I love to spread out, so I would opt for the media room option. You have time to upgrade the lighting, and perhaps make some improvements to the kitchen before the holidays. Care to share a photo of your media room space? You could cook some things in the main kitchen and carry them downstairs as needed. HTH.

You could always bring down some extra lamps from elsewhere in the house. I'm sure it will still feel like home/grandma's despite the change of venue...

Media room definitely. Place a Christmas tree there with lots of lights , add other lights & decorations & no one will notice the lack of windows.

I agree - decorate your media room with lights and a tree! What makes Christmas special is not the location, but gathering together! I love the idea of playing videos - you could also load pictures of Christmases past and have them running on the TV! You could do most of the main cooking upstairs and just use the smaller kitchen to keep things warm or to prepare smaller, simpler dishes.

Hi

decorideas523,

Will you miss not having a tree in your living room? Will you have to "go downstairs to the media room" in order to have Christmas spirit all the other days?

What an amazing media room, I'd never get hubs out of there!

I would do both. Dinner in the regular family room and presents in the media room.

Put up your tree in the family room and decorate as you always do. Plan appetizers or cocktails or breakfast as usual in your 'good' kitchen.

The only change to tradition is a new tree in the media room. When people arrive, ask them to put the presents downstairs. A new tradition!!! A gift room!

If gifts come with munchies or drinks, you can have those downstairs, but save the big kitchen for the gathering meal.

A couple wins here - new tradition! space for gifts! room for the kids to hang apart from the grownups! and the gifts are no longer in the way when you are trying to serve dinner! (for me, another win would be having another tree! I love decorating for Christmas!!!!! )

Start a new tradition, keep your tree with all of your current decorations in the living room and maybe put enough presents under for everyone to open one on Christmas Eve. Have another tree in the media room with the rest of the presents you'll open on Christmas day. Since the tree in your living room probably has history of your children, make the tree in the media room all about your grandchildren, perhaps buying them each a personal decoration to add to the tree every year, and soon enough you'll have history in the media room tree as well. You could have breakfast in the downstairs kitchen, but I would keep dinner upstairs.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I like the idea of just using the room for opening the presents and maybe do breakfast downstairs also, but keep the upstairs for the dinner. Letting the grandkids decorate the media room and making the christmas tree in this room about them would start a new tradition.

This year, have everyone bring an ornament for the new tree.

Do what works for you and make sure you enjoy the holidays. Often the host/hostess gets so stressed making everything great for every one else, the holidays loose meaning.

My friend has found herself with loads of grandchildren and in-laws of in-laws, some times she isn’t sure who is who. But, she always has a great Christmas.

#1 rule…she determines what each family will bring for the feast. She and her husband make the turkey(s) and gravy. If someone doesn’t cook well (ahem), he brings the cranberry sauce (in the serving dish). Everyone is involved with the meal. Her husband sets up a long table, set buffet style and there is always a chair to sit on. No longer is the fine china/crystal/silver out…but there are some pretty fantastic substitutes which you can dump/recycle.

Not the Norman Rockwell memory of Christmas at the dining table, but that huge family has such a great time…no complaints.

One more thought....if you don't want the work of decorating two trees...let the tree decorating in the media room be part of the festivities. In days gone by (I have grandchildren too), my parents made going out after the tree and then decorating it part of the holiday events, rather than "work" ahead of time. Depends on your tolerance for chaos...but could be fun and great memories for the grands!

Wonderful warm series of ideas. I hope you find the perfect match for your sanity, joy, and family celebration. And remember... ask who wants to host Christmas next year ;-)

I love the idea of your guests decorating the rec room tree. I’ve been to tree decorating parties... fun!

These are such all great ideas. So, the decision is made to have the festivities and breakfast in the media room and the dinner in my dining room. I am actually very excited to decorate this part of the house. Plus, having 2 trees (the one is my living room and the one in the media room) that are both completely different will be a really nice new tradition. Thanks for helping me decide.

We will need pictures !!

I'd move to where you would have more space to mingle and enjoy each other.