If you follow along with me on Instagram, then you know I’m nearing my wits end with this kitchen renovation/surprise bathroom plumbing issue situation. To say it has been a lot to handle is a big understatement. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very excited for the end result and I have no doubt it’ll be worth it, but, man, can a renovation be hard on a person’s spirit — holiday spirit that is!
Now that November is here, all I want to do is bake my favorite festive foods and string garland all around the house. Neither of those things are options right now, though, which got me thinking… I can’t be the only one going through a renovation right before the holidays, right?? SO many of your have reached out on Instagram that you’re in the same boat, so I brainstormed a few ways I’m getting myself in the holiday spirit while renovating.
How To Get Into the Holiday Spirit When You’re Renovating
Decorate what you can
This can be tricky because you don’t want to get in the way of the renovation, so I recommend putting your focus outside. String some lights, get an inflatable snowman for the yard, do all the fun, festive stuff! If you really want to do something on the inside before work wraps up, go for something simple like holiday-scented candles, small figurines on a bookshelf or a cozy throw for the sofa. Nothing that could get in the way, but still makes your heart jolly and happy. I actually hung our DIY pom pom garland around the TV!
Celebrate outside of the house
One of my favorite things about the holiday season is seeing how others celebrate it. I’m really making this a priority this year given my circumstance. Try to scout out any holiday markets in your area or visit the part of town where houses go all out with their lights and decor. One of my favorite things to do is hit up a good restaurant once they put out their holiday specials. Yum!
Crank that holiday music
If there’s one thing you can always do no matter where you are (or what month it is), it’s blast holiday music. I feel like you either love Christmas music or you completely despise it, but if you’re struggling not to be the Grinch because of your reno, try cranking Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” and I promise you’ll feel a lot better. Bonus points if you can get your partner to dance along with you… I’m still working on Sean!
Look for inspiration
I’ll admit, this could make you feel even more sad about not being able to go crazy with your space, but I absolutely love cruising Pinterest for holiday decor inspo. Or you can search #holidaydecor on Instagram and see what trends everyone is loving. If I can’t decorate my home, I still like to look at really pretty styling and design, so hopefully this also brings you a little bit of joy. Plus, when you do finally get to decorate, you have loads of inspiration at your fingertips.
Buy (or make at a friend’s house) your favorite holiday treat
If you’re going through a kitchen renovation like me and there’s no oven in sight, you have to get your fave holiday pie from somewhere, right? Right. This could be a fun activity to do at a family or friend’s house, or you can pay a visit to one of your go-to local bakeries. Sean’s dad lives about 3 blocks away from us, so I’ve all but taken over his kitchen. I even brought my KitchenAid mixer over to his house.
And a few more ideas that could help:
- burn a holiday scented candle
- hang holiday lights outside… maybe even go overboard decorating your home’s exterior!
- watch holiday movies
- sip on a holiday inspired cocktail, such as our Alpine Buck, Festive Amaro Manhattan, or Tiramisu cocktail
- go for a walk and check out other people’s exterior holiday decor
And there you have it! Turns out it is possible to get into the holiday spirit even when your house is a construction zone. I hope this helps anyone going through this untimely struggle. ;)
If you have any other tips that should be on this list, comment below and let me know!
