Occasionally I like to pull back the curtain and share what really goes on behind the scenes of this blog. The photos might make it look like I have everything perfectly together all the time, but the truth is far from it. The moments when everything runs smoothly happen maybe twice a year—no joke.
While I was staging the kitchen for photos, I kept having out-of-body moments where I thought: if people could see everything that goes into creating these clean, decorated shots, they wouldn’t believe how much effort it takes. A lot happens off-camera—clutter moved out of frame, last-minute fixes, and the frantic race against good light.
You’ll find a few sources linked through images and an extended list at the end of the post. Some affiliate links are used for convenience. See my full disclosure policy here.
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I truly love decorating and the arrangements you see are real, but typically a lot of everyday life is cropped out or shifted just beyond the camera’s view to make the scene look tidy. That’s part of the process most people don’t notice.
Back to the day this photo shoot was supposed to happen: I actually had to postpone it for two days because of everything that popped up. I’ve written before about hiring a house cleaner this year, and it’s one of the best things I’ve done for myself. Having the house professionally tidied every other week keeps clutter under control, and I try to schedule shoots to coincide with cleaning day so I don’t have to do a lot of prep myself.
That week, my cleaner was due Monday and I planned to add finishing touches once she finished, then take photos. Timing matters—winter light is limited, so I usually have only a couple of hours of Prime Natural Light. My cleaner normally finishes around 11 a.m., which would have been perfect.
But the girls got sick over the weekend. My youngest even had a scary night with croup and ended up in the ER, so I was exhausted and sleep-deprived going into the week. My husband had a wrestling tournament to coach, so I spent the weekend juggling sick kids and late nights.
By Sunday night they were feeling much better, and Monday morning looked hopeful. My plan was to get the girls to school and tackle work. Then I woke up feeling sick too. My older daughter still had a cough and didn’t feel well, so we decided to stay home another day. That actually helped, because the girls could keep each other occupied while the cleaner worked and I tried to handle my tasks between sick-mom moments.
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They do play together well most of the time, but there are inevitable fights and bickering. That’s tricky to manage when you’re trying to work and recover from being ill.
We ended up eating Chick-fil-A for breakfast and McDonald’s for lunch—both meals in the car so we wouldn’t dirty the freshly cleaned kitchen. I also needed the kids out of the cleaner’s way while she tidied their rooms.
When the kitchen was finally ready, getting photos taken was still a challenge. The girls were tired of playing and attention spans were short. During the brief five minutes they played nicely on the trampoline, I painstakingly ironed Christmas kitchen towels—yes, really.
Then, while hanging faux boxwood wreaths on the cabinets, I accidentally ripped the skin off part of my lip trying to attach tape. It was painful and, at that point, I decided the photos could wait another day.
A week later I’m laughing at how much juggling it took to try to capture a few pretty kitchen images. When everything lines up—the kids are in school, the light is good, the house is clean—it feels effortless and glorious. But most days are a blend of small wins and imperfect moments.
I’m grateful for a job that fits into the small gaps and margins of family life. It lets me show my girls that you can pursue your dreams, work, and be a mom all at once—even if that means eating fast food in the car now and then.
My girls and I are mostly healthy now, and we’re excited to celebrate birthdays this week with close friends and family before settling into quality family time as we prepare for Christmas. I’m looking forward to a lovely, festive week.
I hope you enjoyed the Christmas kitchen tour. If you’d like to see more of the house decorated for the season, check out these areas:
- The Farm Fresh Christmas Trees Living Room
- A Neutral Christmas Dining Room
- A Neutral Christmas Entry Way
- A Pretty Christmas Wrapping Station
Sources:
- Emily Ley Simplified Planner (sits on my counter and helps plan Christmas)
- Christmas Plaid Mug – Target’s Dollar Spot (not available online)
- DIY Large Chalkboard
- Nativity art beside the flocked tree – GraceLaced (print is no longer available)
- DIY Chalk and Chalk Eraser Holder
- Pomegranate branches, lamb’s ear, and cotton stems used in arrangements
- Gingerbread house kit, tobacco baskets, and similar decor pieces for the kitchen display
- Merry Christmas and O Come Let Us Adore Him free printables featured in the decor
- Various jars, trays, hand soap, and kitchen towels referenced in the styling details