped in colored lights. We cleaned it up and my husband Kurt climbed on the roof to place the crown jewel on the front of the house. I had gotten so excited about the size of the wreath, that I didn’t think about how it would blend with my other decor.
While it was festive, the colored lights clashed with my white lights, but we left it up anyway just for fun. This year however, I made it my mission to restring the wreath in white lights, and we found a big red pre-lit bow to top it all off. The wreath has definitely brought me (and my neighbors from what I hear) a lot of happiness already this season.
Speaking of happiness, another way I’ve been having a holly jolly Christmas, is with hot chocolate bombs. Kurt and I took a trip to the Tennessee mountains in late October, and I discovered peanut butter whiskey. When paired with hot chocolate, it’s like drinking a Reese’s Cup. Take that 2020!
On the first weekend in December when the halls were all decked and the stockings were hung by the fire with care, we built a fire in the backyard and invited a few friends over to enjoy eggnog and a hot chocolate bar.
A wonderful and low key way to celebrate the holidays, plan one of these with your own family. Let the coffee maker do all the work and set out toppings such as mini marshmallows, peppermint sticks and cinnamon. You can even include flavored syrups. Christmas mugs and cocktail napkins add festive flair. Everyone gets to build their own drink. Oh what fun.
No matter the challenges that 2020 has thrown your way, I hope you'll find joy in the little things, and have yourself a merry little Christmas too.
Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a private chef and the author of the best-selling memoir “Some Kinda Good.” Featured in Forbes, on Food Network and ABC, she writes about Southern, coastal cuisine, locally sourced and in-season. Connect with her on social media by liking Some Kinda Good on Facebook, or follow @SKGFoodBlog on Instagram and Twitter. To learn more, visit RebekahLingenfelser.com.
