As the children open the first windows of their Advent calendars, parents are pulling out all the Christmas-themed boxes from the attic. While decorating the tree is a family tradition for many, for mothers it's just another task in their already overloaded schedules. Fortunately, a Scottish mother has found a foolproof trick for decorating the tree in minutes. It'll save you a lot of hassle.
A Christmas tree decorated in a flash: a dream come true!
The houses are once again adorned with sparkling ornaments and gleaming baubles. While December has barely begun, the children are already eager to get into the Christmas spirit: having dinner with nutcrackers, doing their homework by the light of multicolored garlands, and watching "Home Alone" on repeat. Except that transforming the house into a magical little haven is hard work. And parents don't have elves at their disposal to help them accomplish this mission.
While decorating the Christmas tree is an unmissable annual ritual, busy moms can simplify it. How? Thanks to an ingenious and practical tip shared by Gillian Cowie . This Scottish mother doesn't plan to patent her discovery, but she's kind enough to share it with us.
Just a few years ago, she would climb a stepladder to hang the red baubles, the glittering reindeer, and the flying Santas among the branches. She would dedicate two hours of her precious time to decorating the Christmas tree. A perfectionist by nature, she was incredibly meticulous in this art. Of course, reality is far removed from what those saccharine Christmas movies promise. Mothers barely have time to cut their nails and brush their teeth, so how could they possibly find a moment to beautify the tree? There are no magic formulas, just common sense.
Putting away your decorated Christmas tree: the trick that works
The Scottish mom's secret weapon? Decorating the Christmas tree once and then leaving it looking its best until the following year. In other words, instead of struggling to remove all the baubles one by one and wrestling with the lights, she stores her tree fully decorated. That way, it's already sparkling and ready for next year. To avoid damaging the ornaments or spoiling the tree too much, she simply wraps it in plastic wrap. Then, she leaves it in a corner of her garage.
And contrary to what one might think, her son takes great delight in unwrapping this king of the forest, a picture of pure elegance. It's a good warm-up for Christmas Eve and the much-anticipated opening of presents. The mother has opted for timeless decorations, adding a few new touches each year, according to current tastes and trends. This year, she'll certainly complete her sparkling display with handcrafted baubles, blown glass ornaments, or small figurines in shades of brown.
The golden rules for preserving the magic despite everything
For children, decorating the Christmas tree is an essential and meaningful tradition. This particular approach can feel a bit like punishing them. However, other Christmas tree rituals can be created to delight even the youngest children. On social media, parents have found an incredible solution: they water pine cones in the evening, and the next morning, while the children are still asleep, they put up the tree. When the little ones wake up, their eyes light up at the sight of the sparkling tree.
You can also let the children hang the final piece: the sparkling star that will grant all wishes. And why not organize a creative workshop so that each family member can contribute and be represented on this main decoration? You can also invent stories like those in fairy tales and say that Santa Claus gave you a little help with the installation. In short, the key is to trust your imagination.
Putting away your decorated Christmas tree saves time and is also a great money-saving strategy. You're less tempted to buy everything in sight and you tend to be more restrained in the shops.
