I started the year with a post on family, and I am ending the year with a post on holiday decor. I can’t think of anything more fitting! I recently saw a post that said, “Nostalgia is built on repetition.” And I thought it was a huge reason I resonate with the MacKenzie-Childs brand as a whole-it’s built upon the idea of using whimsical items in your home for every season and every occasion. As you decorate this holiday season, I wanted to touch on ways you can build nostalgia with the whimsy in your home. To truly ENJOY your Courtly Check that you have collected over the years- or this year with Barn Sale- and in the future. 😉 Let’s chat about 5 things to try for the holidays with MacKenzie-Childs.

But before I get deep into online conversation about ribbon and nativity scenes, I also have a code for you. This is probably my last code of the year, so don’t forget to add your decor and gifts to cart before use, as it’s a one-time use code!

KATEY20 for 20% off for 48 hours until 11/21- one time use per code

Exclusions: Tea Kettle Collection, Kitchen Electrics, PrintFresh, Brightland, Gray Mail, and gift cards

5 Things to Try for the Holidays with MacKenzie-Childs

1. Storybook Table– As I was scheming up tablescapes this year, I was thinking about when I decorate the table during the holidays. I set it for gingerbread house decorating, Maxi’s breakfast before her Nutcracker performance, and Christmas Eve. Each setting is centered around what we do for our children, so I wanted to tie in the memories. All three of my children, as babies, have loved this exact copy of The Gingerbread Man. There is an entire gingerbread section on MacKenzie-Childs’ site, and I combined new items with my beloved Courtly Check nutcrackers and tartan plates. Some of my favorite memories are our gingerbread house decorating parties —but you could easily do this theme with The Nutcracker or any other Christmas book you love. Hello, Frosty!
2. Simmer Pot – This morning was 33 degrees, which tells me it is simmer pot time! What is so soothing about the sweet-and-spicy air in the kitchen? For me, it’s the comfort of the stove on a chillier day, with the reminders of walking in certain stores at Christmas time. I’m actually gifting simmer pot mixes to our neighbors this year, so I was testing out different ones in my Courtly Check Stockpot! The MacKenzie-Childs Tea Kettle is certainly the jewelry of the kitchen, but citrus and cinnamon bubbling away in Courtly Check cookware deserves a spotlight, too.
3. Mugs – In my coffee bar cabinet, I have rows of coffee mugs. I have summer, fall, and winter mugs- it’s kind of ridiculous! But the act of switching coffee cups on each row marks the start of a season and a certain rhythm for me. Buying 4-6 of the same mug for a specific season is one of my favorite ways to have “fun” cups in your caffeine ritual, while still feeling cohesive. I will use these Gray Malin mugs until March! I love this, too!
4. Timeless Christmas Decor– I popped by my parents’ house yesterday, and my mom was setting up her Christmas decor. There’s an extensive conversation online amongst my generation regarding decorating and our children. Are designer trees too popular now? Do we miss a ’90s Christmas? As I looked at my mom’s decor, I felt a tug to look at my childhood ornaments, while also being in awe of the way she weaves in the new finds. She was showing me Christmas angels she brought back from a trip to Switzerland with my dad, and I immediately said how they reminded me of our Swedish Christmas Eves at my Nana’s house! New doesn’t automatically negate a nod to the past. There can be threads of themes woven throughout our decor, which I believe Courtly Check does so seamlessly. One item here reminds you of your mother’s there, and so on. But in a conscious effort to enjoy both the timeless and the trends, I believe there are ways to marry the two together! First and foremost, you can dip your toes into trends with ribbon. Keep the base of your ribbon Courtly Check, and pinch and twist new ribbon in- like tartan for a Ralph Lauren Christmas. Or you can try a touch of blue or pink if you welcomed a new baby this year! As you mix in the new, keep 3 holiday decor bases that your children will always remember. In our home, these are the pieces my children race to put up first! It is our Patience Brewster Nativity (Maxi’s favorite), Courtly Check Ornament Holders (Harry’s favorite), and a new, forever addition for Hunt- the Tree Train Music Box. Hunt is our first baby to be enamored by trains, and so I loved this timeless piece for him. Your Courtly Check ribbon can also act as one of the three timeless Christmas items, as it can forever be the base of your tree. I have styled our’s each year from a pink Christmas to a traditional, so if you want to see photos be sure to check Instagram.
5. A Signature Gift– One of my favorite holiday hacks is finding a signature gift! I like to have 1-3 signature gifts that I can order on sale in bulk and use for teacher gifts, neighbor gifts, and hostess gifts. The key with a signature gift is that it allows margin for you to personalize based on the recipient. The MacKenzie-Childs Sleigh is one I’ve chatted about for years, and it’s my favorite way to wrap a gift card. This size MC frame is my top seller in terms of home decor (for the past few years!), and you can add a photo of your friend’s children in it to personalize. Stock up on the ribbon and wrap up darling paper plates and a meal gift card for a teacher gift- personalize it with their favorite restaurant. The bakeware and mixing bowls are new additions this year, too. You can add simmer pot mixes, Ballerina Farms flour, or cocktail mixes in them, depending upon their preferences.

As you unbox your decor from the attic, and order a few things here and there for now, I hope one of these resonates with you. Whichever idea you try, or gift you buy, don’t forget to use code KATEY20 for 20% off your MC order this holiday season!