It is finally the month of December and the Christmas countdown has begun! With every advent door that is opened, every chocolate or surprise behind each means another day closer to the most exciting day of the year (well in my opinion anyway)! Yet there are still so many advent activities to do!! Follow these 12 steps to make sure that your month before Christmas is the most fun-filled and wonderful time of the year!Â
1)Â Â Dec The Halls
One of my favourite ways to start feeling festive is by transforming my room into a winter wonderland. So get yourself down to the nearest shop or up the ladders into the loft to begin decking your halls (quite literally if you’re living in halls on campus). This can be done with tinsel, blow up snowmen, fairy lights or of course a glorious Christmas tree. Furthermore, if money is running short this year there are plenty of cheap and fun alternatives such as homemade cork reindeer (saved from a nightout!), cut out snowflakes (a classic), origami mini Christmas trees etc. Google always has a solution so there is no excuse to not add a hint of festive glitter into your lives this Christmas!
2)Â Â Christmas Clothes
Granted these may not be to everyone’s taste, however if you scroll the internet enough you can find some really cute Christmas jumpers, pyjamas and of course onsies to snuggle up in!
In addition, dressing a pet in a warm jumper or buying them a festive new toy would give the family lots of entertainment and bring joy to your loved animals too!Â
3)Â Â Iceskating Adventure
It is not winter without wet gloves and the image of a loved one failing desperately to control their feet on the ice. A trip to (or on) an ice rink is a definite must-do adventure this Christmas, whether this be with a romantic partner, friends or family you are guaranteed to have a fantastic evening out!Â
4)Â Â Get Baking
The smell of freshly baked patisserie on a cold winter’s day always brings with it a warm festive feeling, so get your apron on and host your own bake off! Some tasty ideas include Christmas cookies, marshmallow snowmen cupcakes, reindeer droppings (although they don’t look that appetising, they honestly taste delicious!) gingerbread (men or push the boat out and go for a house) and of course cinnamon rolls (check out my last article!)Â
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5)Â Â Christmas Lights Switch On
Find out the date for your nearest town or city’s light switch-on and wrap up warmly! This is a beautiful event that signals a start to the Christmassy month! The lights illuminate dark streets and bring festive cheer into our homes so make sure you make the most out of celebrating them, as after all they are only up for one month of the year!
6)Â Â Christmas Markets
his year I went to the Manchester Christmas market and it was absolutely gorgeous. Visiting these markets makes for a fabulous day out, an excuse to buy lots of unique, interesting presents and of course drink mulled wine and hot chocolate! There markets are held in most places for a conveniently long period of time so grab your purse and go along for a few hours to join the festive fun!
7)Â Â Watch Christmas Carols Or A Nativity
This is a lovely traditional way of celebrating Christmas and supporting the community too. After all, Christmas should be about being with loved ones and enjoying the sense of togetherness that comes with it! Plus, singing Christmas songs is always bound to waken your sleeping Christmas spirit!
8)Â Â Â Fill A Shoe Box For Operation Christmas Child
Why not give back to the world this Christmas and help to make those who are less fortunate than we are feel special and happy. It only takes a bit of thought and some small gifts to create a box of treasure that means everything to the children in these countries.Â
9)Â Â Hot Chocolates, Mulled Wine, Mince Pies
What is the best part of Christmas? It has to be without a doubt the scrumptious treats!! This month make sure that you grab yourself a hot chocolate with added marshmallows and whipped cream for that extra yum-factor! Top tip: the Costa caramel fudge hot chocolates are to die for so don’t miss out!
Furthermore, if you feel like a cheeky alcoholic beverage, why not make some homemade mulled wine- warm, spiced, fruity and delicious! Another must-have treat has to be a mince pie. This is Christmas tradition so no excuses; this must be ticked off on your checklist this month!
10)Â Â Family Games and Film Nights
Make sure you spend some quality time with family this year. Gather around an open fire and play a good old fashioned board game- watch out though, if your family is particularly competitive you could end up playing for hours! Failing this, a tradition in my house is to watch elf before Christmas. It always gets a good giggle and brings out the fun of Christmas for us all to follow (although perhaps not literally).Â
11)Â Â Â Spot The Coca Cola Truck
This truck tours the country throughout the lead-up to Christmas so make sure you know the date it comes your way! The iconic truck is the signal that the holidays are on their way so if you see a bight bright red truck then get ready to get your Christmas on!
12) Â Â Â Late, Last Minute Shopping
And finally, organise your Secret Santa, presents for loved ones and lots of food and drink! Ordering online can be an excellently easy way to shop however this Christmas you must also have the experience of late night shopping under the Christmas lights.
These pictures are of Cheshire Oaks- my favourite late night shopping location, but I am sure there are many near you that are just as good!Â