Colors, materials, new ideas or great returns: these are the trends for decorating your home, the tree and the dining table.
Opulent colors
The luxury nuances, between gold, silver and bronze, but also those inspired by precious stones, have been the leading players of Christmas decorations in recent years. The year 2020 is the time of opulent colors to combine to create a sophisticated mood. Matt blue, gold, bronze and soft blue are the colors to choose from.
Green and gold
The trend of “precious” continues to follow this combination of green (in all its shades) and gold. A combination reminiscent of nature illuminated by the sun.
Natural wood decorations
Inspired by the Nordic style decorations, the natural wood decorations are no longer just raw logs, stars and flowers, but above all small masterpieces of minimalist design with universal shapes.
Among colors, materials and lights, the most beautiful ideas to decorate your home, the tree, the dining table.
It’s time to discover all the news and trends for Christmas 2020: we are now ready to find out which Christmas decorations for the home we are going to choose, how to lay the dinner table, how to wrap the presents we are going to put under the tree.
If it seems too soon, it’s because you haven’t yet had a tour of the home furnishings and decoration stores. The new collections have already arrived and, thanks to the proposals of the brands, you can make a list of trends to follow in terms of color, mood, atmosphere.
This year, so difficult for families, due to the Covid-19 epidemic still going on worldwide, Christmas is more expected than ever. During the holidays, in fact, homes, which have become an even more solid reference point in our lives, a safe haven and a serene environment, are dressed in lights, bright colors, joy and the desire to celebrate.
To help create the atmosphere we have Christmas trees, garlands, centerpieces and decorations for each room. How to choose them following the Christmas trends 2020/2021? We will tell you, in the next few short but useful guides to consult before shopping.
Give your life a little more lustre with these five lifestyle hacks, making your everyday living experience easier, richer, and more fulfilling. Each of these is an easy ‘hack’, and something you can look to incorporate into your lifestyle today. You don’t need, necessarily, to buy much, to do anything very gruelling, or to totally do away with the lifestyle you have now. But, begin to incorporate these, and you will see a difference, in how you feel and how you see life.
You are what you eat
Low quality food = a low quality you. Choose the best foods and take time preparing food so that it tastes great and is nourishing. Invest in some decent kitchenware, too – a food processor pays its way, and it’s plastic bushing ensures it will last a lifetime, even if its blades need replacing every decade. Take time to enjoy your food.
Go green – literally
As well as green foods, we need green space. Get outside at least once a day, no matter the weather. Essential vitamin D is made by our skins through sunlight, but in addition it’s been scientifically proven that being out in nature is good for our mental and emotional wellbeing.
Conquer clutter
A tidy home is another factor in establishing and maintaining inner serenity. If your home is too busy, your mind will be, too. You don’t have to go as mad as Marie Kondo, who limits herself to just a handful of non essential precious items, but consider your superfluous stuff and, if you don’t need it, consider donating to goodwill. A place for everything and everything in its place is a good maxim to live by.
Move
Sedentary lifestyles are responsible for all sorts of debilitating illnesses, from high blood pressure through to depression. A little gentle exercise each day will keep you feeling fit and well, in addition to fighting the flab.
Mental agility
Finally, remember to keep your mind as well as your body active. We need mental stimulation and exercise as much as for our physical forms. The brain is a muscle too, don’t forget. So, learn a language, read a book, solve a puzzle. And rest your mind when it needs it, to ensure you don’t over think. Meditation is a great way to ease your mental processes.
Remember, these hacks can begin TODAY. Start small, and slowly transmute from an unfillinging lifestyle to one that suits you and makes you feel your best. There’s no time like the present. So, GO!
Christmas, for me, alternates between wonderful and woeful, most especially when it comes to buying gifts.
What to buy? (Photo: rawpixel)
People get older, and after a certain age they seem to have everything already!
There is nothing, for example, that my mother wants or needs. My father is even more tricky and troublesome to find anything for. This is where the ‘gift experience’ really can make all the difference between an overcooked Brussel sprout of a Christmas, versus a fantastic epic feast with all the trimmings. Gift experiences are really great for anyone who ‘has it all’, because people still have hobbies and interests they enjoy which can then be gratified via the gift experience. So, for my mother, for example, I’m going to get her a day use hotel on DayBreakHotels website. Perhaps I’ll book this in London, Manchester, or Birmingham. I’m also going to add in a spa pass and a couple of treatments, plus an extra booking and pass for someone to accompany her. Lunch will be included. I think the person accompanying her, considering all this wonderfulness, will be me…
Spa treatments are the best treat of all (Photo: graceie)
For Dad, it’s going to be a couple of laps in a super fast sports car. He’s always been into cars, and could only dream of driving a Ferrari Testarossa himself. But, voila! With a gift experience, the most fabulous of fantasies can come true.
Drive a sports car
I think that experiences like these are far more interesting and amazing than gifts in the form of goods. The recipient will have that memory for the rest of their life, and usually, I think, such experiences e.g. a helicopter flight, are normally out of reach for the average person. Not any more! Neither does the gift experience need to be flashy or showy. It could be something supporting someone’s long term dream or ambition – for instance, my sister always wanted to become an artist, so I gifted her a series of painting lessons. The joy you can bring to people with these sorts of gifts is truly remarkable. So, think about what your friend or family members loves or yearns for, and give them a taste of it!
Christmas is a much adored and anticipated time for many. For others, it’s a time of sadness, loneliness, and loss. Some people don’t have families or a network they can connect into at this time of year. Some people will be missing relatives, and the festivities of Christmas will make their absence even more apparent. Calls to The Samaritans increase around the holidays, and the homeless, as usual, are left out in the cold. That’s why it’s so important to value the people you love and to show your appreciation of them through a gift. Consumerism is rife, and maybe too many focus on this – hence, the madness, the chaos, the crowds. But, if you just remember that life flies by quickly, it’s easy to refocus on the ‘who’ of Christmas and to remember that the ‘what’ – the gifts – are just a token, rather than the essence of the thing.
