Brett walked in the door from work last night to Nat King Cole crooning Christmas carols. I wasn’t sure how he’d respond but was pleasantly surprised when he smiled and said, “I like it. Bring it on.”
“Like bring it all on or just the carols?” I clarified.
“Everything. Let’s start decorating. We’ve always loved this, and it never lasts long enough. Why not start now?”
And this, my friends, is why I married him.
We’re in the holiday window right now, folks–the three weeks before Thanksgiving where people publicly make their proclamation on where they stand with the timing of holiday celebrations. And people are passionate about this. I get it, I get it. Thanksgiving is separate from Christmas and deserves to have a little limelight of its own. And I get not jumping the gun too early because there’s something so special about that little sliver of the year when the magic of tree lights greets you early in the morning that you don’t want to “overplay” it and risk losing any of its enchanting effect. I get that holiday commercialism can force feed stress that takes away from what the holidays are really about, so boycotting it this time of year helps people protect the sacredness of simplicity, togetherness and gratitude.
That said, Thanksgiving is about gratitude, and you know what I’m grateful for? I’m grateful for people getting to choose what they’re grateful for, and I choose twinkle lights, Christmas music and the smell of balsam & fir. These things make me happy, and I combine them with gratitude and quiet nights at home and huddling together with my family because this time of year is not about choosing one or the other but about combining things that make us feel joy with things that remind us of our purpose. So I choose the trickle effect. What’s the trickle effect, you ask? It’s drawing out this season I love into small pleasures that start now and grow each day to savor the anticipation and to give us daily doses of joy. I start early because there are so many things about the holidays that I love from wrapping packages with pretty touches to frosting snowflake cookies at my kitchen counter while It’s a Wonderful Life plays on the little T.V. in the corner. I don’t feel pressure to do these things–I really, truly love them; and I don’t want to cram them all into one month because then it does feel like pressure, and I don’t enjoy them as much.
So today, I play Christmas music. And I pull out one bin full of garland from the garage. And I hunt around the Internet to find the most special little treasures for stockings because it makes me happy, and I like to share it with you. And I push my cart straight to the back of Target where the Christmas aisles are erecting every time I’m there not so that I can buy, buy, buy but so that I can look, look, look…because looking at the lights and the wreaths and marveling at the creativity of product designers and the way they capture the cozy, festive feelings we love from tiny ornaments to the perfect tissue paper makes me feel inspired to keep making and dreaming and decorating and celebrating.
If you’re one who also loves the early November Trickle Effect, here’s a few things I do this time of year to enjoy the process and space the celebration out.
Think about how you are going to decorate.
With the excitement of the first holiday decor aisles released, it’s easy to want to buy something for that hit of holiday enthusiasm. But I’ve too often made the mistake of bringing home that tabletop Christmas tree only to realize I don’t have a place for it or I bought something similar the year before once I open my decor aisle bins. Because most of us keep our holiday decor packed up for the year, we forget what we already have. So think before you buy. Pull everything down, take a look at what you already have and come up with a holiday decorating plan before you willy-nilly buy that wreath.
Print some wintery photos.
It’s an easy and inexpensive way to add holiday cheer to your home, and since it requires a little prep, now’s the time to do it. Go through old folders and find your favorite holiday moments from the past to print out and display this season–last year’s first snowman, your kids on Santa’s lap, the photo you captured of that colorful line-up of mittens on the heater.
Plan a Thanksgiving tablescape.
My parents were so good at making our table look beautiful for the holidays growing up, and to this day, I remember the feeling of knowing it was going to be a memorable meal just from the details our table included–centerpieces and place mats, name cards and special occasion napkins. I still recall Christmas breakfast at my dad’s one morning when I was in my twenties and how he tucked the silverware in little mittens on each plate. Creating holiday table scenes is one of my favorite things to do during the season, and I love taking time to put in some creative planning on how to make it special.
Pull out your calendar.
The season will fly by before you know it, so now is the time to put things on your calendar. That Friendsgiving you always wanted to host? The Nutcracker you dream of taking your mom to? The night of girlfriends in their pajamas watching Elf on your couch that you say you want to plan? Pull our your calendar now, pick your dates, text your people. Make it happen. Plan in November so you can enjoy in December.
Make lists.
I make more lists this time of year than ever, and they are far more “This is so much fun and makes me so excited to write this stuff down!” than “This list shall hold you accountable, and you shall check everything off.” I make lists for recipes I want to try during the holidays, lists for people I’m inviting for holiday cocktail night, lists for stocking stuffer ideas, gifts I’ve bought, kind things I want to do for people, things I want to pack for our Chicago trip, new songs I want to add to my holiday playlist. I use pretty pens for my lists, and sometimes I practice writing them like how I would imagine Mrs. Claus would. I love holiday lists. And yes–sometimes they do have the added bonus of actually helping me stay organized.
Buy ornaments.
We buy special ornaments for our kids every year to represent something about them–things they like this year, new things they tried, etc. Now is a fun time to poke around the Internet to see what crazy ornaments are available (I’ve been searching for a rat ornament for Lainey and can’t find a good one).
Pregame Holiday Mailer planning.
I know some people dread sending Christmas cards, but it’s something Heidi and I look forward to all year long because we’ve turned it into an event that we accomplish together, and we plan for it with the silliest but most delightful details–finding the perfect pen we’ll use to address them (I’m in comparing stage now, and I am happy to report I tested five different pens at Paper Source yesterday and narrowed it down to two), picking out our holiday stamps and return address labels, tucking away vintage Christmas stickers to enclose in the envelopes. Do these things really matter? No, but we’ve made them matter because it’s fun. When everything is ready to go, we turn it into a magical night of Christmas movie watching and cocoa drinking and hand-addressing our envelopes together.
Pull Out the Winter Kids’ Books
Ever have a February organizing blitz in your kids’ rooms only to find a collection of Christmas picture books you forgot about, and now it’s two months too late? Go through the bookshelves and pull them out now–all the wintery stories. Display them in a basket next to the bed or a special shelf so you remember to read them in the coming weeks. Cozy sweet memories guaranteed.
Host a Planning Breakfast.
Love the holidays and want to share it with friends who also love the holidays? Host a holiday planning breakfast in the next couple of weeks. Make lists, swap recipes, give each other stocking stuffer ideas, talk about your favorite traditions, offer your silver chargers for your friend’s holiday brunch tablescape. I’m having one of these tomorrow morning…let the games begin.
Amanda says
Great post! Thank you for sharing. I have in the past been a post thanksgiving decorator but we aren’t even home this thanksgiving so…we are home today with strep and no school due to voting and I got the Christmas bug so we are going to take part in the trickle effect this year. We are starting with packing away day to day decor and checking out what we have to decorate with.
Lynn says
I look forward to your stocking stuffer list every year!! It helps me get fun, cute, relevant items for my grandkids that aren’t plastic junk!!
Erin in CA says
I have always been a “no Christmas until after Thanksgiving” kind of person, but this week, with darkness arriving so early, I decided I’d love to get our outdoor lights up early. AND I realized that I *hate* the ones we’ve been using for years. So we sat down, figured out what we wanted, ordered everything, and will be able to put them up this weekend. Hooray! Thanks for giving permission to joyfully put up some Christmas lights AND still be all-in for Thanksgiving.
KC says
This is maybe a nutty idea, but: find a needle-felted rat on Etsy, add hanger? (or ask the maker to add a hanger?) There is a teeny-tiny adorable one here for $16: https://www.etsy.com/listing/617989779/tiny-needle-felted-rat
(I’m not affiliated, I’ve just had a *lot* of success finding weird-and-awesome personalized things for people on Etsy.)
Andrea DeBusschere says
That is definitely the cutest rat I have ever seen.
Kelle says
Omg, done. Precious!
Stacie Burke says
Haha, I was just gonna say the same thing! I don’t even know how I came upon needle felted rat on Etsy… I don’t even like rats and I think they are so cute! Also, I’m not obsessed with the look of vintage wax sealed envelopes!! Pretty sure I’m gonna need some for our cards this year! 🙂
marvel says
I like to start with a good deep cleaning of my space to get ready for the holiday decorations, and so it doesn’t feel so cluttered. Doing it this weekend and then the games begin!
Liz says
Paper Source is Heaven❤️
Leah Wright says
I decorated this time last year. I got around being accused of skipping a holiday by buying a great turkey placecard holder at Hobby Lobby and hanging it on my tree like an ornament.
Lisa showalter says
Love this post! ???? I feel the same way about decorating. I love the season and I want to enjoy it to the fullest. Getting decor out early for me allows a more relaxed and enjoyable time to do other things…such as baking, gifting, wrapping, light viewing, etc.
Your posts are always so inspiring, uplifting and full of great ideas!
May the thankfulness, joy and merry begin!
????????????✨
Lisa showalter says
Also, I truly do love and appreciate Thanksgiving! As we are all gathered around the table for our Thanksgiving ???? meal I’m always sure to mention that I’m ‘thankful’ for any Christmas decor or lights ✨ that may be present. ???? Plus I get out my Christmas ???? Spode dishes, use them for our meal and use them daily through December.
Erin says
So fun to read your holiday posts! I’m with you on looking at the displays at Target! Just seeing them does something for me (it was the first thing my daughter, who is 8, said she wanted to do for our Christmas bucket list).
I pull out our small Christmas tree in early November and over the years we have made a lot of Thanksgiving ornaments. Leaves, acorns, pumpkins, etc, that helps me feel festive and enjoy the twinkle lights. I play gratitude hymns, but we have to play the Christmas ones, too, to, you know, practice, so we’ll be good at them by Christmas season. 😉
Thanks for writing! The way you knit words together is as cozy as a warm sweater for my soul!
Missy says
Oh hooray, it’s time for Christmas at Kelle’s! I love this time at your house.
Sarah Clews says
Love this post. Do you think you could post a list of favorite wintery/Christmas books? I’d love to invest in a few more special titles.
Jennifer frost says
I just love you and your blog and all your fantastic ideas. Thank you for being so awesome Kellie and please keep it coming.
Laurie Z says
Well….mine might not be considered the trickle effect because I put my tree up this past weekend. I love it, my husband loves it, and my kids adore it. It helps with it getting dark outside so early and it’s super fun to watch the Hallmark Christmas movies with it on at night. If Hallmark can start the movies in October….then tree up first week in November is sanctioned by the holiday elves! As I get older I find myself not caring what the neighbors think about it…..all my daughter’s friends think it’s great that I put up the tree early. Puts me in the “cool mom” category according to them. I read an article that people who decorate early for the holidays are happier than people who wait. I am upping my happiness quotient!
Tina says
I absolutely adore your holiday spirit and am grateful for your kids stocking stuffer finds! Any chance you have found bright outdoor lights, battery-operated with a timer? We have large wreaths to light but no outlet.
Jessey says
I refuse to start decorating until the Saturday 9 days after Thanksgiving (regardless of when Thanksgiving falls) because I want to make the few weeks the decorations are up to be extra special, but I have:
-Bought Nutcracker tickets and booked a hotel to see city lights the night before
-Bought matching pjs
-filled out the calendar (I use a template each year and alter it annually)
—started my grocery list for holiday treats
—ordered our wreaths from the Boy Scouts
—made a list of what twinkle lights we do have so I can get more before our hotel stay
My boxes of decorations are too plentiful to go through prior to December but I am really trying to reduce the amount of new stuff I get each year
What I’ve done nothing about is gifts! The 12 year old has outgrown toys and she’s picky about clothes so her gifts have been reduced to gift cards *sob* and even the 9 year old is not wanting for much and he has Christmas and birthday gifts that haven’t been used yet
And my grocery lists for Thanksgiving have been made so I can just enjoy the lull for a couple of weeks. I don’t love Thanksgiving, especially when it is so early, but come noon when Santa enters Herald Square, it is the start of the best season of them all!
Kelle says
I love your list!!
Heather says
I’ve been thinking about your stocking stuffer lists and looking forward to it this year! I can’t wait to see the creative finds this year! Happy decorating!
Sharon says
Hhhhhmmmm…I firmly in camp “decorate after Thanksgiving and leave it up thru New Year’s Day” yet I’ve done almost everything you listed on this blog post…go figure…you may bring me fully to the dark side this year, Kelle. Well played.
tracey says
I am a wait til 1 December type for decorating and music but I have started all the list making and planning. We celebrate the whole 12 Days of Christmas (which actually start the 25th) and go all the way through Epiphany on the 6th of Jan. So we get plenty of holiday time, just on the other end!
Melissa says
I started doing a new years tree on new years eve a few years ago and love our tradition. I type up memories from the year, roll them, and stuff them in balloons, some even have dollars in them. I attach pretty strings and tie all the balloons to the decorated tree. My kids take turns popping the balloons with thumbtacks and read the memory inside out loud to the adults. The kids love popping the balloons and we all love reminiscing on forgotten family memories from the past year.
Jennifer Reil says
I love this! I started listening to Christmas music November 1st, and I’ll start our Christmas cards next week. I love that you shared you are grateful for twinkle lights, Christmas music, and the smell of Christmas trees- what a wonderful idea at Thanksgiving time to be grateful for our love of the Christmas season!
Our Black Friday tradition is to decorate for Christmas. I live in Canada, so they have Thanksgiving in October, but our family always celebrates American Thanksgiving too (it just feels wrong to have Thanksgiving before Halloween ;). Last year we were in the middle of a traumatic move and I felt like an observer of Christmas instead of a participant, this year I am so excited to celebrate it up right this year.
As always, I love your photos and my heart particularly melted at the one of little Nella sitting at the “snow” covered table.
Mary in VA says
This makes me so happy, I can feel the joy rising! I’ve been sneaking a little touch in here and there – the nutcrackers are already standing sentinel on the mantel and twinkle lights are tucked here and there. Love all your ideas!
Mabyn says
This is probably my favourite post you’ve ever written. ❤️ It made me feel like a Kelle Hampton Christmas® is totally doable when most years the holidays can leave me feeling stressed and drained. So I love the trickle effect!
Also, I love all the same things you love about Christmas! Just reading this post made me feel warm and cozy inside and while I’m already looking forward to the holidays, I feel like you’ve given me permission to start a little earlier than I normally do. Yesterday after school we listened to Christmas music in the kitchen while we unpacked lunch boxes and it brought me so much JOY! So I just wanted to say thank you! ????
JADE says
Ikea has little rat dolls for a dollar or two. You could get one of those and loop your own string for an ornament. Maybe their not “ratty” enough, though.
Mary Lou says
Kelle….
I am listening to Bing Crosby right now!! He is crooning ‘White Christmas’!! I have already done Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra and today…. But this list goes on and on and on!! I actually shamelessly started listening to Christmas music before Halloween this year, {do not judge} because I was battling a head cold, then on top of that, my entire family caught the stomach flu {Not me!! I was protected by Christmas music in my bedroom!! Ha!!} My soul needed to escape through these carols and songs, because, Life!! 🙂
Peace out, Mary Lou
Michelle says
You would love my mother-in-law’s house, 3 acres of year round Christmas, but this time of year she busily gets the few things out that she puts away, and the day after Thanksgiving-a mega light show that has cars driving by in a steady stream as the lights flash to the music found on a local radio channel. Yes, she’s made the highlight real of HGTV as well as German television, but of course, is goes right along with our hometown of Frankenmuth, and our World’s Largest Christmas store. Please tell me in your childhood that you’ve been there. If not, a must stop on your way up north next summer!
Mary B. says
I start a lot of my Christmas planning in November, so I can get a head start on gifts and ideas for parties or activities, but that’s as far as it goes. I’m Canadian, so we’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving, which is awesome. September is for back-to-school and getting settled into new routines, October is for Thanksgiving and Halloween, and I liken November to when the crops are fallow: it’s downtime for us, ordinary time. People around here also get really upset if Christmas stuff comes out before Remembrance Day, so there’s that as well. December is Advent and preparing for Christmas, and I love it!!! We have our little add-an-ornament Advent tree (the magnetic Melissa and Doug one), we put out our holiday books, we start getting ready for parties and pageants and special events. Christmas Eve is our holy time, Christmas Day through Epiphany is our celebration and family time! I love drawing out the season by focusing on Advent as the preparation, and the 12 days of Christmas as the celebration.
Jenifer Higgins says
I make a my daughter an ornament representing something she’s been into that year. This year it will be theater masks. Here’s a few rat ornaments I saw on Etsy.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/200787521/needle-felted-mouse-ornament-christmas?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=rat%20christmas%20ornament&ref=sr_gallery-4-48&organic_search_click=1
https://www.etsy.com/listing/487645979/pet-rat-holiday-star-ornament?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=rat%20christmas%20ornament&ref=sr_gallery-1-14&organic_search_click=1
https://www.etsy.com/listing/567517687/set-of-three-rat-shaped-cushion?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=rat%20christmas%20ornament&ref=sr_gallery-2-5&organic_search_click=1
https://www.etsy.com/listing/259876055/custompersonalized-pet-rat-wood-ornament?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=rat%20christmas%20ornament&ref=sr_gallery-3-28&organic_search_click=1
Sara says
I love this!! I’m stealing “the trickle effect” and using it whenever someone teases me for spreading out the holidays into November. We saw Santa on Sunday… no lines and happy kids! It’s the best time to go and it gets us in the holiday spirit. We found 2 XM Christmas music stations to listen to on the way home. Last year we put up our Christmas tree early because it was new and we wanted to test the lights…and I ran to the Dollar Store for faux fall leaves and a big bow for the top and made a Thanksgiving Tree that we kept up all month…we’re going to do that again! Bonus, it’s up already on Thanksgiving weekend and ready to decorate for Christmas!
Mary says
Please share your pens from Paper Source! Pretty please?! Love, a fellow pen lover 🙂
Nicole says
I am SO with you on this, this year! I already brought out the Christmas scentsy Lindt peppermint chocolates and Starbucks and Caribou mint coffees…. and this weekend, the lights and decorations will start to trickle out. Despite the fact that, for years, I have maintained the “not until after Thanksgiving” tradition. And I bought my first gifts this week, in anticipation of all to come. I also made my gift-giving list, leaving a few question marks, but mostly filled in with thoughtful gifts, instead of the norm – last-minute cheap/cheasy gifts. I’m in. I’m all in this year. To feel every feel, to savor every minute and make it count, and make it last. These are the moments we live for, as moms.
Vickie Buchner says
Love your holiday spirit- it’s so contagious ???????????????? My favorite idea I picked up from you is wrapping all the holiday books we have (and of course buy a few newbies) and unwrap one each night. So magical. Thank you!!!
Claire says
Saw a Popcorn machine ornament on ModCloth.com that made me think of you guys immediately!