What to Expect in a Blended Family

The reality of what a blended family presents is often at odds with the Brady Bunch stereotype. Having realistic expectations can help a lot with the transition.

While every situation is different, there are some common themes and situations you’ll see in step-family situations. Here are some ideas of what to expect in a blended family.

1. The Need for Patience

Some families “blend” faster than others, but nearly everyone agrees that you can’t expect an overnight transition where everyone is perfectly happy and adjusted. In other words, you can’t just “plug in” a step-parent in the slot previously filled by the biological parent. So expect the need for patience. Relationships take time, especially with the complex emotions involved in a blended family.

2. Priority Change

There are going to be some shifts in priority when a blended family – which involves a remarriage or new partnership – comes into being. Whereas you might have spent all of your time with your kids in the past, you will now have a new spouse or partner who will also put a demand on your time. Investing time in your new partner will ultimately build a stronger family than continually forcing him or her to take a back seat to the kids. You’ll have to be willing to rearrange your priorities a bit to make your second marriage or relationship successful.

3. Understand the Difficulties

It’s a good idea to go ahead and accept the fact that blended families are difficult. That doesn’t mean they aren’t successful some if not most of the time; it just means you have a realistic outlook about the challenges ahead. Feelings like jealousy, resentment, anger, and hurt are not uncommon among children in blended families. If you have a healthy understanding of the difficulties, then you are less likely to be blind to some of the problems when they arise.

4. The Need for Counseling and/or Therapy

There’s no shame in seeking counseling and therapy for your family and its various members. You may never have considered therapy before, or maybe you have a negative view of counselors. But if you’re going to have a successful blended family, it’s a good idea to keep an open mind about seeking outside help.

5. Adventure

Not everything you can expect is difficulty! Expect an adventure as you go forward. New relationships and a fresh start are some positive things you can expect. As you form a new schedule, new routines, and new relationships, you can expect a sense of excitement and accomplishment as you move forward successfully.

Video Chat: Using Technology to Connect with Grandkids

So you’ve heard about video chat, and you’re hoping to keep in touch with your grandkids using it. But some grandparents don’t even know what video chat is, or how to use it. And once you do get things set up, what do you do on a video chat?

Here is a brief guide on video chat, and using technology to connect with grandkids.

1. What Is It?

Video chat is like a phone call, only both parties sit (or stand, or dance!) in front of a camera while talking. You’ll need a microphone, speaker, and “webcam” or video camera connected to your computer. If you have an older computer, you can get these items separately and install them. Newer desktops and laptops have both microphones and speakers in-built, and usually a camera as well. A “smart phone” is also a means by which you can do video chat. You’ll have to connect to the internet the same way you’d connect through a telephone line.

2. How Do You Use It?

You’ll need some type of software to do video chat, just like you need a telephone company to set up your telephone connection. You can download Google Talk, Skype, or any other video chat software – do an internet search for “video chat software” and see what comes up. Then, you enter the names and numbers of those you want to contact, and simply click on them when you want to call them. Most video chat software is very user friendly.

3. Things You Can Do on Video Chat

Here are some ideas of what you can do during your video chat with the grandkids.

* Show artwork – Grandchildren can show artwork or craft projects to their grandparents and tell them about it. Grandkids can show off their latest school project, Lego sculpture, or anything else they’ve made or built.

* Read stories – Grandparents can read to the grandkids, or the grandkids can read to them! If you have a laptop, Grandma or Grandpa can read a bedtime story right there in the bedroom.

* Perform! – Grandchildren can put on a puppet show (webcams are perfect for this – a table edge is all you need to create a barrier for the puppets to be behind), sing, dance, or put on a play for their grandparents.

* Eat a snack or meal – Why not include Grandma and Grandpa in the grandkids’ snack or meal? You can bring the laptop or phone to the table and share food together, especially if it’s a grandparent’s recipe.

* Watch TV – Grandpa and Grandma can “sit” on the couch and you can watch movies, television shows, or sporting events together.

Using the Internet to Connect with Long-Distance Grandchildren

You’ve probably heard about video chat and text, but there are so many other ways you can use the internet to connect with long-distance grandchildren. Video chat and texting are just two things you can do. Let’s take a look at some other ways you can use the internet to connect with your grandchildren who live far away.

1. Social Media

It’s a social media age, and grandparents need not feel intimidated by the latest social networking platforms. Most such networks are very user-friendly and easy to figure out. Just set up a page and connect with your grandkids – chances are they have pages, too! If not, see if everyone can get on the same social network. Then you can post videos and pictures, and your grandkids can do the same. Status updates, interests, “likes,” and so forth can all be shared. You may learn some things about your grandparents or grandkids you never knew!

2. Twitter

Twitter is a fun way to share bits and pieces of your day and the latest “news” in your life. Both grandkids and grandparents will need a Twitter account, but they are free and easy to set up.

3. Texting

Texting isn’t just for the young generation – it can connect the old and the young! Texting isn’t difficult, and it’s a fun way to chat through the day. You can share photos and videos via text, too.

4. Google Earth

This is a really fun tool for grandkids and grandparents. Using the computer, you can take a “tour” of a given city, park, landmark, town, or whatever. A fun thing to do is to explore a place together. While you’re on the phone or video chat together, grandkids and grandparents can use Google Earth to “visit” their grandkids’ school, neighborhood, or town. Kids can show their grandparents the soccer field where they practice, or the grade school they attend.

In turn, grandparents can show their grandkids their neighborhood and community. Here are some other ideas for places you can visit together on Google Earth:

* Your grandparents’ childhood hometown and landmarks
* A far-away city, such as Paris or Moscow
* Historical sites (especially fun if you can connect it to something the grandchildren are reading and learning)

5. Blogs and Vlogs

Grandparents can set up a blog that their grandkids can subscribe to and visit, and grandkids can do the same. Most blogs support photos and text, while other platforms support video as well. This is a great way for everyone to stay in touch and read up on what’s going on – it’s almost like a news report on what’s happening in the lives of your grandkids or grandparents!

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Top Tips for Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby

So, you are considering giving solid foods to your baby. Are you not sure if he or she is ready yet? Are you not certain just what and how to feed him? Here are some top tips for introducing solid foods to your baby.

1. Knowing When It’s Time

While there are signs and behaviors that indicate baby’s readiness for solid foods, if you find out that the transition isn’t going smoothly, experts generally agree that backing off and returning to breastfeeding or formula for a time is not a problem. In fact, looking at the first stages of solid food feeding as a no-pressure introduction may help everyone.

Here are some signs that will help you know when it’s time to start on solids.

* He’s at least 6 months old. The American Academy of Pediatrics says 6 months is the minimum age to start solids, even if baby shows an interest earlier.

* He can hold his head steady.

* He doesn’t push food out of his mouth with his tongue (the “extrusion reflex”).

* His birth weight has doubled.

* He seems to be eating more often, and has an increased appetite.

* He shows great interest in other people eating, and wants to take food from plates (or hands, or forks!).

2. What Do You Start With?

Traditionally, parents start their babies off with a single-grain cereal, such as rice cereal. But current consensus is that really any baby-friendly food is fine to start with, as long as it is mashed and easy to swallow (and not sugary, spicy, or salty). Some ideas include:

* Steamed winter squash or sweet potatoes
* Soft fruits mashed, such as peeled plums, pears, peaches, etc.
* Applesauce (no sugar or cinnamon)
* Mashed bananas
* Mashed avocado

Experts warn that common allergens should be avoided during this sensitive introductory stage, particularly wheat, egg, dairy, and peanut butter. Once it’s confirmed that baby doesn’t have any sensitivities to dairy (some pediatricians say to wait until baby is a good year old), then plain yogurt is a healthful introductory dairy food.

3. Jarred or Homemade?

There are pros and cons to jarred foods versus homemade. Here are some to consider:

* Homemade food may be healthier; you know what goes into it, and you can choose a variety of foods.
* Jarred food offers convenience.
* Homemade food may result in less pickiness as baby grows because of varying flavors and textures.
* Jarred food tends to cost a lot more.
* Homemade food can be challenging to prepare ahead and transport.
* Homemade food is more eco-friendly.
* Jarred food may be lower in nutrients due to high heat during processing.

Whether you choose to feed jarred or homemade baby food, it’s important that your baby gets lots of positive interaction during meals and healthful varieties of foods. And a combination of jarred and homemade is a nice compromise (you can reuse the jars to store your own homemade baby food!).

Top 3 Mistakes Step-Families Make (and How to Avoid Them)

In order to have the best chance at success in your step-family, it’s important to avoid some common mistakes. Unfortunately, these mistakes are easy to make, and many people don’t even know they’re mistakes! So here is a list of the top 3 mistakes step-families make, and how to avoid them.

1. Criticizing the Other Parent

Just who “the other parent” is will differ from family to family. However, the point is that (in most step-family situations) there are biological parents and step-parents. And when you criticize the other parent, it tends to make the child of that parent feel terrible. It’s very easy to do, especially if the other parent is difficult to deal with, or is less-than-perfect in his or her parenting ability.

In other words, it’s hard to see the other parent cause emotional damage to the child and not say anything negative about that parent. Remember, though, that the other parent is half of your child (from a genetic standpoint), and saying bad things about the other parent feels like you’re saying bad things about the child.

How to avoid this mistake: Focus on how your child feels and how the other parent makes him or her feel. For instance, if you find out the other parent did something that upset your child, rather than criticizing the other parent for that, ask the child how that made him or her feel. Then offer some coping mechanisms and tools to help your child deal with the other parent’s behavior. If you are “the other parent” and you’re being criticized in a way that you feel is unjust or untrue, don’t criticize in return. Instead, do the above – ask the child how it makes him or her feel when you get criticized.

2. Acting Like Nothing Is Wrong

Okay, maybe nothing is really “wrong” – at least, not that you can see. But this mistake takes several forms, such as pretending like the other parent(s) doesn’t/don’t exist, or acting like everything’s normal while not acknowledging the very real difficulties presented in a remarriage. There may be a need for therapy, counseling, or both; and such treatment may need to be ongoing as the step-family evolves (new babies, moving, etc.).

How to avoid this mistake: Recognize that remarriage and step-family situations are a major transition for children, even if they don’t show much outwardly. Don’t be afraid to seek counseling or therapy, and make sure communication lines are open. Don’t fear negative feelings or make them “not allowed.”

3. Not Respecting the Other Parent’s Time

It’s easy to make this mistake, especially in this day and age of crazy schedules and full days and nights. Step-parents may not look at bonding time with the other parent as important, and therefore may “blow it off” and not accommodate it in their schedule. This can be difficult to balance, especially if the other parent doesn’t respect the visitation schedule and expects the step-family to drop everything whenever he/she wants to spend time with the child.

How to avoid this mistake: When a child’s biological parent wants to spend time with the child, make sure you respect that time and try not to schedule anything over that time.

However, it’s important for the other parent to realize that schedules and routines are important to kids. The best thing to do is to respect the court-ordered visitation schedule or whatever schedule you have worked out, and tell the other parent that you need to know at least a week (or more) in advance about activities that are outside the normal visitation schedule. That way, you’re respecting the time the other parent can spend with the child without being at the other parent’s “beck and call.”

Tips for Safe Bottle-Feeding and Formula Preparation

When bottle-feeding and preparing formula, it’s important to follow some steps to make sure you’re doing everything safely. Baby’s immune systems still have a way to go as far as development is concerned, and sanitation is vital. From cleaning bottles to storing pre-mixed formula, it’s good to know what you’re doing! Here are some tips for safe bottle-feeding and formula preparation.

1. Clean Bottles

How do you clean a baby bottle properly? If you have a dishwasher, pre-rinse the bottles and nipples and wash them in the top rack. If you do not have a dishwasher, then you’ll need a bottle brush (sold at most major retailers). Wash nipples and bottles in hot, soapy water and set them in a drying rack to air-dry.

To sterilize bottles without a dishwasher, you can boil them on the stove for 2 minutes and allow them to dry. Air-drying is important; towels can harber bacteria. Boiling water dries very quickly, so it’s not too long wait.

2. Formula – Check List

Before mixing up a batch of formula, check for the following:

* Dents or bulges in the formula can
* The expiration date
* Damage to the container or the seal
* Rust on the can

3. Preparing the Formula: Washing Up

It’s important to wash your hands with soap and water before mixing powdered formula.

4. Preparing the Formula: Water

What water should you use? Spring water, distilled, tap? The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends “safe water,” and other experts recommend tap water. The WHO further recommends boiling the water you’re going to use and then allowing it to cool (to around body temperature) before using it to mix the formula.

5. Preparing the Formula: Mixing

Pour the water into the bottle first, sources say, and then add the powdered formula. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s directions. Then shake and swirl the mixture until the powder is dissolved.

6. Liquid Formula

Some formula does not need to have water added. Once you open a can of liquid formula, it’s recommended that you do not keep it in the refrigerator for more than 48 hours.

To warm liquid formula, you can hold the bottle under warm tap water or set the bottle in a pan of warm water. Whether you’re using powdered or liquid formula, it’s not a good idea to use the microwave; they heat unevenly, possibly causing “hot spots.”

7. Don’t Re-Use

It may be tempting in this waste-conscious age, but don’t re-use a bottle of formula once a baby has nursed from it. Bacteria from the baby’s mouth are introduced into the formula when he or she drinks from the bottle, so whatever baby doesn’t finish must be thrown out.

Nine Things to Know before Taking Your Child to the ER

No parent wants to have to take a child to the emergency room. Unfortunately, chances are it will happen with one of your children at some point. Consider these nine things to know before taking your child to the ER so you and your child are both prepared.

1. Find out if the hospital nearest you has a pediatric unit or if it is a standard ER. It is common knowledge that children need to be handled differently than adults. In fact, and in many cases, the illnesses they experience will have dissimilar symptoms than the same illness will have for adults.

2. Ask your pediatrician where they would recommend taking the child if you had to go to the ER. It is also a good idea to find out from the pediatrician if the hospital they recommend has a pediatrician on-call in the emergency room. If you are not comfortable with the way your child is being handled or you

Ten Bonding Ideas and Tips for Grandparents

Whether you are the grandparent of an out-of-town grandchild or one who lives in the same town or even neighborhood, it can sometimes be challenging to forge a bond. You may feel at a loss when it comes to connecting with your grandkids. But there are all kinds of things you can do, and many of them are totally free!

Here are ten bonding ideas and tips for grandparents, both long-distance ones and local.

1. Share Activities Together

Chances are grandparents share some interest(s) with their grandchildren. Does grandpa like to work on engines or build things out of wood? Maybe he can do a project with his grandson or granddaughter – they can make or build something together. They’ll also be building memories!

2. Beauty Treatments

Grandmothers and granddaughters can make a day of it (and make it a regular thing, too!) by going to get hair done or nails done, or getting a makeover at a makeup counter. Some grandmothers may be great hair-stylists, and can style their granddaughter’s hair. You can build some wonderful, fond memories this way.

3. Cook Together

Some of the fondest memories kids have of their grandparents involve cooking. Maybe it’s a favorite cookie or candy recipe, or a special method of grilling out. Whatever it is, making and sharing food and passing down old recipes are great ways to bond.

4. Texting

Long-distance grandparents can form a bond with grandkids by texting them here and there. Texting can involve pictures and videos, too, if you have the right phones. Grandkids can take a picture of the woods they’re walking in, the coffee shop they’re sitting in, or have Mom or Dad film the play they’re in – then send the pictures and videos with a text.

5. Video Chat

Skype, Google Talk, and so forth are great ways to stay in touch with out-of-town grandkids. Try to schedule some time to “get together” for a video chat once a week (or whatever works with your schedule – just try to schedule it in so it doesn’t get put off over and over).

6. Crafts

Seasonal crafts or just fun “make-it-yourself” type crafts can be a blast for grandkids. Cigar box (or tissue box) guitars, pinhole cameras, paper snowflakes, sewing, knitting, etc. are all fun crafts grandparents can share with their grandkids.

7. Gardening

Growing food, starting plants, planting flowers and seeds…gardening is a wonderful way to share a skill and hobby that’s generations old. Then you can share what you’ve grown with each other and others.

8. Letter-Writing

The old-fashioned art of letter-writing can be revived and cultivated whether you are local or not. Then you have keepsakes for the future, too – letters are wonderful to read again years down the road.

9. Games

Games can be played long-distance or right at home. Video chat and even the telephone are great ways to include grandparents in a night of board games, card games, or even sports. Take the cell phone to the grandkids’ soccer game and shoot videos and take pictures, then text them. Or just have Grandpa and Grandma on the phone during the game.

10. Volunteer Together

Grandparents can take the grandkids to the local humane society and volunteer to walk the dogs, or maybe volunteering at a local soup kitchen or food pantry would be more appropriate. Teaching your grandkids about the importance of community is a life-long lesson and a wonderful bonding idea.

Five Success Tips for Step-Families

Step-families are not a new phenomenon, but they are getting more common these days. And there is no doubt that step-families present some challenges. While there are no perfect formulas or guarantees for success, there are some things you can do to up your chances at success. Here are five success tips for step-families.

1. Be Patient

If your new spouse or partner doesn’t immediately love your kids like they love their own, don’t despair. It’s pretty hard to love someone instantly! Building loving relationships takes time. Your partner doesn’t have the history with your kids that you do. And if you’re on the other end of things – trying to build a relationship with your step-children – then you’ll also need some patience. They just may not respond right away – love isn’t like a light-switch.

2. Be Realistic

All step-families can’t be the Brady Bunch. It pays to be realistic about the step-family relationships. Holding on to a fantasy about how it’s supposed to be can lock you into a critical mindset, or keep you from appreciating what you do have because you have unrealistic expectations. The reality is, experts remind us, that your step-children may not respond the way you hoped or imagined they will (or think they should).

3. Respect Biological Relationships

Whether you like the biological parent of your step-kids isn’t really the point. The fact is, the biological parent is loved by your step-kids, and unless he or she is abusive or dangerous, it’s good to respect and foster that relationship between your step-kids and their biological parents.

4. Discuss Parenting Styles

Before you get married or move in together as step-parents, make sure you agree on parenting style. This may involve compromise on your part or your partner’s, but it’s important to present a united front. Otherwise, your step-kids (and biological kids) may get confused, and learn to pit one of you against the other.

5. Try to Keep It Equal

This can be tricky, especially when the biological parent “spoils” your step-kids and you don’t do the same for your kids. What can you do if your step-daughter comes home after visiting with her mom, and she’s carrying all kinds of new toys? What about your son getting that trip to an amusement park while he visits with his dad?

While you can’t control what happens during visitation, you can set rules in your own home. You might try setting a rule that toys and gifts stay at the home of the giver. And in your own home, you can make sure that all your kids – biological and step – are subject to the same rules and privileges.

Seven Tips for Safely Storing and Using Breastmilk

There are all kinds of reasons why moms decide to store their breastmilk. Often, it’s because she needs to return to work; other times, she just wants some flexibility and a break from breastfeeding. Whatever the reason, safe storage and usage tips can help a lot.

Here are seven tips for safely storing and using breastmilk.

1. Pumping Equipment

Keep your pumping equipment clean and dry – wash it immediately after use and let it air-dry.

2. Label and Date

Label and date your storage container – you may think you’ll remember, but no one is perfect! …especially if you store more than one container day after day.

3. Don’t Shake

Have you ever made homemade butter by shaking milk in a jar? You may end up causing a similar separation if you shake or agitate breastmilk too much. To mix it (which is a good idea when you or a caretaker start to use the stored milk to feed baby), gently swirl the milk so the creamy and thin parts are blended.

4. Refrigeration

If the milk will be used within 3 to 5 days, you can simply store it in the refrigerator. After that, you’ll need to freeze it. You can add freshly-expressed milk to the containers in the refrigerator as well, sources say.

5. Freezing

Leave a bit of space at the top of the container before freezing to give the freezing milk room to expand. Also, waiting until the milk is frozen to tighten the container tops is also helpful (this allows a bit of air to escape as the milk expands). And finally, store breastmilk toward the back of the freezer so it stays at a more constant temperature.

6. Avoid the Microwave

When re-heating baby’s milk, experts frown on the microwave, as it can create hot spots that can injure your baby. (And if you’re trying to transition from breast to bottle, such a burn may frighten baby away from bottles for some time.) Instead, thaw milk in the refrigerator overnight, or place the container in a pan of warm water.

Some babies have no problem drinking cold or room-temperature breastmilk. But if you want to warm it, place the container in a pan of warm water (change the water from the thawing and replace with fresh warm water). You can also hold the container under warm running water.

7. Containers

The La Leche League warns that containers used to store breastmilk should never contain BPA. Glass or BPA-free hard plastic is recommended. Freezer milk bags manufactured for storing breastmilk are also an option.

Rustic Winter Decorating

Wintertime lends itself to a cozy, rustic look. After the holidays, it can be nice to give your home a warm, inviting look that both counteracts and reflects the cold winter weather outside. How can you achieve that kind of look? Here are some tips and ideas for rustic winter decorating.

1. Wreaths

Wreaths are not just for the holidays. You can make some lovely wreaths out of natural materials. Here are some wreath ideas for a rustic look:

* Twigs woven into a ring make a lovely, simple, rustic decoration. You can hot-glue acorns or pine cones to it as well.

* Fresh greens can also be woven into a ring. Gather greens into a bunch, and wire them together at the base with florist wire. Then wire them to a simple wire frame, tucking the wired ends together.

* Nuts and/or pine cones can be hot glued to a simple circular frame (such as a foam ring).

2. Logs

Nothing says “rustic” like using logs in your decor. Log cross-sections used as end tables are a nice touch. Log sections also make rustic seats around a natural table.

3. Rustic Lighting

Hang oil lamps from your porch eaves or anywhere outdoors that’s safe and needs a light. Candles are always a warm touch in winter decor, but make them rustic by using plain candles in natural holders, such as wood or even small gourds and squash with a hole cut in them. Place various sizes of the same color of candle on a natural plate or platter, and surround them with acorns and pine cones.

4. Twigs and Flowers

The rustic look means natural and earthy, so colorful cut flowers don’t necessarily fit the look (at least not in winter). Instead, go for twigs with interesting shapes or simple flowers like pussy willow sprigs. Place them in a pitcher, jar, or hollowed-out pumpkin or gourd for a simple and rustic look.

5. Natural Coat and Towel Hangers

Have you thought about using a large branch or small tree for a coat rack or towel hanger? You’ll need to clean the branch or tree and, if you like, coat it with a light sealant or other clear coat. Then mount it into a container of your choice using concrete mix (you can use something like a plastic bucket and then set the bucket into something more attractive, like a wicker wastebasket). Set this by your door or in your bathroom for a wonderfully rustic place to hang your coats and towels.

The Role of Grandparents in Modern Society

In this modern age, the role of grandparents is different than it was a generation ago, and it’s still changing. With couples waiting longer to have children and more and more grandparents taking an active role in raising their grandkids, the role of grandparents in modern society is definitely evolving. It can be hard to know just what grandparents are supposed to do these days!

Here are some ideas and thoughts to help orient you as to the role of grandparents in modern society.

1. Working Grandparents

Just because you’ve earned the title of “grandma” or “grandpa” does not mean you’re old, or that you’re retired. People can become grandparents in their early 40s or even in their 30s. And some grandparents are working well into their 60s. So working grandparents are a fact of life in modern times. Sometimes working grandparents take time on the weekends or evenings to connect with their grandkids and kids.

Within this demographic are grandparents who work part time, and arrange their schedules so they can watch their grandkids or do something with them each week.

2. Caretakers

In this day and age where single parent homes are more and more common, grandparents are taking an active role in raising their grandkids. Many kids live with their grandparents full time. Usually, grandparents who are full- or part-time caretakers of their grandkids no longer work outside the home, or work only part time.

Many grandparents today find themselves helping to raise their son’s or daughter’s kids because they are single parents, or because both parents work outside the home.

3. Divorce Support

When a divorce happens in a family, grandparents can play a supportive role. Watching their parents split is hard on children, and grandma and/or grandpa can help provide some stability and reassurance. Also, grandparents in divorce situations can open their homes for long-term or short-term visits with their grandkids, depending on how the visitation schedule gets worked out. And once the divorce happens, grandparents may find themselves taking on more of the caretaker role.

4. The Sandwich Generation

Modern times have given rise to what’s come to be known as “the sandwich generation.” This generation of parents is trying to care for young children and aging parents at the same time. In cases like this, one or both grandparents may need care, making their role very different from that of the independent grandparent. Grandparents in this scenario can still actively contribute to their grandchildren’s lives, but generally the parents will need to act as a go-between; grandparents in this phase of life have a hard time keeping up with young children when they need care of their own.

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How to Bring the Outdoors in with Winter Decorating

When you take down your holiday decorations, there’s a rather long stretch of winter left before you can start decorating for spring. Bringing the outdoors in can help alleviate the winter “blahs” and bring some life to your indoor decor.

Here are some tips and ideas on how to bring the outdoors in with winter decorating.

1. Flowers

Wait…aren’t flowers springtime decorations? Not necessarily. Winter is actually the peak season for several types of flowers, like pussy willow and myrtle. Ivy is another hearty indoor plant that you can grow easily indoors, and its trailing green vines can fill a bay window or hang from baskets and pots.

2. Blooming Cuttings and Bulbs

If you have spring-blooming plants or trees like forsythia, redbud, or dogwood in your yard, you can cut a few sprigs and place them in water. Change the water daily, and clip the ends of the cuttings an inch or so every few days. With luck, the bare branches will form buds and blooms.

3. Natural Colors

Nature-inspired colors bring a sense of the outdoors to your home. Light blue and brown evoke a blue sky in the woods; brown, tan, gray, and green remind you of mossy rocks and ferny woods. Gray and red accents give a cheerful, wintry feel. Think of what you enjoy about the outdoors, and accent with the colors of the things you love.

You can also go with the snowy theme and decorate with creams and whites. Adding candles to this outdoorsy decor keeps it from being too cold and frosty.

4. Natural Materials

Bringing the outdoors in can also mean using natural materials in your indoor decorations. We’ve already discussed twigs and branches, but there are other natural materials, too, like jute, hemp, rocks, pine cones, and even nuts. Glass jars and bowls filled with pine cones and/or nuts are a nice natural accent, and throw rugs made of hemp or jute are also earthy and natural. Rocks can be set up in sculptural piles, or placed in shadow boxes.

5. Natural Scents

When bringing the outdoors in, don’t forget the smells! Woodsy incense and pine-scented potpourri are great ways to evoke the outdoors. Try to go with natural smells rather than synthetic ones that tend to smell quite unnatural.

6. Greens and Fruits

Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean you can’t have greens in your house. Combining greens with fruit is a great way to decorate naturally. Try placing apples and pine cones on top of pine boughs you’ve laid on your mantle or table, or place lemons and limes among trailing ivy vines.