Hello, I'm Miyako Mishizaki, Haru's mom.
Christmas is approaching, so I decided to decorate our house to give it a festive touch. Since I'm alone at home right now—Haru and Nishi are at school, and my younger sister Marika went shopping at a nearby mall—I thought this was the perfect time. I prefer working solo on projects like this anyway. It's a habit from my programming days—focus is key.
I decided to start with the living room since it's the first thing anyone sees when entering the house. The living room isn't very big, so decorating it wouldn't take too much time. First, I grabbed some garlands and Christmas lights. I carefully draped the garlands along the corners of the main door and arranged a smaller set on the table in front of the sofa. It already felt a bit more festive.
Next up was the Christmas tree. It's not the tallest tree—only about three meters—but it's perfect for our cozy space. I placed it in the corner beside the TV, where it would stand out but not obstruct anything. After assembling the tree, I added strings of Christmas lights and ornaments. There's something magical about how the lights reflect off the shiny baubles—it immediately filled me with holiday cheer.
Once the tree was done, I moved on to decorating the entrance to the dining room. Our living and dining areas are separated by a small wall with a curtained opening. I thought some garlands around the entrance would look nice. Though I didn't plan on decorating the dining room itself, I couldn't resist adding a bowl of fresh fruit to the table. It's simple but adds a nice touch. Across from the dining table is the kitchen, but I decided to skip decorating there. It's functional and doesn't need the extra clutter.
After that, I wanted to hang some Christmas socks. I thought they'd look great on the window in the living room. But first, I needed to wash them. Our washing machine is conveniently located in the bathroom, which is beside the kitchen. I quickly cleaned the socks and let them dry for a bit before hanging them neatly on the window. There are four socks, one for each of us—Haru, Nishi, Marika, and me.
Next on my list was decorating the stairs. The staircase starts near the dining table, so I decided to wrap some garlands along the banister. It was a bit tricky at first, but I managed to get them evenly spaced. I wasn't originally planning to decorate the dining area, but adding this touch didn't feel like too much.
Heading upstairs, there's a single hallway with doors to all our rooms. The first room on the left is Haru's. I thought about decorating the entrance to his room but paused. Haru would probably prefer decorations inspired by SFO, his favorite game. Maybe I'll surprise him with something like that later.
Across from Haru's room is the storage room. It doesn't need any decorations—it needs a good cleaning, honestly. This was supposed to be Marika's room, but since she isn't always here, it's become a space for storing random things.
The next room down the hall is Nishi's. She loves anything that sparkles, so I added some colorful garlands around her doorframe. It was simple, but I knew she'd love it when she got home.
Opposite Nishi's room is mine. For my door, I used similar decorations—garlands and a few small ornaments. It felt nice to add a personal touch to my space.
At the end of the hallway is a small balcony. It's just big enough for a table and four chairs, making it a cozy spot to relax. I decided to decorate it with a beautiful Christmas lantern and string some lights around the plants there. When lit up at night, it would create a warm, festive glow.
Once all the decorating was done, I took a step back to admire my work. The living room felt cozy and inviting, the hallway upstairs had just the right amount of cheer, and the balcony looked magical. I couldn't wait for Haru, Nishi, and Marika to see it all.
I think Shiori would like this too~
As I stood there, I thought about how important it is to create moments like these. Life can get so busy, and it's easy to forget to take the time to make things special. Christmas is a time for family, after all. These decorations weren't just about making the house look nice—they were about creating an atmosphere where we could all come together and enjoy the season.
I glanced at the clock. It's already 3 pm. It was nearly time for Nishi and maybe Haru to come home from school. I decided to start preparing some snacks—hot cocoa and cookies would be perfect. As I worked in the kitchen, I could hear the faint sound of Christmas music playing from my phone. The smell of chocolate and cinnamon filled the air, adding to the festive mood.
Soon enough, I heard the sound of the front door opening. "Mom! It smells so good in here!" Nishi's excited voice echoed through the house.
I see, it looks like Marika pick Nishi on her school.
"Wow, did you do all this yourself?" Marika asked, looking around at the decorations.
"I did. Do you like it?" I replied, smiling.
"It's amazing! Especially the tree," Nishi said, running to inspect it.
Marika nodded. "Yeah, it's nice. Thanks, sis."
Their reactions made all the effort worth it. Moments like these remind me why I love the holidays so much. It's not about the decorations or the food—it's about the warmth and joy of being together.
As we sat in the living room, sipping cocoa and enjoying the twinkling lights, I couldn't help but feel grateful. Christmas is still a few weeks away, but the spirit of the season was already alive in our little home. And that's all I could ever ask for.