School's getting a little harder, the routine is down, and yet we are counting down the days until Christmas Break. We can't wait to go back to sleeping in until 2 pm, being able to watch TV shows all day, and just be enveloped by the Christmas spirit. However, Thanksgiving is quite a bit away. HALLOWEEN hasn't even come. How on earth are we going to make it??
1. Break the countdown up
Divide the rest of the semester into sections. First count down and look forward to Halloween, then Thanksgiving five weeks later, and then before you know it, Christmas has arrived!
https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/christmas-countdown
2. Keep yourself occupied
The more you're alone, the more you'll be thinking about when the next break will come. As the saying goes, time flies when you're having fun. Hang out with friends, and get involved more. The more you do to keep yourself busy, the less you'll think about Christmas break, and the faster it will arrive.
http://giphy.com/gifs/television-christmas-waiting...
3. Hold off listening to Christmas music
If you're like me and love Christmas music, hold off on listening to it until after Thanksgiving. If you listen to it now, it will only get you more in the mood to celebrate Christmas. Since we just had midterms, listening to Christmas carols probably isn't the best choice -- you'll realize how far away it actually is.
http://giphy.com/gifs/christmas-gif-sponge-bob-50u...
4. Christmas shop
However, if you do want to get into the Christmas spirit in October, start Christmas shopping. You don't have to deal with the crowds in December (unless you enjoy going when the malls are chaotic), and you can score some pretty good deals now.
http://giphy.com/gifs/cat-funny-cute-VuG7FeHnMjhTy
5. Save all your Christmas outfits until closer to the season
Pull out the ornament earrings and the red and green fuzzy socks closer to the Christmas season. If you pull those out now and every time you open your sock drawer you see those adorable little Santas on your socks, you're going to wish Christmas is closer than it actually is.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/88594317643255331/
6. Don't put out the household decorations quite yet
Even those all of the Christmas-themed scentsys smell sooooo good, wait to put those out closer to the holiday. You wouldn't want that smell wafting through your place when Halloween just ended. And as much as the little Santa figurines are cute, they should be saved for a time when you'll appreciate them more -- around Christmas!
http://www.bashihq.com/2015/02/04/christmas-decora...
7. Christmas lights -- not today
While it would be convenient to put up Christmas lights now while it's still warm, it would ruin the spirit of Christmas. There's just something about going outside in the cold and toughing it out to hang the multicolored Christmas lights that can really get one in the spirit of Christmas.
8. Save the peppermint for December
As great as Starbuck's peppermint hot chocolate is, drinking it now probably isn't the best idea. There's something about peppermint that really gets me in the Christmas spirit. If anyone else is like me, I smell peppermint and immediately associate it with Christmas. Therefore, we should probably avoid peppermint all together until December comes.
9. The feast of Thanksgiving
The upcoming holidays are full of tasty, filling foods. While Christmas brings many good treats, focus on the feast of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the one holiday where it's all about food, and you can completely gorge yourself in the many flavors of the season. Focus on what foods will come for Thanksgiving before you think about the Christmas goods.
http://muellerrealty.com/thanksgiving-planning-che...
10. Bask in pumpkins
Tis the season of pumpkins. Since pumpkins are a seasonal food, we must enjoy them while they are in. Bury yourself in all things pumpkin, because it'll be almost impossible to think about Christmas coming up.
http://coronadoumc.org/event-items/the-pumpkins-ar...
11. Enjoy the build up to Christmas
The best part about Christmas is the build up. The holiday comes once a year, and while that one day may be the best day of the year, the build up is also very fun. The best parts about Christmas are the ones that help you build up to the special day. We put up the Christmas tree, hang lights, bake cookies, and listen to Christmas music all before the 25th. Think of all the Christmas movies that are out -- you can't watch all of them in one day. You spread them out over the season of Christmas. So relax, enjoy the season of Christmas, and have a happy holiday!
