View through an open door revealing a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with white and silver ornaments, sparkling lights, and topped with a star, in a cozy room celebrating Christmas in July.

A person in a striped shirt carries a large red bag with black straps. They stand in a brightly lit hallway with wooden floors, showcasing Christmas organization ideas, as a red storage box sits on a bench in the background.

// Under $10 Christmas tree bag //

Random thoughts on a chilly, blustery December morning:

1. I type these Thistlekeepings all year and my favorite are where I get to type the word DECEMBER in the title. It just makes me so happy.

2. Did you see the biggest promo of the year on our favorite bra? It’s BOGO on the entire website. Time to stock up.

Here are two of my favorites. I love this one and this one.

And you can get both for the price of one. Merry Christmas. 🙂

Next week is our town’s Christmas parade. We are going early for dinner with friends and then bundling up in 40-degree temperatures to watch Santa and his elves.

4. I am currently drinking coffee from a Santa mug and I’m about to eat pancakes for breakfast off a Santa plate with snowflakes. Life is holiday good. 🙂

5. I just wanted to give a GIANT SHOUT OUT 

6. Are you watching Christmas movies? Have you seen”Window Wonderland” on Hallmark? It’s our favorite Hallmark movie and the twins and I watch it every year.

7. It was an amazing week on the blog. We talked about:

And now?

Grab a cup of something and join me.

I have tons of ideas and inspiration that I found this week for all of us.

LET’S GO.

Vintage scissors rest on an old wooden table beside folded book pages shaped into a paper star, with more loose book pages nearby, suggesting a paper craft project in progress.

I found the cutest Christmas DIY.

Look at these paper stars. They are made from book pages.

You can see the DIY here.

A festive front door decorated for the holidays with two green wreaths adorned with red bows. The door is framed by lush garlands with red ornaments. Snow covers the steps, and lanterns with red accents sit on either side.

And this beautiful Christmas porch.

It’s what my porch wants to be when it grows up.

Take the porch tour here.

A close-up of a round cookie with an embossed snowman and child design, placed in front of a plate stacked with similar cookies on a dark wooden surface. A striped ribbon and greenery decorate the foreground.

Gingerbread cookies are one of my favorites.

And look at this adorable cookie made with a cookie mold.

See the recipe here.

A bright entryway decorated for the holidays with a white door, a wreath, and garland with lights above. A small decorated Christmas tree is in the corner. A chair with wrapped gifts is on the left, and a patterned rug covers the dark wood floor.

Isn’t this the sweetest idea to hang ribbon on a garland over an entry?

There are so many inspiring ideas in this home, especially the entry.

You can take a tour of the entry here.

 

And in random news:

This old-fashioned sugar cookie recipe

27 ideas for Christmas tree decorations

These cozy holiday home decor ideas

These super cute DIY flower ornaments

This sweet potato brownie recipe

This sweet thrifted makeover project

This beautiful wreath DIY

This clever idea for a large Christmas bow

This clever Christmas garland idea

These DIY Swedish Christmas decorations

And this

If you only have time for one link? This is the one

This home is so Christmas inspiring

Wooden Christmas trees and small wooden houses are displayed on a shelf, with cream-colored stockings hanging below. A greenery wreath and a "Noel" banner are visible in the background.

// pallet wood tree //

And speaking of Black Friday sales?

Thistlewood and Co is having 20% off sitewide (including these amazing handmade pallet wood trees).

Your discount appears in cart and you can shop it here.

blue-and-white-living-room-11

Did you see that this rug that we all loved so much is under $90 for Black Friday?

SERIOUSLY?

Let’s go. You can see it here.

One more for the road

And just in case  you were looking for easy and simply DIY Christmas gift wrap ideas?

I found

this gem I filmed about using scraps to decorate for Christmas.

Happy random Christmas Saturday to you

Want to know how to decorate your home for free?
Click here to get my FIVE BEST secrets.

Posted On: November 29, 2025

Written By: KariAnne Wood

Comments

  3. Image for Rizae Rizae

    Can't wait to see what your family comes up with for their handmade gifts this year. Have fun at the parade! Big Hugs

    Reply
  4. Image for Susan Susan

    Great ideas, as usual! We will be bundled up for our local parade next week too! Afterward, we will pile into a car to go look at Christmas lights. 🎄🎉It’s one of our favorite family traditions.

    Reply
  5. Image for Kris Kris

    My daughter and I finished our Christmas decorating today. It's snowing outside, and we played the Nutcracker and the Messiah, while my husband made applesauce. All the sensory Christmas experiences! Anyway, you have likely guessed that the Scandinavian links made me happy. I saw the wreath from French Country Cottage and knew you were going to include it in today's lineup.😊 I'm trying to control my urge to make more ornaments, but I love the paper stars! All the photos from House and Garden were beautiful, but there's something about a tree placed in the curved hug of a staircase that stops me in my tracks. Enjoy your parade, and stay warm.

    Reply
  6. Image for Marlene Stephenson Marlene Stephenson

    I am almost ready to get started and I have so much inspiration now. Loved the picture of your family, know you had so much fun that day. Have a wonderful weekend.

    Reply
  7. Image for Michele M. Michele M.

    Really great thistles this week, KA. I can't believe tomorrow begins Advent. It's just such a fun time of year!

    Reply
  8. Image for Victoria Victoria

    So Christmassy around there! Loved your gift wrap ideas+FREE. You're a natural at being filmed;the smiles, dialog with viewers, the variety, your husband assisting, and you cover all the bases! Thanks for sharing other decorating ideas and pics from other sites, too. Christmas music is running thru my head! The Swedish decor reminded me of a wooden dowel Swedish tree I found at a charity sale. Flat in shape so good on mantle or against a wall. A square flat wood base, a middling sized towel that sticks into a base hole, and graduating sized tiny dowels slid thru small holes in "trunk" dowel, spaced to allow little Swedish ornaments on, like straw horses, red crosses, and straw topper star with ribbon. Each tiny dowel gets shorter as progress to top, making a flat tree shape. All ornaments light wt and natural straw or nonstained wood or red. Could make a large floor sized one, too. Very easy to store off season and you have a husband with tools and skills! BTW, you've been losing weight! How do you accomplish that during the hoiidays!?! Have fun at the Christmas parade w Jack Frost nipping at your nose! Happy holiday gaiety ahead!

    Reply
  9. Image for Victoria Victoria

    Oh my, "middling sized DOWEL" NOT TOWEL at center! You need imagination to read my comments! Mwery Christmas!

    Reply
  10. Image for Victoria Victoria

    I forgot to mention the dowel Swedish tree came with small crabapple sized plastic apples on the tips of each branch. Had a small hole on one end of apple and just slipped on.

    Reply

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