Yes, it's 'only' the beginning of December, but don't let anyone tell you it's too early to start celebrating the run up to Christmas (my family try but they can all bah-humbug off). With this in mind, I've come up with a list of 10 activities that you can do this Christmas - or start right now. Merry December!
*Please note*
This list is by no means exhaustive. There is so much fun to be have during the festive season (which is why we have to start early to fit it all in). So go on, fill your festive boots!
First up on my list is the Christmas shop. Now, this does not mean Christmas shopping for gifts. It definitely doesn't refer to a supermarket shop. Nope, I'm talking about a shop dedicated to Christmas. A winter wonderland of Christmas trees and more decorations than you can shake a candy cane at.
I'm lucky enough to have such a shop within walking distance. It opens every September, so you can get your Christmas spirit on really early. It's every Christmas fanatic's dream, with trees, baubles, ornaments, free-standing nutcrackers, outdoor light-up decorations, talking mechanical reindeer and even crowned swans. Gorgeous!
Or you can get your Christmas on at the squillions of Christmas markets that should now all be open. Our nearest Christmas market is Manchester's - and it's HUGE. It's become a tradition of ours to buy chocolate marshmallows from the market (the cherry ones are my fave).
Do you have a Christmas shop near you? Or a fabulously festive market close by?
Again, I'm very lucky that our local town has a reindeer parade every year. There are bands, festive characters and Santa and his reindeer, as well as a different theme each year (this year it was The Night Before Christmas).
It was a bit rainy and cold, but it was worth it! You can see more of the parade by going to my saved stories on Instagram
If you don't have a local parade, you could always pop over to YouTube and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving parade from the comfort (and warmth!) of your own home, which I'm going to do :)
Does your town have a Christmassy parade? Or have you ever been to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (if you have, I am v jealous!)
Okay, this is something everyone can have a go at. Sort of. I am terrible at jigsaws, but over the past few years I've felt the need to do a festive one. The first one I did took me four years to complete (in my defence, I only actually worked on it from October to December for each of those years). The second took me two years and the third... Well, it ended up in the wheelie bin in a rage. After two years, it was nowhere near completed.
I haven't started this year's jigsaw yet...
If you have a love/hate or even hate/hate relationship with jigsaws, let me know in the comments below so I don't feel like such a big jigsaw failure ;)
Another one everyone can do! I love a festive read and made a start on my Christmassy TBR pile at the beginning of November (there's no way I'd fit in all my festive reads in one month). I started off with A Very British Christmas by Rhodri Marsden, which is a humorous look at the way we celebrate the festive season.
Since then, I've also read Snowday by B R Maycock and am currently reading One Day In December by Josie Silver. Next on my list is Jaimie Admans' It's a Wonderful Night.
It seems like a good place to have a little plug of my own festive offerings (not sorry):
‘I wish I could live your life. I’d happily swap lives with you.’
’Tis the season to be jolly but for Calvin and Judy the usual festive bickering has already begun!Judy’s convinced that her husband has it easy – no glittery wrapping paper, no playground gossip and absolutely no Christmas baking.
Calvin wishes he could trade in his obnoxious boss and dull nine-to-five job to spend more time kicking back with his kids – how hard can Judy’s life really be?
But after a magical mince pie mix-up, one thing’s for certain – by Christmas Day, life for Judy and Calvin will never be the same again. Perhaps the grass isn’t always greener after all…
Ruth usually spends Christmas curled up on her parents’ sofa, watching feel-good movies whilst being fed festive food and drink until she can no longer move. But Ruth’s perfect Christmas is shattered when her mum receives a DIY-induced injury and Ruth is forced to take over the preparations.
Shopping. Cooking. A house full of hyped-up kids.
Christmas may no longer be the most wonderful time of the year.
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I LOVE Christmas music, so I'm glad it's now acceptable to listen to it every minute of the day.
Okay, so not everybody agrees with the excessive amount of festive tunes I listen to (*cough* my bah-humbug family) but I DON'T CARE. Christmas music is glorious.
Do you have a favourite festive song?
I can't pick - I have a whole playlist of faves over on Spotify. Why not have a listen by clicking the link? You are welcome :)
Christmas is the perfect excuse to get crafty! It can be simple things like making paper snowflakes or making Santas out of loo rolls. Or you can go big and try to replicate all the gorgeous crafty stuff on Pinterest (best of luck if you give this a go. It isn't for the faint-hearted).
Who doesn't love a festive film? There are so many great ones and not nearly enough time to watch them all.
What's your favourite festive film?
It's a tough question, I know. I love so many, so I'm going to give you my Top 5:
(I know I cheated, and that's actually six films, but I couldn't leave any of them out)
One of my absolute favourite Christmas activities is going to our local panto. It's loads of fun and everybody has a brilliant time. This year, we saw Cinderella and LOVED IT.
Have you/are you going to the panto this year?
What did/are you going to see?
Not an actual activity, but still fun. Plus, you can combine with other Christmassy things - going to panto: wear a Christmas jumper. Christmas party? Christmas jumper? Watching a festive film - pop on a Crimbo jumper.
This one is great because it's absolutely free. All you have to do is get bundled up and off you go to look at all the pretty lights people have put up to celebrate the season. We take the dog with us so she gets a nice big walk.
You can even fill a travel mug with hot chocolate to keep you warm, or make a list of things to spot on your travels (Santa, a train, candles etc).
So, that's my list of 10 activities to for Christmas 2018. I'd love to hear about the things you love to do at this time of year, so do spread the Christmas cheer in the comments below :)
Awww we love all these ideas Jennifer. It makes us feel Christmassey just reading them! :) We need to get to the Manchester Christmas markets this year and a light tour sounds awesome too! We have our Christmas jumpers ready and have already started the Christmas movies! :) Our little sister has been doing so many amazing crafts and spoiling us and we have been working on the Christmas baking! :) Also, your books are perfect and need to be added to everyone's TBR pile! Love this list! <3 xxx
ReplyDeleteChristmas is amazing - I'm like a big kid as soon as Halloween is over! I made my list before it started, but I've been enjoying your short story advent on your blog too (thanks for letting me take part) :)
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