25+ Simple Ways to Romanticize the Christmas Season
After the popularity of the “how to romanticize fall” post, lots of people requested a similar one for the Christmas season.
Good news – this community came through with lots of great ideas!
I hope these ideas help make your Christmas season a little more magical and fun.
SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE THE CHRISTMAS SEASON SPECIAL
- Get up early to read a Christmas book by the tree. If you need some suggestions, here are some of my favorites.
- Make a fun warm morning beverage. Perfect to enjoy under a cozy blanket or on a walk in a thermos.
- Do a Christmas puzzle. I am loving this Home for the Holidays puzzle for Christmas time (my affiliate code is EVERYDAYREADING15). This puzzle is also high on my list!
- Keep Christmas simple. One woman said, “keeping Christmas very simple and not jam-packed with activities is how it feels special to me. Having a lot of downtime to watch Christmas movies at home together, eating by the tree lights, reading Christmas books, etc., makes it feel fun and special and not chaotic.”
- Use your special dishes. This is the time to break out the fancy china and crystal goblets. I love using the Christmas set my husband grew up with.
- Prep as much as you can by the first week of December. One reader said, “My mom set an incredible example by having our home ready for Christmas by the first week of December. Decorated house, packages and cards sent, it kept the calendar clear to do all the traditions. It was peaceful and intentional.”
- Add some Christmas decor to the bedrooms. Even if it is just a mini Christmas tree or twinkle lights!
- Wind down early for cozy nights at home. Break out the books or games, and enjoy time together in PJs and with twinkle lights.
- Go to a special Christmas music or theater production. I know many families go see The Nutcracker every year and it’s a favorite tradition.
- Set up a cocoa bar. Such a fun idea for the kids to make after school or on cold mornings.
- Bake fun holiday recipes. These salted caramel Christmas crackers and churro caramel popcorn are some of my favorites!
- Put up a real Christmas tree. The smell alone brings me back to Christmas! But, if you are like me and have an artificial tree, I swear by this cleaning spray during the holiday season – it smells just like a Christmas tree.
- Focus on biblical/Christian stories and traditions. I have a list of nativity stories for children here.
- Make a bingo card of activities. They can be big, like going on an outing to the snow tubing hill, or small, like simply eating a candy cane.
- Eat by candlelight. Lots of followers said they do this the entire month of December since it gets dark so early, but you could easily do it one or two nights. Bonus points for cozy Christmas music in the background!
- Finish Christmas shopping online as a group. Have you heard of body doubling? It’s the idea of getting a task done with someone there with you! Because everything is better with friends and family.
- Craft by the tree. I’m not a very crafty person, but I 100% see the appeal of doing anything by the tree.
- Turn on the fireplace. And if you don’t have a fireplace, use the YouTube or Netflix fire on your TV!
- Play Christmas records. The follower that suggested this said “The staticky recored sound just brings the holiday spirit!” Because everything sounds better on vinyl!
- Dim the lights in the house. Julia Marcum (from Chris Loves Julia) does this thing called “lamp o’clock” where you turn off all overhead lights and just use lamps. It’s so cozy!
- Simmer Christmas potpourri on the stove. This will make your entire house smell like Christmas! (try this recipe)
- Wear all of your holiday jewelry. Pull out your jewelry that is a little “extra” or the ones that you can only get away with during the holidays.
- Complete acts of service. I love how this time of year gets people out doing good for others.
- Sing carols together. Our family especially likes doing Christmas bells together (my code is JANSSEN10)!
- Change into cozy pjs the second you walk in the door. These would be my first choice!
- Do “No Lights November”. One mom shared “we don’t use the overhead or electric lights as much as possible, and in the evenings we sit in the family room and crochet or do puzzles while someone reads Little Women.” I’m intrigued!
- Watch Christmas movies. I love cuddling up on the couch with my kids and turning on some of our favorites. One reader shared that they pair it with themed dinners, “We watch Home Alone and have cheese pizza and ice cream sundaes like in the movie, or The Christmas Story and have meatloaf. It’s cheap, easy, and really fun.”
- Go on family walk to look at Christmas lights. There’s nothing more Christmas-y than bundling up, seeing your breathe and enjoying some of the neighborhood displays all together!
Any other suggestions for romanticizing the Christmas season? Share in the comments!
