Dear Diary,

As much as I needed a bit of a break after the holiday season, it feels SO GOOD to be writing for you all again!

I took a much longer break than I anticipated. The holidays are all about being with family for me, & that’s just what I did! I took some time to be with my loved ones without any stress. I also have started a new job & accomplished some major wedding plans in the last few weeks! So while I wasn’t typing away for you all, I still definitely kept myself busy!

The holidays have come to an end, & I have started to take my Christmas decorations down. Though this always makes me sad, I must admit that it feels nice to have a fresh start on my decor!

I think it’s sometimes very difficult to transition after Christmas. I like to start to think about spring, but still keep things super cozy! Here is how I chose to decorate my kitchen for the rest of winter!

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Clean

Before adding any decor, I removed EVERYTHING from the countertops & tables (even the stuff I was keeping out!). This way, I was about to sort through what was going in storage until next year & what I want to keep out. While everything was off of the countertops, I cleaned every surface thoroughly. This is a great time to do a deep clean!

Choose a Theme

Coming out of the Christmas season can be difficult when it comes to decor. Many people put up Valentine’s Day decor, but I wanted to keep things simple & save my money this year. I chose to stick with winter elements & blue tones.

Coffee Bar

This first place in my kitchen that I wanted to tackle was my coffee bar. For Christmas, this area was FULL of decor, mugs, & coffee. I decided I wanted to keep things a bit more simple for the rest of the Winter season.

I picked up a few items from the Target Dollar Spot to help me out. They have TONS of adorable decor pieces for an awesome coffee bar right now! If you like any of this stuff, RUN! My favorite item has to be the tiered tray. I mean, how cute is that for only FIVE DOLLARS?! I also picked up a cream & sugar set, marble measuring spoons, to-go cups, & some labels.

To put it all together, I used a lot of pieces I already owned. The 3 jars (coffee, cocoa & marshmallows) & twinkle lights are all from the Dollar Tree. The mug I received last winter in my FabFitFun box, & the paper straws & coffee stir sticks are from last season in the Target Dollar Spot.

I love how cozy this little corner looks! It is also perfect if we have any guests. They can easily grab anything they need without even asking!

Island Centerpiece

I used a combination of things to create this adorable tiered tray! The tray itself was an item I thrifted & spray painted a few months back. The measuring cups, towels & fruit colander are from the Target Dollar Spot. The tea cup is from Target & the candles are from the Dollar Tree!

This tray makes me so happy because it has the perfect mix of my blue wintery tones with just enough brightness to carry into Spring!

TIP: One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to use actual kitchenware & food as decor. I love to incorporate things people wouldn’t normally think to use as I did here: measure cups & spoons, fruit, colanders, & cups or mugs. I think it adds such a fun twist!

Table Centerpiece

I once again used a kitchen item as decor in this centerpiece! I found this adorable pitcher that matches my colander as well as the sugar & creamer set at the Target Dollar Spot. I filled it with Dollar Tree flowers & placed it on top of a charger from the Target Dollar Spot. To complete the look, I used a Dollar Tree scarf as a table runner (which was also part of my fall & christmas decor).

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What’s your favorite part of my winter kitchen?

Like this post if you’d like to see how I decorated after Christmas in the rest of my house!

Make sure you follow my instagram @bethsnot_so_secretdiary! I posts tons of stories about organization and budget friendly shopping!

Thanks so much for stopping by to read my Not-So-Secret Diary!

xx,

Beth