We believe that there is much more to holiday decor than just the Christmas tree! And fortunately for us, that means surrounding ourselves in holiday cheer. Of course, setting the stage or scene in your home can mean different things at different points in your life - think little hands grabbing everything in sight! Since that doesn't apply to anyone in our home, we like to utilize the mantel to set up a little Christmas village!

These little homes were found in our favorite Vancouver store - The Cross Design. And we may be bias but we think they just scream joy to the world! Not only do they turn on to light up the sweetest little sight but they are covered in glittery sparkles for a reflective surface once night falls. These homes are used to anchor the mantel and we've chosen to add some tiny ornaments in and around them to really contribute to the idea of a village - they not only have their own little Christmas tree but they also have a deer frolicking around and a Santa leaving one of the homes!

If you can't tell already.. this is a really great space to let your imagination run wild. Get your little ones involved and let them add to their favorites to a corner or mantel. Even if there aren't any village homes, you would be surprised at how easy it is to group holiday decor to look plentiful.

Now, further the down this mantel - next to the little village, you will find a miniature, second Christmas tree. Although, we aren't fans of 'themed' Christmas trees, we are fans of having more than one! And here's why..sometimes a family Christmas tree can become all too serious, all too fast..for example, it can have pricey glass ornaments that have been collected over the years, or it can have fragile pieces handmade by the children in the family, or you can have ornaments that have been passed down from generation to generation that would be heart wrenching if any of them were to break. As a result, this can sometimes lead to the smallest members of your family don't participate as actively in putting up the holiday decorations on the tree - and we think that's a shame!

So to combat all of that, we've always had a second little tree that only the kids decorated. They got to pick the ornaments (we've always been a family that loves animals..) and they got to put each and every one on exactly where they wanted. What we soon discovered is that this little tree had so much personality, so much sweetness - we almost started to love it more than our larger Christmas tree!

And we'll admit, there have even been very busy years when we only put up the small tree. But it didn't matter because to us and our family it was just right! So however you choose to 'set the stage' around your home, make sure that it involves as many members of the family as possible. Because the more hands that get their hands on those decorations, the more personality and life your surroundings will scream - and that itself, is always the goal. Your things, your treasures, your surroundings and your people should make you feel something. Feel something good!