January Decorating

I think I mentioned before I was kind of slow taking our holiday decor down this January.  I thought I would share a couple tricks from my holiday take down.  

This year we tried a new little trick with our tree and it worked like a charm.  To prevent the branches from sagging more and more throughout the whole season, Ryan and/or Joshua came up with a great idea.  They tied up the weaker branches with bungie cords to the strong branches.  We kept up our tree for a long time and it didn't barely droop, in fact, many people were surprised it was real it looked so "perky".  If only bungie cords could lift up other things that are drooping and less than perky around here. :)

I zoomed in on the bungie cords, but you really could not even see them once you stood back.  Good work, guys!

My mom always keeps M&M's at her house in every color to match each holiday. I got this idea from her.  (Usually I don't have enough chocolate left to do it!)  This year I actually had some leftovers and then Target had lots of Hershey Kisses on sale after Christmas.  I could not pass them up!  I just separated all the red and white candy from the green.  The red and white works great for Valentines, and I can bust out with the Green come St Patricks Day.  

I bought one package of pink to mix in with the Hershey Kisses, and poof…we are in business for Valentines.   

 

With Winter lasting so long where we live…I need to celebrate each Holiday to keep us from getting too gloomy around here.  Even though I like a clean slate after Christmas, I just couldn't take everything down, so going straight to Valentines helps ease the pain.  :)  Plus, I can use some of the things I already have up!  

Pretty much what I had out for Christmas…with a new print out in my frame.  

Love on the Kitchen Wall...

I bought four of these OLD Valentines from my favorite Garage Sale down the road.  They are so cute and have little messages on the other side from the people that sent them back in the day.  Everyone had such beautiful cursive. It is a lost art. This Valentine is my favorite because don't our lovers drive us all a little Cuckoo!?  

These plates were a post-Valentine Target Sale find one year.  The Hello Kitty TOASTER was a post-holiday Target clearance item that Annie saw and fell in love with. (They also had a popcorn popper that I think I should have snagged.)  It isn't the highest quality toaster, but it makes me laugh and it thrills the girls.  She bought it with her Christmas Money so I think it will not be going anywhere after Valentines.  

The Hot Chocolate isn't going anywhere for a while either.   

One of my best friends in California got this for me when we lived there…she must have had some intuition that we were moving to the land of the snow.  Oh, how true the statement is, but it doesn't mean you get to stop shoveling OR cleaning, unfortunately.  

More Vintage Valentines…this one is the oldest I believe.  

Still have this art project I made at Grandma's House with my nieces one year.  It is a little smashed, so maybe I should re-visit this project.  The garland was my best find yet…dollar section at Target this year.  (Are you sensing a theme here…I should get paid for the Target promotion!)  

I really wanted to keep some "lights" up from Christmas.  I love how they twinkle. I was so happy when in the same dollar section I found VALENTINE HEART LIGHTS!  Bingo, I had an official excuse to leave up a few Christmas Trees.  

Pine Trees are a winter thing, right?  

Another "Winter Wreath"...

Winter Popsicles...

Less you think I left my holiday wreath up…there are some hearts stuck in there too!

I even kept up one of my garlands…infused with my newfound heart lights of course.

More decorations that I let stick around after Christmas...

I love red and white.  I love that they are colors of TWO holidays in a row, and I love me a wreath every day of the week!  

Felt Coaster thing…Target Dollar Section!  

Just a few more things… (And that is it.  Wink Wink to Jennifer, Heidi, and Robin… I think you know why.)

So many complain about the snow…but I will take it.  A.  We desperately need it.  B.  Without it, this time of year is just plain UGLY.  With snow, it is beautiful!  James is getting pretty good about taking the girls for rides around the yard and to Grandma's House.  

Some of the people I love so much that I squish.  

Happy Valentines this week! For us that means school parties, sugar cookies, and a steak dinner for all the family cooked by Grandpa.  Oh, and there will be lots of Olympics Watching too!