Dec 21, 2018 7 min read

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It’s just days before Christmas. You’ve been busy buying gifts, baking cookies and cleaning. Decorations are up. The tree is trimmed. Everything seems ready for the holidays.

But, maybe, you want just a little bit more “comfort and joy.”

It’s not too late to add a few extras to make your home more festive for the holidays.

“We call it ‘The Finishing Touches,”’ said Steve Neubauer, owner of Neubauer’s Flowers and Market House in Uniontown.

“A couple of little things can brighten your home,” said Melissa Shaw, of Grindstone, retired culinary instructor for Fayette County Career and Technical Institute. “People think you put extra effort into it. But, actually, it’s just a few easy touches.”

Here are some “Last Minute Christmas” tips to enhance your home for the holidays:

A centerpiece

It doesn’t take much time to stop by a florist or gift shop to pick up something for your table. And there are many choices.

Neubauer noted many people have artificial Christmas trees today so they miss a certain scent in their homes.

“You might want to place some fresh pine accents around your house for the smell of fresh pine,” said Neubauer. “A Christmas centerpiece for the dinner table with pine, with or without candles, is a nice, added touch.”

Neubauer said the centerpiece can be as simple as some pine, pine cones or holly or you might want to try one with shinny ornaments and ribbon. Flowers that range from red miniature carnations to white amaryllis always capture the eye.

“Everyone loves fresh flowers,” said Neubauer. “They always evoke emotion.”

You may also want to take a gift of flowers or candles with you when you visit someone. And if children will be around, Neubauer suggests a snow globe.

“They’re not like when we were kids and you shook them up,” he said. “Now they have lights and play music and have fans to circulate the snow or glitter.”

A tablecloth

Holiday tablecloths can be made with solid, bright colors or feature patterns or images of snowflakes, holly or Santas. Take one out of storage or buy something new at a local store.

“If you don’t want to do a new tablecloth, try place mats,” said Shaw. “Usually you decorate in the living room, not the dining room, so this helps brighten that room.”

Special dishes

Take that holiday platter that’s been sitting in your hutch and use it for meals and snacks. Don’t have one? There’s so many pretty platters available this time of year and they add a little flair to your table.

Ready-to-make snacks

Now that you have the platter, visit your local grocery for supplies to keep on hand for unexpected company.

“It’s nice to have cheese and crackers, maybe some pepperoni that’s already sliced. It keeps well in the refrigerator and you can quickly put together a cheese-and-cracker tray,” said Shaw.

If you’ve baked, Shaw advised, place some of your cookies in containers in the freezer to keep them fresh and then pull those out to quickly put together a cookie tray.

Shaw also has some recipes for quick snacks:

Pepperoni dip: This is a hot appetizer that can be put together in about 35 minutes. Combine in a bowl: 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, one can of cream of mushroom soup and a 4-ounce package of sliced pepperoni that’s been diced. Place the mixture in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Pumpkin dip: This is a cold appetizer that is also easy and quick to make. Mix together 8 ounces of creamed cheese and one cup of canned pumpkin. Add one cup of powdered sugar, one-half teaspoon of cinnamon and one-quarter teaspoon of ginger. Chill and serve with cinnamon graham crackers.

If cooking is not for you, Neubauer recommended purchasing fruit and snack baskets for guests to enjoy.

Eggnog and wassail

Eggnog and wassail, which is mulled cider, are traditional holiday drinks that Shaw noted can be purchased or made and kept in your refrigerator. She also advised keeping packets of hot chocolate ready.

“It’s quick to make,” said Shaw, “and puts you in the holiday mood.”

Wine

Pick up a bottle of wine for your holiday meal or to make a toast on New Year’s Eve.

“Even people who don’t drink wine during the year have a nice glass of wine sitting in front of the fire and talking to family and friends,” said Sharon Klay, of Christian Klay Winery in Chalk Hill. “It’s the one time of the year when family and friends do sit down and talk.”

Klay said her winery offers Cranberry Crinkle and Blackberry wine just for the holidays and that Twelve Springs Peach is a sparkling wine that complements all special occasions.

“The cranberry and blackberry go well with ham or turkey or just a glass,” said Klay, adding, “It’s always festive to have wine with your meal but a sparkling wine is especially nice. Chill it well. It adds a festive note to your meal.”

Shaw also suggested having a bottle of sparkling grape juice on hand for children “to make them feel special.”

Music

Don’t forget background sounds. While many people enjoy keeping an eye on the game or running a Christmas movie while they socialize, there’s something to be said for holiday music.

Herald-Standard music reviewer Clinton Rhodes, of Washington Township, is a self-professed Christmas music junkie with well over 225 Christmas albums accumulated over the last 25 years.

“If you’re looking for something to augment your holiday, it can be something old that you bring out from your own music collection or something new that you purchase to add to it,” observed Rhodes. “When I’m feeling nostalgic, I bring out my Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis albums and I’m instantly reminded of the days when my parents would play these holiday classics on the family console stereo as I pondered Santa’s arrival.”

He continued, “One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to usher in the holiday season with the annual playing of ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. This 1965 quintessential holiday offering brings out the kid in me with its innocent and playful tone. As Christmas Day draws closer, Christmas Eve is the time the true spirit of Christmas fills my heart as I listen to Handel’s ‘Messiah’ as the family prepares for midnight Mass.”

For new releases, Rhodes recommends CeCe Winans, Eric Clapton, JD McPherson, Aloe Blacc, John Legend and Michael McDonald.

Rhodes observed, “It’s never too early or late to get in the Christmas spirit. Old, new, traditional or slightly unorthodox, let the sounds of the season that speak to your heart serve as your Yuletide soundtrack.”

With Christmas nearly here, there’s still time to try or more of these holiday suggestions.They don’t require a lot of effort or fuss.

And have fun with it.

Last Minute Christmas doesn’t mean adding stress but finding enjoyable ways to enhance your holiday experience.