Category: Christmas

Now that Christmas Eve is behind us, comes the more festive celebration of New Year’s Eve.  The food is lighter, the champagne is abundant or just enough and the expectation of the new year is accelerating.  Here are five simple steps that will make your New Years celebration a lot more enjoyable.

New Year's celebrations

Clean Up Your Home

There is not much fun in this one, but before you start working on your New Year’s resolution list, clean up your home first.  Our surroundings are usually a reflection of our inner beings, and if we can’t keep our home tidy, most likely we won’t have the strength to keep our resolutions.

Dress The Parts

Not because you are not hosting a big party means you have to receive the new year in PJ’s.  Even if it’s only you and your close family, make an effort to dress up.  Start the year with the right foot forward and make that extra effort for your self and your loved ones.

Know Your Champagne

oliver gal champagne canvas print

Oliver Gal Champagne Canvas Print available at Nordstrom

Champagne is the known drink for festive activities and celebrations.  Get to know the different kinds of bubbly drinks available starting from what is champagne, how to read the labels and what glasses to use.  Don’t worry, there are good champagnes that don’t have to be ridiculously pricey.

Make Some Noise

new year's eve celebrations

If you can’t afford a band, then blow noise horns, ring bells, wear fun hats and set off fireworks.

Embrace A New Tradition

I grew up with the tradition of eating 12 grapes at the clock of midnight on New Year’s Eve.  Each grape is supposed to represent good luck for each month of the coming year.

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As the holiday approaches, so does the anticipation of celebrating among families and friends.  From simple to nature-inspired table settings that won’t need too much effort to more elegant and modern ones we have rounded up four beautiful Christmas table settings that will for sure delight your guests and make you feel at ease.

Galand And Candles

Christmas table settings 2

Simply run a garland along the table, add a few votive candles along with tall candle holders and your table setting will be nature-inspired and beautiful.

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Decorating your fireplace mantel for Christmas should not be a hassle.  Our mantel is rather a shallow mantel so it requires a little extra effort to decorate and outfitting it for Christmas.  Holiday decorating is super exciting and enjoyable hence it comes as a giving, however, as in any other decorating project, when you lock enough space, you need to pull from the creative box.  These are the simple three steps I followed this year for our Christmas mantle decoration.  Further below, I explain how I was able to get it done even on our shallow  fireplace mantle.

Christmas mantle decoration, Julie Paulino Design

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You will want to make your home inviting and cozy when autumn and winter arrive, especially for the holiday season. Families must spend more time inside as the temperatures begin to drop, so having a warm home is essential. Here are a few tips for your home’s seasonal decor throughout the autumn and winter.

make your home inviting, warm living room

Photo via Elle Decor

How to Make Your Home Inviting During Cold Season

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Not to sound like Oprah here but it truly is the ordinary things that make up for a big chunk of our happiness.  Simple and daily rituals are the ones that make a difference in our lives.  As I look forward to my morning espresso everyday… well I also look forward to my early afternoon one… I feel a sense of happiness and excitement.  It may or may not have to do with the fact that where I come from, an Island called DR, coffee is used as a social activity instead of a source of energy.  It’s not realistic to wish to enjoy every minute of our days because frankly who can be immune to the wrong things that affect us emotionally sometimes, but I think that learning to be grateful for the simple things it’s more than doable.  It can start with comparing our life today to our life five years ago.  Just recently I had a conversation with a very particular friend who was stacked repeating like a broken record that life doesn’t get better, until I asked him where were you five years ago?  What was your economical situation five years ago?  How was your family five years ago?… and so on.  His response was, well now that you say that, we are much better today, that’s true…. I’m sure that is the situation of many other people.  Life does get better every year in many ways and it helps to keep that in mind as often as we can.  Here is to the better next year, wishing you and your family many ordinary daily moments to look forward to.  From our Home to yours, Happy New Year!

Munich 2016

Munich and peekaboo on the lower right.

Munich 2016

Viktualienmarkt Munich

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Every woman loves to dazzle for at least one special occasion a year.  It’s hard to come up with a better time to do just that than New Year’s Eve.  Regardless of what your tradition to welcome the new year is, it’s always a good idea to look the parts.  Any of these smashing outfits will make your countdown to next year a lot more glamorous and fun.  Isn’t that what we all want…

Before we have to go and get all prettied-up for the new year, it’ll be Christmas first and it’s happening in two days so I want to wish you a very peaceful and Merry Christmas.

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