Holiday Decorating. Why do we do it? - Page 2

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

I think, as women, it's part of our nesting urge. Make the nest as attractive and welcoming as possible. Birds do it too, as well as many animals. I'm no longer nesting so I don't decorate. It's just something to drag out that then has to be re-packed and put away. Nobody sees it but me.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

@Julie928

Everytime I tell myself there is only the 2 of us, limited company & no kids I say I'm going to stop!

Then i I come here & see all the great posts of you ladies/gents who have such lovely homes, creative decor ideas & sharing your great holiday finds -- I change my mind & out come my things!

BUT today my spouse had to go up in the attic above our garage (90+ degrees & pull down ladder) and told me he can't lift & carry the stuff anymore up there -- he plans to bring it ALL down & wants me to find a home for it (esp Fall & Christmas I have abundance)!

Honestly, I wish I knew someone who I could give to (my kids don't want it) -- so guess if it's ever under 80 here that will be my project! Sadly, he means what he says...

I've always decorated for every season/holiday since my kids were young - and I enjoy it YET I'm going to have to get another idea how to store what I ❤️ and not buy anymore...not easy, was in Kirklands oh my....😱😱😱I was good .....but didn't want to be!

lucymo · ‎12-13-2010

@Julie928 Julie, this is not a stupid question. I find it interesting to know why we all spend so much time and money to work for a week or more to decorate our homes. Then we spend another week to pack it all up and save it for next time so we can do it all over again.

I decorate our home because my DH and I both enjoy the festive atmosphere of whatever season it is. I also enjoy the time I spend on the actual decorating. We do Fall, Christmas and Easter in a big way, others not so much.

lucymo · ‎12-13-2010

@homedecor1 wrote:
@Julie928

Everytime I tell myself there is only the 2 of us, limited company & no kids I say I'm going to stop!

Then i I come here & see all the great posts of you ladies/gents who have such lovely homes, creative decor ideas & sharing your great holiday finds -- I change my mind & out come my things!

BUT today my spouse had to go up in the attic above our garage (90+ degrees & pull down ladder) and told me he can't lift & carry the stuff anymore up there -- he plans to bring it ALL down & wants me to find a home for it (esp Fall & Christmas I have abundance)!

Honestly, I wish I knew someone who I could give to (my kids don't want it) -- so guess if it's ever under 80 here that will be my project! Sadly, he means what he says...

I've always decorated for every season/holiday since my kids were young - and I enjoy it YET I'm going to have to get another idea how to store what I ❤️ and not buy anymore...not easy, was in Kirklands oh my....😱😱😱I was good .....but didn't want to be!
@homedecor1 I'm feeling so much sympathy for you and your DH. It had to be hard for him to tell you he couldn't do the attic climb anymore.

Maybe you can just pick out what you love and know you will use and find somewhere to store that. I need to do that very same thing as I've spent the day rummaging through boxes and finding so much that I can't or won't use. So I'm weeding it out...again.

Enjoy decorating for fall soon. It's still hot here too but we can enjoy some nice changes in the decor soon.

LIG1 · ‎07-22-2011

@CareBears wrote:
@LIG1 When she first died I did not want to celebrate Christmas without her, and someone definitely yelled in my ear and told me to Stop IT, that Christmas is a time to show love and to come together, and YES to remember past holidays to carry on the traditions, and I listened, and followed the advice I so needed at the time. I set a flameless candle on the window in the kitchen (so Mom can see it from heaven) at midnight on Christmas EVE, and tell her Merry Christmas Mom, I love you and miss you, and I know she wakes up on Christmas morning to the sound of the most beautiful choir that is made up of angels, she being one of them

@CareBears~ How touching.... I have no doubt that your mom's spirit watches over you. What a beautiful way to remember her with the candle in the window...(((❤)))

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

Decorating for holidays is some what new for me. I really didn't do much with holiday decor until about 5 or 6 years ago. I find it fun to hunt for this or that and see it all come together. I think the holiday touches make a house a home.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

I simply love 'home'. Even my first apartment, when I had very little to work with, I wanted to decorate for the seasons. And I'm one of the weird ones that loves to cook and clean and do laundry too!

I've always decorated for me first. I love it. The process of shopping for it, creating the look I either want or doing the best with what I had to work with, enjoying the results each time I walk into a room, being proud to have people come into my home and feel warm and welcome based on how the rooms look and feel and smell.

When I had my son, the seasonal and holiday decor became much more about making his childhood and his life magical. I spent more money and more time and involved him in the doing of it all. I wanted him to have the tradition of a nice home all year, but a magical place to remember his childhood holidays.

Now that it is just two of us again, it's back to me and what I want to look at and enjoy. My husband I think appreciates a well kept and maintained home, but he really isn't into holiday or seasonal decor. So now I choose things I like (as opposed to child centered and friendly) and put together what satisfies my creative side, as well as what makes me feel my home is warm and inviting.

I learned what I do and the reasons I do it from my mother. She always kept a nice home, even when we had very little in the way of material things to keep a home with. For her, it was an expression of love for her family. It was an expression of pride in her home and her ability to create a place people would like to be. And for both of us it is an expression of gratitude for all we have been blessed with. Grateful for The family we create the home for, and for the things we have been blessed with to use in order to create that home.

homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

@lucymo

yes, he was serious - those steps are very steep & I have limited closet space in the house. He has been fighting a pinched nerve in his back (just had MRI) stopped playing golf for awhile. I completely understand his reasoning. In fact, he always compliments me on how beautiful every looks & festive.

This past 2 years we have lost a significant amount of friends (& family) who we entertained with. I am having a lot of issues realizing losing people around me - 3 of our closest friends here passed in the past 7 months. (Of course it's because we are so much younger than many in this community).

I will try to pick my fav pieces & sell the rest. That is the hardest part we are only "allowed" a community yard sale in April. I'm going to try to do word if mouth & do a "pre-estate" sale in October - I not only have seasonal but lots of home items (kitchen, etc.) I'm no longer using...ugh ...

Plus it's always hot into December so there isn't a good day to spend clearing out my stuff in the hot garage or lanai! Oh the "paradise" moments!!!!😉

@Mominohio

I always say I am a perfect "domestic". Growing up we had a nanny/maid her name was Elsa and reading your post reminded me of how I love to clean, iron, cook, bake, sew, and love my "comforts of home". Elsa was such a wonderful woman she taught me to keep a home & my dads Italian mother was my other "mentor". Summers spent with her & my aunts were wonderful.

I love the seasons & here it's Summer all year long - I so miss my beautiful home up north & my family. I never spend holidays here but I do enjoy decorating my home.

CareBears · ‎08-30-2015

@LIG1 Easy to honor such a beautiful person, my Mom and I were always together, she truly was my Best Friend, if I was not at home when my husband would come home from work he always knew where to find me, and then we made him worry aobout what trouble we would get ourselved into, My Mom always brought out my feisty side, LOL!

Gram W · ‎01-22-2013

@homedecor1. I am a 72 yr old widow. I understand the issues of carrying things each season. I have everything in the house now. I have most organized by season and I have them in under the bed long storage boxes on wheels upstairs. I purchased the QVC collapseable Clever Crates. (The smallest has handles.) I take a crate upstairs and shop in my own supplies. If my DIL needs something she calls me before she buys new. I have decorated their enclosed front porch for years. I have collected so many things over the years so I have a big collection to "shop" from and the arrangements each season are different.

Right now I am collecting wildflowers, cattails, etc to add to this year's wreaths, candles, lanterns and silk flowers. I especially enjoy decorating for fall and winter. I do simple basic decorations for each of the 4 seasons. For Halloween I just add ghosts, handmade ceramic tree stumps/vases, spiders, etc to fall. For Christmas I add Santa, Nativity, elves, etc to winter. This makes it easy to move out of a season without having to redo everything. When I was first widowed I didn't decorate because I go to be with my children and grandchildren every holiday. That was not a good decision for me. I received a mental kick in the behind and got back into doing what I love. It is relaxing and it gives me a great deal of pleasure. I will be doing it as long as I can go up and down stairs, even on my bottom.