Thanksgiving is a great kick-off to the holiday season. There’s tons of food, friends and family; it’s a like a pre-season warm-up game for Christmas. If you’re anything like me, you practically live for the Christmas season. So here are some great things to do to get yourself in a cheery spirit and ready to yell “Happy Holidays” to everyone you meet!
Don’t Leave the Leftovers
We all know that your parent’s refrigerator is filled to the brim with Tupperware containing excess stuffing, turkey and green bean casserole. Now don’t let that go to waste! Ask mom and dad to pack it up for you to take back to school because not only does it taste good, there’s tons of new recipes that utilize those Turkey Day leftovers. Try a Turkey Casserole: put left over turkey, stuffing, green beans, cheese, milk and eggs into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, and there’s a whole
new twist on the leftovers that will definitely put a smile on your face.
Pump Some Iron
After Thanksgiving tends to be when people “let themselves go”, resulting in epic self-loathing by the time Christmas rolls around. Well this is easy to fix: don’t give up on your usual workout regiment! Download some Christmas classics, like Britney Spears’ “My Only Wish” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You”, on to your iPod and let that elliptical rip. Not only will you feel good about indulging (as you should!) on Christmas, but exercising produces endorphins that will make you especially cheerful.
Tweak that Christmas List
Not that we haven’t all had our Christmas list typed out and emailed to the respective people since September, but a little tweaking always puts me in the holiday spirit. I love to online window-shop, and that’s the perfect thing to do when creating your list. I also still hand write my list, usually with some sort of festive drawings in the corners, because it is my one “craft” of the season, after all. In addition to your list, nothing makes me feel better than making the list of gifts I want to buy or make for the people I love…because giving is the reason for the season!
Volunteer like the Vol You Are
There are SO many opportunities around the holidays to put yourself to good use! Volunteering is a great way to make a difference during your holiday season, as well as make you feel good inside. Soup kitchens, animal shelters and nursing homes are all great places to spend a few hours at one Saturday out of your break. You’ll be surprised how much this puts you in the Christmas spirit!
Realize your New Years Resolutions
Now, this might seem a little preemptive, but I’m a firm believer in the New Years Resolution. I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve read that advise us not to make resolutions because it tends to make us feel bad about ourselves if the resolutions fail. But I think the key to a good resolution is to be realistic, and that is why I suggest thinking about them now! Take a step back and evaluate the areas in your life that need improvement for 2012, and from there, make practical goals that you honestly feel you can achieve. Write them down
and post them somewhere you can see everyday!