Disney movies give us princesses, ball gowns, and castles. Fulfilling our inner child. Hallmark movies give us romances, beautiful homes, and perfectly set holidays. Fulfilling our inner woman. Every July Hallmark runs a special series: Christmas in July. This year it begins July 14th and runs through July 23rd. Here is the full schedule here.
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My favorite part of any Hallmark movie is the charm that radiates throughout the movie. The same goes for most of my favorite TV shows (Pretty Little Liars, Gilmour Girls, and Once Upon a Time). It’s fun to romanticize about white picket fences, colorful seasons, and everybody perfectly dressed to play a part. Dreary weather means embracing vibrant colors. If it calls for rain, it is trench coats, rain boots, and umbrellas.
Homes are always dressed beautifully, mimicking lifestyles. A traveler, will have a library room, with a world map hanging in antique frame on the wall. Tucked underneath the map is a bar cart with a decanter full of scotch and two short tumblers to pour it in. Grocery shopping always consists of buying from the local market. Groceries are brought back in paper bag with a colorful bouquet of flowers and a baguette peeking out.
So, if you’re into the small-town vibe, or living like a Hallmark Movie. Here are my take aways:
Decorate your front porch for the seasons. Mums & Pumpkins in the Fall. Wreaths, kissing balls, and Christmas lights in the Winter. 
Always dress for the weather, in stylish colors, that are best for you skin, hair and eye tone. You can’t go wrong with a colorful peacoat & a coordinating scarf. Or a even an oversized Christmas sweater.
Have some fancy oversized mugs for drinking your coffee, tea, and hot cocoa.
Find your best, classic, make-up look. It’s all about enhancing your looks without over powering them. Try for a clean look by having manicured eyebrows, a lip with a slight shine, and a neutral eye.
Dress without showing labels. Convey your style with your outfit, not with labels, or t-shirt sayings. Stick to colors that best compliment you.
Decorate your house without showing brands. Same goes for your house. For instance, put any soap in soap dispensers, instead of a soap bottle. Store food in food containers or keep boxes of food and chips stored in pantries out of sight.
Keep your house clean and tidy and free of clutter. Keep clutter tucked away. It’s also handy to have stylish bins like these to hide bills, toys, and pet supplies.
When you take on a task, focus on it exclusively. Whether writing a letter or chopping vegetables, the task is usually done without multi-tasking. Don’t forget a glass of wine. There is always a glass a wine near by.
Dine in a Main Street Restaurant. This one is my favorite. Hallmark movies always have cute small town diners, or main street restaurants to dine at. It’s so fun to go out and try local food and see the ambience and atmosphere the owners create.
Purchase toys from a local, family owned toy shop. This is especially true for the Christmas season. Find a local toy shop to pickup some special one of a kind items.
Enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. Yes, please!
Make your salad in a wooden salad bowl. I don’t know what it is about wooden salad bowls, maybe it’s the way the colors of the vegetables pop against the natural wood, but this is a classic. If you are going to make a salad, you have to make it in a large wooden bowl, like this one.
Put any condiments in bowls, with a serving spoon. Keep ugly labels off your table. This is a tip I got from Lisa Vanderpump’s book, Simply Divine. Along with a slew of other entertaining ideas.
Put orange juice in a glass Pitcher. Another movie classic. Orange juice is always in a glass pitcher, never from a box.
Wear an apron when you cook. In the movies, the main lead is rarely bumming around in pjs or “comfy” clothes. Wearing an apron was a 1950’s housewives ritual, but it’s also a fun way to add some pizzaz in the Kitchen.
Drink your cocktails and wine out of the perfect glass. Every cocktail has the perfect glass to drink it out of.
Go all out for the holidays. Decorate EVERYTHING! This is what adds magic to the season.
Wear rubber gloves when you do the dishes and clean. Don’t ruin your manicure.
Enjoy life, kiss in the rain, & laugh often.
Do you have any Hallmark or Small Town favorites?
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I’m Chanele. Housewife, Mama, and Chief of Household Management. I love charm, simplicity, and getting organized.
I‘m always on the hunt for inspiration
and love the creative process. All of the tips I share are for busy moms managing a household and family.
Please join me in making magic, molding memories & managing a household.
LOL. Fun post. I’m a tough, warrior-type guy but I love a good, cheesy Hallmark movie with my wife and Pinterest. I also appreciate “charm, simplicity, and getting organized”. Christmas is one of the few times of year when we are more intentional about giving our whole house that Hallmark vibe, but our front porch is Hallmarky all year round. Living like you’re in a Hallmark movie, put’s Mom and Dad in a good mood as long as the children are not forced into it!
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Haha! I love this! My husband would agree with you, it’s definitely extra special around the Christmas. Merry Christmas to your family!
My guilty pleasure! I’m a single father of two adopted kids and definitely a guy but I love Hallmark movies and all the charm. We need more charm in our busy lives.
I love your article. I have read it twice. May I add for your readers like me who read comments, have candles in your home, even the flame-less type to set a beautiful ambiance.