There are currently 17 days lying ahead until the eagerly anticipated Christmas day arrives. There are so many fun, thoughtful and relaxing ways in which you can celebrate this holiday season; you should definitely take advantage of them in order to ensure an exciting and fulfilling December! I hope you love this countdown and choose to participate in some of these fun wonders of celebratory Christmas joy!
December 8th: Finish your Christmas shopping! To get the ball rolling, you can start by making a list of all of the people you want to buy gifts for. This could include your family, friends, spouse, partner or even a pet! Then, curate some stores or websites where these people might like a gift from, as well as a price range for yourself to go by, and this should help you significantly in your search for any last minute shopping sprees. Many stores even have coupons online or on their apps, so be sure to utilize those too.
December 9th: Everyone loves to receive mail during the holidays! Get out your Christmas cards. You can choose the more sophisticated route and pick out a picture of yourself and/or others to design online, or you can go the “old fashioned” route and put pen to paper. Think of those who would love to hear from you this season. You can even include recipe cards, stickers, gift cards or scratch-offs for some extra holiday cheer.
December 10th: Put your tree up! Putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it with ornaments and candy canes is definitely one of my favorite things to do. My favorite ornament is a snowman with springs for legs, star shaped buttons and a fluff of pink hair.
December 11th: Have a Secret Santa exchange! You could set a price limit from a low of $10 to a high of $50, for example, and get together with a small group of family, friends, or coworkers to partake. These get-togethers can also include holiday themed snacks, drinks and even some holly jolly Christmas jingles.
December 12th: Learn a Christmas song! Whether you sing it, strum it, or hum it, embrace your musical creativity! Some classic Christmas songs, such as “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” by Brenda Lee, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” by Frank Sinatra and “Blue Christmas,” by Elvis Presley are all good options. There are also fun, more modern Christmas songs, such as Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree,” and “My Only Wish (This Year),” by Britney Spears. My personal three favorite Christmas tunes are “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney, “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by John Lennon and “Father Christmas” by The Kinks.
December 13th: Wrap your presents, it’s about time! You can find fun, patterned wrapping paper and gift bags in almost any store! I also like picking out cute gift tags to attach to my gifts, too. If you have trouble wrapping gifts, you can always find a helpful tutorial or ask someone! Some stores, like Kohl’s, even have funny “prank” gift boxes, which I will definitely be using for some of my gifts this year. My uncle once gave me a gift hidden inside a pizza box! Be creative and have fun with it — who’s stopping you?
December 14th: Make a cute gingerbread house! You can find an array of fun kits in most grocery or department stores. This is a fun way to destress and be creative, while leaving yourself a fun treat to enjoy later. Perhaps you might even leave it out as decoration for others to enjoy as well!
December 15th: Create your own ornaments! You can buy a clear ball ornament from any craft store, along with fun paint, letters, fake snow, etc. to fill them with. These would make a thoughtful gift for someone, and would even look great on your own tree. If you’re looking for another artsy project to go along with this, you can even attempt your own garland, with pom poms, popcorn or flowers!
December 16th: Pick out your favorite hot chocolate and a cozy book! Taking some time to care for yourself is very important during this bustling season. Everything can definitely get a bit hectic, so I recommend pulling out an old favorite book and letting yourself get lost in it. Who doesn’t love a nice, steaming cup of hot chocolate, topped off with whipped cream when it’s cold outside? I know I do!
December 17th: Go to the mall and meet Santa! You can get some cute photos with the big man in red to send to your family or friends — just check to make sure he’s there first! This might be fun to do with friends, or bringing younger siblings or cousins along. It’s never too late to have some plain, silly fun.
December 18th: Take a cool night drive, whether alone or with others, and admire the Christmas lights and decorations outside! There are definitely a bunch of areas or neighborhoods that go all out with decorating with wreaths, strings of lights and inflatables galore, ready to be enjoyed by every passerby. This can be so much fun, especially with the right company and a hot drink in tow.
December 19th: Bake some delicious Christmas cookies! Pick your favorite: sugar cookies, chocolate chip, Pillsbury, peanut butter, sprinkle — the list goes on. You could even host your own cookie party and trade with others! Baking is so much fun, and the results are even better! Everyone loves a little treat and some yummy holiday cheer. Whatever you do, definitely bake some cookies!
December 20th: Browse through cable channes or any of your favorite streaming services and pick out a Christmas movie to watch! There are tons of options; most channels or platforms even offer their own designated category to make your selection that much easier and enjoyable. “Home Alone,” “The Santa Clause” and “Fred Claus” are some of my personal Christmas favorites; they never get old, with their magical holiday charm and frequent comedic relief.
December 21st: Play Animal Crossing! This adorable game has plenty of Christmas charm to indulge in; you can buy presents for your villagers, send mail to your friends and find ornaments and snowflakes on your island! You can even stick around and wait for Jingle the reindeer to stop by!
December 22nd: Try some Christmas candy and treats! Get together with siblings or other loved ones and try out some fun snacks! Just make sure you have a glass of juice handy.
December 23rd: Wear a silly Christmas sweater with your friends! You can buy or decorate your own, and make a competition out of it, too. This is a perfect photo opportunity and a fun way to let loose. Stay cozy and warm, because we’re in for a cold one! (Hopefully a white Christmas!)
December 24th: Sit down and have a comforting meal! Whether it’s a homemade feast or a takeout treat, fill up on some yummy food and spend time with your loved ones today. Christmas only comes one time a year, so make this one extra special and full of love. Express your gratitude to your family and friends, and don’t forget to leave a plate of cookies out for Santa!
You’ve made it! I hope you loved these fun ways to celebrate your holiday season a little better.
Happy holidays!
Great stuff, Maia! My favorite movies this time of year are, It’s a Wonderful Life and The Apartment; although, The Apartment is more my New Year’s Eve movie. I also love the dysfunctional family chaos in Arnaud Desplechin’s, A Christmas Tale. But what I always watch this time of year is the Lord of the Rings trilogy, because all three movies released theatrically a week before Santa’s big ride and I have so many happy memories of seeing them with friends and family.
Great list!