Christmas is coming at pace. It hit you last week when you heard an ancient Christmas carol crawl through the tiny speakers at the mall or maybe you saw your friend decorating their house for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving.

Cynicism aside, it really can be a fun time of year – as long as you put your inner Scrooge to sleep and embrace the holiday with open arms.

Whether you’re searching for the Christmas spirit yourself, or want to spread the good vibes to your friends and family, I’ve put together ten simple ways to help you get into the Christmas spirit.

1. Spotify Playlists

When you think of Christmas music, you may already have a go-to album in mind. But you should take a lesson from your Christmas tree and branch out.

Spotify has an endless list of Christmas songs and playlists for you to stream. These are perfect for holiday dinners and boring bus trips.

You can get the classics, Christmas pop, Christmas rock, all of the options are there!

2. Beige The Movies

Seeing is believing, so you’ve got to start watching Christmas movies. From the classic animations and family comedies to romantic feel-goods, there’s a Christmas movie for every night of December – if you’re dedicated enough, and have the data for it.

Here are a few for you to consider:

• Elf
• The Grinch
• Home Alone
• Love Actually
• Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
• Don’t forget to check out Disney Plus for some family friendly christmas options

3. The Tree..

Okay fine, I’ll admit it. I was one of those people that put my tree up BEFORE Thanksgiving. Needless to say, I wasn’t hosting Friendsgiving this year or Thanksgiving so I felt like I was in the clear! It’s an early Christmas activity you can do with your family or household and will become a daily reminder of Santa’s soon arrival. And while you decorate your tree, listen to your freshly baked Christmas playlist for the ultimate Christmas feels.

3. Read Some Christmas Classics

Every Christmas Eve my family would gather around and read some classic Christmas books together. Even now I like to crack one open when I’m in need of a holiday spirit infusion. The Polar Express and A Night Before Christmas are my old-time favorites.

4. Plan a Date to go Look at Christmas Lights

Nothing quite puts the Christmas magic back in your heart like Christmas lights. Ordinary houses and trees are transformed into something extraordinary. It’s seeing the Christmas lights that lets you know it’s a special time of year. Drive around town and check out the neighborhood displays. Also be sure to check out the massive displays that are sometimes put on in parks by community organizations, where you can walk or drive around in a winter wonderland of millions of lights.

5. Bake Something!

There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh baked goods wafting through the house to put you in a good mood. Don’t want to feel guilty for consuming all those calories? Wrap some up and take them to a neighbor, a shut-in, or down to a homeless shelter. Lift someone else’s spirits and your own in the process.

6. Get Crafty!

Grab your kids (or someone else’s kids-or never mind the kids) and put together a gingerbread house and eat the leftovers, gather supplies and make a few Christmas ornaments with your family, or call some friends over and create Christmas cards to take to a local nursing home.

7. Take some time off.

Take some time off either before the holiday season or after! This allows for you toensure you’re well rested and charged up!

8. Plan Holiday Themed Dates

To me, the closest thing to the magic you felt as a kid around Christmas, is the romantic feeling you get from sharing the holiday with someone you love. The magic comes back when you’re experiencing old traditions with someone by your side. So plan a festive date: go to an outdoor skating rink, look at the lights, and then make some cocoa and snuggle by the fire.

9. Make Some Hot Chocolate or Eggnog.

The edibles of Christmas are an important part of what makes the season special. So take time to whip up and savor a seasonal beverage like hot chocolate or eggnog. Make a roaring fire in the fireplace or firepit , settle in, pick up a good book, and sip on a tasty drink.

10. Do Service

Last but certainly not least, if you’re not feeling jolly this holiday season, the easiest way to change that is to do some service for someone else. Shovel the driveway for the old lady next door, volunteer at the soup kitchen, or anonymously leave a donation for someone in need.

I feel like I touched on a lot of topics that I’m going to go into more detail about in my further posts! But this is Day One of Blogmas and I am so excited for all the posts I have instore coming up in the next month. Stay tuned!

with love,

c.p