Moll Anderson on Decorating for the Holidays

CBN.com -  Lifestyle expert and designer Moll Anderson says you can make the decision to have very happy holidays. Like anything else, it is a mindset. You can choose to be happy and enjoy your life and the same thing goes for the holidays. She suggests making things easier on yourself.

Start by simply slowing down a bit and not getting overwhelmed. Don’t let the preparation consume you. Don’t load your brain with negative thoughts about what you can’t do; start by making a list of what you can do!

We have these ideas in our heads that it’s not time yet to get ready for Christmas, so we wait until the last minute and then throw ourselves into major panic and chaos. Moll says it’s all up to you about how you’ll spend these fast-approaching holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here are a few ideas she has for a stress-free season…

If you’re having Thanksgiving at your house, let everybody pitch in and make this a “no-stress” dinner. Then you can spend more time concentrating on what that time together is supposed to really be about, which is giving thanks!

When Moll was growing up, the dining room was the place where the guests for those holiday happenings would converge. Moll believes this room shouldn't only be reserved for special occasions. Whether it's Chinese takeout or the Thanksgiving turkey, the key to serving any meal is presentation.

Serve your meal on that hardly used good china. While there is definitely a place in the world for paper plates, Moll says dust off your china, clean your crystal, and make them part of your everyday life. You are the special guest and you deserve to treat yourself.

Keep your formal dining room dressed. Then you will have a wonderful place to dine year round, and it is one less thing you have to worry about when you’re preparing for the holidays. It can be cost-effective and you can use the same table basics all year round.

Moll says you should invest in a set of classic bone China, good bone-colored linen table cloths, nice crystal, and a good set of flatware. This way you will have a good base to work from and you only need to change your table decorations, colors, plate chargers, etc.

The big trend right now in table decorations is glitter and glitz and taking traditional colors and vamping them up by getting slightly different shades than the traditional norm, like a different shade of orange or green.

If it is not as nice as you would like it, cover your table with a tablecloth made of gorgeous fabric. Moll also suggests you use a warm, rich colored scarf, or one with a classic print (like Burberry plaid) to lay across the table. You can use more than one tablecloth at a time and combine different lengths for a rich, layered look.

Make sure you have either an interesting or architectural piece sitting atop your table. An arrangement made of fresh (or realistic) flowers are also good. If you don’t have the time to get a nice arrangement, think of things around your house that could work in the place of a traditional arrangement. Try brightly colored fall leaves scattered down the center of the table, or fill several clear glass bowls with small pumpkins and gourds. Another great party-ready timesaver is a year round dried or silk arrangement. At the very last minute, toss in something you have around the house like pomegranates, artichokes, or earthy elements such as curly willow and branches-anything goes!

If you’re using candles on the table, never use scented ones because they interfere with the flavors of the food.

If you’re having a large group of people over, you can rent nice tables and chairs at a low cost.

Another tip Moll has for entertaining: pick a dinner music you can play from beginning to end without having to change it. Albums with classic songs, standards, or instrumentals are good backgrounds, which is what your music should be.