You can include me in that annoying group of people whose eyes light up when Macy’s puts up their holiday decorations in August, and who starts listening to Christmas music well before it’s appropriate. That being said, I consider myself a bit of a Christmas savant. Or at least a wannabe elf. In this post, I’ll be sharing 25 of my favorite holiday activities, along with 25 ways to practice acts of kindness during this special season. The images that are featured throughout come from my newly-designed Advent Calendar (find out how to snag one at the bottom of the post).
25 Ideas to Celebrate Christmas all month long, in no particular order:
{ 1 } Take photos in holiday outfits or using these fun photo props
{ 2 } Make hot cocoa
{ 3 } Visit Santa in your local town
{ 4 } Sing Christmas songs
{ 5 } Decorate your home
{ 6 } Create a handmade Christmas gift
{ 7 } Decorate a Gingerbread House
{ 8 } Have a holiday movie marathon
{ 9 } Hang up mistletoe and steal a kiss from a loved one
{ 10 } Go ice skating
{ 11 } Wrap presents
{ 12 } Make paper snowflakes
{ 13 } Bake holiday cookies
{ 14 } Put up your Christmas tree
{ 15 } Exchange your favorite holiday memories with family or friends
{ 16 } Get dressed up and go out for a fancy dinner or special holiday drinks
{ 17 } Watch Christmas episodes from all your favorite tv shows
{ 18 } Sit by a fireplace
{ 19 } Drive around and look at holiday lights
{ 20 } Hang up your favorite photos from holiday’s past
{ 21 } Visit a holiday market or craft fair
{ 22 } Make a special Christmas-themed breakfast
{ 24 } Leave a snack for Santa
{ 25 } Rejoice and celebrate at Christmas Mass
25 ways to practice acts of kindness in December, in no particular order:
{ 1 } Foster an pet
{ 2 } Visit a nursing home
{ 3 } Serve in a soup kitchen
{ 4 } Buy a coffee for the person behind you in line
{ 5 } Send a care package to a soldier
{ 6 } Call a family member and tell them you love them
{ 7 } Return stray shopping carts in a parking lot
{ 8 } Bring gifts to sick children in the hospital
{ 9 } Drop your change in a donation bucket
{ 10 } Surprise a loved one with a home cooked meal
{ 11 } Send a hand written letter or card to somebody who needs encouragement
{ 12 } Pay a compliment to a stranger
{ 13 } Leave coins in a vending machine or a parking meter for the next person
{ 14 } Say a special prayer for somebody in need
{ 15 } Let the person behind you in line go ahead of you
{ 16 } Donate groceries to a food pantry
{ 17 } Offer to babysit for a Mom and Dad who might need a night out
{ 18 } Drop off a handmade gift to a neighbor
{ 19 } Leave your waiter or waitress an extra tip
{ 20 } Create gift packages for your mail carrier and garbage man (or lady)
{ 21 } Send or drop off a bouquet of flowers to somebody who made your year extra special
{ 22 } Drop off treats to your local fire, ambulance and police departments
{ 24 } Offer to wrap a friend’s Christmas gifts for them
{ 25 } Randomly hang up encouraging notes and signs (you can feel free to use my Motivation Monday printables )
In addition to participating in fun, Christmasy activities and doing good deeds, many families use Advent Calendars to celebrate the month of December and a countdown to the big day. I am always looking for creative ways to use my designs in our home, so I decided to come up with this festive wall display that could double as a giant calendar for the month. I’m not the most DIY-savvy, so I kept it really simple, using baker’s twine and a combination of washi tape and mini clothes pins to hang the cards. I think I even surprised myself at how pretty it looked when all was said and done!
Each of these 25 cards has a different design, so they could also be used as a single day-by-day desk calendar. These mini easels from Amazon are a great way to display them on a desktop or table top. Best of all, the calendar has no mention of 2015, so it can be used year after year.
At this time, I’m only selling a printable version, but have hopes of putting together a printed kit for next year! The cost for all 25 cards is $12.99 and can be purchased here. Keeping with the spirit of the season, I’ll be donating 50% of all Advent Calendar sales to Covenant House, a program that helps kids get off the streets and equipped to create a better life for themselves.
If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know that most of the printables I share are free to my readers. While this one comes with a price tag, I still wanted to create a way for you to get your hands on a calendar for free. Read on…
Now through December 1st, when you purchase any of my 2016 Desk Calendars, (can be a printable or printed version), just add this Advent Calendar listing to your cart, enter the coupon code ELEGANTADVENT at checkout to and the calendar is yours for free.
My desk calendars make easy, unique and meaningful gifts, plus by purchasing now, it means you will be ahead on your Christmas shopping, which means getting to spend more time with your family and taking part in all those fun holiday activities.
{ CLICK HERE to purchase your Elegant Advent Calendar and help support Covenant House }
{ CLICK HERE to purchase a Desk Calendar and get your Advent Calendar for free when you add the calendar to your cart and use coupon code ELEGANTADVENT at checkout – now through 12/1/15 }
Fonts used for these designs: True North // Stillshine // Clarendon
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, you’ll help support Elegance & Enchantment, and you’ll receive some amazing stuff, too. Whohoo!
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