The Holiday Cure Post Where I Give You Permission to Put Up Your Decorations Early
Apartment Therapy’s Holiday Cure is your 20-day guide to being comfortable, calm, and in control of a clean space during what can sometimes be a chaotic season. Sign up now (it’s free!) to get at-home holiday ideas delivered straight to your inbox
This year has done a number on my relationship with time and space. I used to flow linearly and freely through the weeks and months of each year: January, then February and March. Every week ended with a Friday, then came the weekend. But this year? Time means nothing and every day is the same but different. Will tomorrow be yesterday? Who knows! Is it really November right now? Who’s to say!
In any year, I am the loudest voice trying to hush the holiday nay-sayers who tell you any day before Thanksgiving is too early for holiday decorations. But this year? I’m going to be extra loud. If putting up a wreath or lights or a menorah or a whole tree with all the trimmings is going to make you smile when you stumble out of bed in the morning, then do it. Do it today.
You have Apartment Therapy’s blessing to start your holiday decorating. Not that you needed it.
Silence your inner grinch and put the decorations up early (and leave them up late!) if that’s going to make you happy.
Day 8: Put up some decorations.
A few days ago we cleaned and dusted to make this assignment go a little more smoothly. So all you really need to do today is drag out your favorite decorations and get them hung!
You can do your whole setup—inside and out. Hang the lights on the roof and trim every mantle and railing. Or just install one small happy little display. Whatever will make your heart sing.
Our house tour editor Adrienne Breaux said it best, in her ode to decorating early for Halloween (in August): “It’s felt like we haven’t really moved at all for months. Like life is standing still. Like the days are only filled with chores, work, trying not to nap, overeating, and forcing yourself to shower (are the last three only me?!). Can you even remember the last time you looked forward to something? It’s why I decided to decorate early—like REALLY early—for my favorite holiday.”
Put the decorations up and take them down in January. Or never. Whatever.
More Ways to Participate in the Holiday Cure:
- Sign up for email updates
- Visit the 2020 Holiday Cure page and catch up on assignments
- Save or print your own Holiday Cure tips workbook
- Download the Holiday Cure calendar
- Join the Apartment Therapy Cure Facebook group