Rudolph Day in July

Christmas in July at the Lake

One of the things I enjoy most about celebrating Christmas through the year is that it reminds me not to take everything so seriously.

Christmas in July isn’t about pretending it’s December. It’s about borrowing a little of the joy, warmth, music, and togetherness that make Christmas so special and letting those things brighten an ordinary summer day.

There are no rules.

You don’t need a decorated tree or perfectly wrapped presents. You certainly don’t need to shop. In fact, one of the things I like most about Christmas in July is that it gives us a chance to play with ideas. It’s a wonderful time to try a new recipe, experiment with a craft, or test a decorating idea that might find its way into the holiday season later in the year.

This year we celebrated at our little island cottage.

The weather couldn’t have been more different from December. Sunshine sparkled on the lake, boats drifted past the dock, and it was much too warm for hot chocolate!

Instead, I made a festive pink iced tea garnished with a fresh strawberry and a little sprig of rosemary. It looked wonderfully Christmasy while tasting completely at home on a hot summer afternoon.

Our treats were simple too. I baked a pan of blueberry oatmeal bars and arranged strawberries and green grapes into a Christmas wreath-shaped fruit tray. Fresh, colourful, and easy to put together—it felt like the perfect combination of summer and Christmas.

During a quiet afternoon, I finished a small watercolour painting of a star-shaped wreath. I’m hoping it may become one of our Christmas cards this year.  I also experimented with decoupaging a Christmas napkin on a wood round to make a trivet for my tea pot. That’s another thing I enjoy about celebrating in July. There is time to create simply for the pleasure of creating, without deadlines or pressure.

Bob provided the music for the day. He sat on the end of the dock in his Santa t- shirt, practising Christmas songs on his ukulele. I couldn’t help but wonder what the fishermen drifting past our cottage thought as “Jingle Bells” floated across the lake in the middle of July. Hopefully it brought a smile to someone else’s day too.

Of course, Merlin joined the festivities in his own way. He played with a little Christmas gnome toy, although I’m quite certain he wasn’t impressed by its festive appearance. His only concern was whether it squeaked. Apparently, that’s the true measure of a good Christmas gift.

Perhaps that’s one of the lessons of Christmas in July. 

Children, puppies, and sometimes adults too remind us that celebration doesn’t have to be complicated. A favourite treat, music, laughter, time outdoors, and people we love are often more than enough.

If you celebrate Christmas in July, keep it simple. Hang a string of lights on the deck. Enjoy a festive drink. Wear a fun shirt with a Santa hat if it makes you laugh. Listen to a favourite Christmas song. Make something with your hands. Or simply gather with people you enjoy.

Love to remember the meaning of Christmas, but remember too that there is no limit on celebrating joy, no matter what the season.

Sometimes we spend so much time preparing for Christmas that we forget to practise the very things Christmas celebrates—joy, kindness, laughter, creativity, gratitude, and being together. Perhaps Christmas in July is simply a reminder that those gifts are welcome every day of the year.

Rudolph Day in June

Gathering Memories for Gifts Yet to Come

June is a month of transitions.

School years end. Spring activities wrap up. Gardens begin to flourish. Summer stretches out ahead with all its possibilities.

This month’s Rudolph Day is not about making something immediately. Instead, it is about paying attention to the memories, photographs, and small treasures that are accumulating around us.

Sometimes the best Christmas gifts begin months before Christmas arrives.

As you collect these memories, don’t worry about exactly how you’ll use them.

Photographs, recipes, children’s artwork, handwritten notes, and pressed plants can all become beautiful gifts, decorations, albums, journals, ornaments, or keepsakes.

We’ll explore some of those ideas together as Christmas draws closer. June is simply the beginning of the journey.

Creating a Memory Box

Memory boxes can be as simple or elaborate as you wish.

They might contain:

• Photographs
• Children’s artwork
• Greeting cards
• Tickets from special outings
• Notes and letters
• Small souvenirs from trips
• Pressed flowers or leaves
• Favourite recipes

The goal is not to save everything.

The goal is to save the things that still tell a story when you look at them later.

A simple decorative box, archival photo box, basket, or binder can work beautifully.

How Much Should We Save?

This is a question many of us struggle with.

Some items deserve careful archival storage because they are irreplaceable:

• Family photographs
• Letters
• Important documents
• Original artwork

Other items may be better enjoyed in everyday life:

• Favourite photos displayed on walls
• Children’s art framed or rotated seasonally
• Special objects used rather than hidden away

Memories do not always belong in a storage bin.

Sometimes they belong where they can be seen and enjoyed.

Looking Ahead to Summer

June is also a wonderful time to think about the photographs you would like to take over the coming months.

Many of us take hundreds of pictures but rarely plan them intentionally.

What stories do you want to remember?

Perhaps:

• Family picnics
• Cottage sunsets
• A favourite pet
• Garden flowers
• Summer celebrations
• Everyday moments at home

A little planning now can create a richer collection later.

Curating the Stories We Keep

When sorting through photographs, artwork, cards, and keepsakes, it can be tempting to focus on what should stay and what should go.

Instead, try beginning with a different question:

What do I love?

What items make you smile when you find them again?

What brings back a favourite memory, a special place, or a moment of wonder?

As you gather things together, you may notice natural themes emerging.

Perhaps it’s:

• A particular family member
• A favourite pet
• A vacation or cottage season
• A landscape you love
• A collection of holiday memories
• Everyday moments that felt surprisingly meaningful

There is no right way to organize memories. Some people prefer albums. Others create boxes, binders, journals, or display shelves. The important thing is that the collection tells a story that matters to you.

More Than Storage

Not every treasured item needs to be packed away.

Some memories deserve careful preservation for future generations. Others are happiest when they remain part of everyday life.

Consider displaying a few favourite photographs, framing a child’s artwork, or keeping a small collection of meaningful objects where they can be seen and enjoyed.

Memories are meant to be revisited.

You might even discover a few Christmas treasures tucked among the seasons—photographs, cards, ornaments, recipes, or notes that still bring joy years later.

Enjoy, Preserve, Display, Share

As you sort through the stories of the past months, remember that memories can be enjoyed in many ways.

Preserve some.

Display some.

Share some with family and friends who may treasure them too.

The goal is not to create perfect storage systems. The goal is to honour the moments, people, places, and experiences that have enriched our lives.

A Gentle Closing

June reminds us that memories are being created every day, whether we notice them or not.

Perhaps keeping Christmas through the year means paying attention now, gathering the moments that matter, and preserving them in ways that can bring joy long after the season has passed.

The photographs we take this summer may become some of our most treasured possessions or gifts for next winter.

Sometimes the most meaningful Christmas gifts 

aren’t made in December at all.

They begin months earlier, 

with the simple decision to notice, 

to gather, and to 

remember.