1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to deck unexpected halts. A little holiday 4 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: cheer in unexpected places can make the season feel more festive. 5 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: If you celebrate Christmas in either sacred or secular fashion, 6 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 1: you no doubt put up the expected stuff. A tree 7 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: in your living room, a wreath on the door, a 8 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: few lights on trees. That's all great, but why stop 9 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: there some whimsical touches in other places at an element 10 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: of surprise, and there are a great many options. For instance, 11 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: if one tree is good, more trees are better. In 12 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: addition to your focal one where you stuffed the presents, 13 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: consider putting small ones, maybe in your kid's room. Each 14 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: kid can decorate the tree exactly as he or she wishes. 15 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: And if you would like to avoid having spruce needles 16 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: all over the floor, we'll go for artificial trees just 17 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: as much fun, much less maintenance required. Any bathroom is 18 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: ripe for the holiday treatment. Grocery stores sell holiday themed 19 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: soft soap. We've got gingerbread and cranberry scents going on 20 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: right now, and a bright red hand towel or a 21 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: glittery one makes hand washing fun. Definitely break out the 22 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: Christmas themed mugs for your morning coffee, and how about 23 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: holiday place mats or napkins. Kids might like holiday ziploc 24 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: bags in their lunches. Put a garland behind you if 25 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: you're working from home, and the greenery can be seen 26 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: in zoom calls. And yes, you could get a Rudolph 27 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: nows and antlers for your car. It's silly, but well 28 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: it can be fun. Little whimsical decorations don't have to 29 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: stop with Christmas. Any holiday can be an occasion for 30 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: spreading a bit of cheer. Maybe it's pink and red 31 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: candles around the house for Valentine's Day or an extra 32 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: pink and red throw pillow here and there. Tiny pumpkins 33 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: can add a fall vibe in all kinds of places, bathrooms, 34 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: window sills, desk tops. Kids stuffed bunnies can become the 35 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,519 Speaker 1: basis for an Easter display. Now you may be thinking 36 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: that this sounds like a lot of time, money, and clutter. 37 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: You may also recall that I have advocated looking for 38 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 1: evergreen stuff when possible, but since holidays come around annually, 39 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 1: as long as you don't stick a date on anything. 40 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,519 Speaker 1: You can reuse it for a long time. You probably 41 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: have all the Christmas or winter decorps you want, but 42 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: for the other holidays, just pick up a new item 43 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: or two each year. Your collection will grow over time. 44 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: Store all the decorations for a given holiday in a 45 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: clearly labeled bin. Then when the holiday is around the corner, 46 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: take out the bin and decorate. After it passes, put 47 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: the items back in the bin, and store the bin 48 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: in your closet or attic or basement or wherever you 49 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: put it. You can also put holiday themed consumables like 50 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: cocktail napkins, ribbons, and wrapping paper in the holiday bin too, 51 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: since you won't need them again until the same time 52 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: that you need the decor. Decking unexpected halls doesn't have 53 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,679 Speaker 1: to take a lot of time or effort or expense, 54 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,239 Speaker 1: but it can add a lot of fun to the year, 55 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: and that strikes me as a good return on investment. 56 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: In the meantime, This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and 57 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 58 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 59 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me. 60 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: On Twitter, face Book, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. 61 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: That's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 62 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast. 63 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: At iHeart media dot com that before Breakfast is spelled 64 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 65 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 66 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from i heart Radio, 67 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 68 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.