You guys. I got new pendant lights for the kitchen. And I'm obsessed. It's like that quote 'you were everything I never knew I always wanted.' That's how I'd describe these fixtures. I thought I wanted shiny and new. I was wrong. I thought I wanted modern. That was a lie. Turns out I never knew I always wanted vintage fixtures with the most beautiful patina in a rather traditional shape. They're huge and they make my heart flutter. And they came from [drum roll please] FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE. I'm sorry I'm screaming but I just never thought I'd find the perfect affordable brass light fixture on facebook. Craigslist? Maybe but not likely. OfferUp? Probably not.  Wayfair? Overstock? AllModern? Hayneedle? Yes, yes, yes, or yes.

Have you ever 'swiped up' on an Instastory to see where a product was from and it was an $88 Christmas doormat? No? Just me? If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you know I'm not interested in spending $100 on a holiday doormat. ha! Decorating for Christmas on a budget is possible and with a little ingenuity, it can even look good. Whether your decor comes from Target, Studio McGee, or somewhere in between, I hope you'll find these ideas useful.  Here are my favorite ways to use what I already have to decorate for the holidays.

I love advent. I love the anticipation of Christmas and how advent calendars and activities help us focus on the reason for the season. When you've grown up as a Christian, sometimes extraordinary matters of the faith, become all too ordinary. Advent helps refocus me (and my kiddos) on how extraordinary the birth of Christ truly is. While we do all of the usual stuff- shopping and eating and gifting and decorating and SANTA and the elf, I want my littles to look back and have clear memories of celebrating Jesus at Christmas time. While not all of these activities have a spiritual focus, they can all be tools to refocus your family and to anticipate the most wonderful time of the year.