Christmas is a time for cheerful decorations and bright Christmas tree ornaments and lights to brighten hearth, home and yard. For many of us in the Sandwich Generation, the gaily colored leaves have disappeared, leaving a stark simplicity that, while beautiful is also a bit cold looking. Our decorations bring warmth and beauty back, cheering senior parents, grandchildren, and ourselves.
Our family has gone back and forth between two different plans for decorating. One I "borrowed" from a dear friend. We enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving, then spend the rest of the weekend busily decorating and getting the house all ready. The beauty of this plan is it's all done quickly and if there are any caregiving crises that arise, you still have everything done and giving a bit of cheer to a difficult situation.
My other favorite plan is to set out all the boxes in one, out-of-the-way area and we set up the tree. Then, each night after my children went to bed I would put out one, two, or three new items. Christmas tree ornaments, wall hangings, cheerful snowmen, and more. My kids would wake up and excitedly search until they had found all the new items. It was a fun way to celebrate during the Advent preparation for Christmas. It would be a bit tougher to do now since my grandchildren don't live with me. They're over often enough that I think they would get a kick out of it. Then again, I'm not sure my senior mom would appreciate having the boxes open for so long. But for any of you who have been so busy with senior care giving and grandparenting that you haven't had a chance to decorate, this could be an easy and fun way to do it, one or two steps at a time.
How about you? Do you have a fun tradition for decorating during Advent and Christmas? Are you able to incorporate the grandkids in it? Do they help you with putting up your Christmas tree ornaments? We'd love to hear.
For more fun Advent and Christmas preparation ideas, be sure to visit Floss' site at Troc Broc and Recup. There you're sure to find an interesting read AND a list of several other blogs who are all part of A Pause in Advent. 
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Hello Kaye!
What a wonderfully rich blog you have created for all of us! I have only just begun to explore all your useful articles but wanted to tell you how very much I am enjoying it thus far!
Thank you.
Warmly,
Tracey
Hi Tracey, Thank you so much.
Have a blessed week.
RT @SandwichINK New blog post:: Two Fun Ways to Decorate For Christmas in the Sandwich Generation http://bit.ly/5N9fCX
RT @SandwichINK New blog post:: Two Fun Ways to Decorate For Christmas in the Sandwich Generation http://bit.ly/5N9fCX