Disclosure – we were gifted a rug from The Rug Retailer in exchange for featuring it on my blog.

I expect you are fed up of hearing that ‘Christmas won’t be normal’. I am nearly as fed up of this phrase as I am with the word ‘unprecedented’. 2020 has been a nightmare year but with two young children I’m trying to make things as normal as possible.

Getting the house ready for Christmas

We don’t really talk about Christmas before December 1st but that doesn’t mean I’m not busy planning behind the scenes. Our house elves have already arrived to quarantine before Advent starts and I’ve pretty much finished my Christmas shopping already. I like to give the house a good Winter clean before friends and family come to stay, and this is going ahead even thought we’re not sure who will be visiting.

Our living spare is light and airy and the perfect for two energetic children. They’ve been taking part in their karate lessons via Zoom and I’m so pleased we have the space to accommodate all those leg kicks and punches!

A new rug

We opted for big pieces of furniture to hold our books and Lego creations and the floor has been calling out for a similar bold rug. Thankfully The Rug Retailer gifted us an item from their collection and we are so pleased with the result. We opted for a black and white rectangular rug which fills the space beautifully.

It complements the mustard tones I picked for the cushions and throws and really completes the room. My daughter loves sitting on the floor and it’s lovely and easy to keep clean!

A desk for me

I’ve wanted a desk for ages and this is something we finally bought. It’s a gorgeous ladder-style desk which doesn’t take up too much floor space. It’s tucked in the corner of the living room and a great space for me to fit in a few hours work on my blog.

I have an epic job of tidying to do over the next few days. The children’s Advent calendars seem to get bigger and bigger each year and they need a space to display and open them each day. I’m not quite sure where I’m going to magic up this space but I don’t have long to do it.

Should we get a Christmas tree?

Now we have our little pup we’re still deciding about a Christmas tree. We would love a real tree but I’m just not sure it’s practical with our naughty pup. I bought a fabric Christmas tree panel which I’ve hung up on the wall, but I don’t think the children will be happy with just that this year. We’ve already visited The Christmas Tree Farm and had a good look at their trees. I also really want to get a Christmas tree ring to cover the base of the tree.

I think I’m going to have to juggle some furniture to fit a tree in our living room this year but I’m not quite sure where we can put anything. I don’t want to get a small tree, especially with a large open-plan living room but nor do I want to be chasing the dog and stopping him stealing tinsel every evening.

Our living room space is nearly ready for us to start decorating for Christmas. Have you got any plans for decorating your house for Christmas?