Any holiday now a-days feels like hunting for the next best thing. With black Friday shopping, and cyber Monday, it's like you can't get away from the spending. Taking the holidays back day, by day, to what they truly mean, will not only give your break from school a purpose, but it will also give you memories that you could even cherish forever.

 1) Go take pictures with Christmas lights downtown.

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This simple pleasure can end up being one of your favorite holiday memories. Whether you are with your family, best friends, or your significant other, taking pictures captures moments that are otherwise lost with time. The soft focus of the lights will bring a glow to your break that not even Saint Nick can magically create.

2)  Take part in snowy activities; snowman, sledding, snowball fight.

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Every Hallmark movie has to deal with snow, either you get caught up in a flurry or snowed in with your true love snow is the one constant thing. Plus, your siblings and your family will have a bonding story to tell all the relatives at Christmas dinner.

3) Spend the day baking cookies with your family.

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Who doesn't like cookies? Sugar, chocolate chip, and the classic snicker doodle, nothing is better than a fresh batch straight from the oven. Cookies only take thirty minutes to make and your house will automatically smell like a bakery.

 4)    Read that book you have been dying to read.

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I'm talking about that one book that has been sitting on your shelf for years, that you bought on a whim only to put it away and never even open the cover. Reading will keep your mind sharp and your imagination vivid as you go through the adventures of the novel all while sitting on the couch in your comfiest sweat shirt.

5) Pick up a new hobby. 

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Boredom is the death of a relaxing break. Having your mind turn to mush after a Netflix binge is nothing short of painful. But starting a new hobby to take your mind off of the impending boredom allows you to see how much you can accomplish in a short amount of time. Hobbies like knitting, scrapbooking, and crafting take up a good chunk of time and lets you finish what you start. The hobby can boost your confidence and give you something to do every now and then over winter break.

6) Start a bullet journal.

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Organization may have been lost in your life since you started the semester. With nothing but time ahead of you, setting up your own bullet journal will add ease to your days. Bullet journals can also help with keeping track of certain tasks like; weight loss, saving money, sleep schedule, and so much more. They also let you look onto your past of the tasks as well. Bullet journals also gives you something to look forward to at the end or beginning of everyday.

7) Start a blog.

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Blogging gives you an outlet to say what is on your mind and helps you find your voice. By stating your opinions or just writing about your winter break activities, starting a blog can help users say their opinions without fear of what others might say directly. And we can't forget that having a blog will keep you up to date with your typing skills for next semester.

 8) Go see your local “Christmas Carol House”.

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Rocking out to your fav Christmas tunes will not only pump up your mood, but the visit will also get you in the mood for a fabulous holiday season. The singing house will make any night worth waiting for, if you plan the night ahead to join up with friends or family.

9) Spend the night binge watching Christmas movies on Netflix.

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There is no excuse to not binge watch as many cheesy holiday movies because, Netflix has a whole section of them. The multiple hours of snowy goodness will not only make you feel fuzzy on the inside, but they also give you hope to fall in love, no matter how cliché the movies are. If you aren't really into the whole love spell films, the sounds of the movie allows a lazy day to be more lazy by adding background noise that you can fall asleep to.

10) Re- arrange and decorate your room.

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If you are feeling active, then re- arranging and decorating your room is for you. To redecorate not only gives you a motive and purpose for the day, but it also gives you an excuse to go shopping for new, everything! Doing a room makeover will restart your year you know what they say; "a fresh new look for a fresh new year". And in the end the rearranging might even add some much needed feng shui in your life.

Not spending money, and self-improvement is the best thing that anyone can give themselves for Christmas. The days will blur together and before you know it you will be back on campus and starting over with new classes, and new faces. But at the end of the day the one thing that stays the same is your love for Christmas by basing it off of experiences instead of material objects.