At the stroke of midnight, and with a pop, a fizz, and a clink, we officially rang in the new year. The beginning of 2018 marks a new year, a clean slate and the start of a long, bitterly cold winter.
While others are busy catching up on the sleep they missed after partying for days (or maybe even weeks) on end, heading out to the gym to work on their upcoming Spring Break bod and putting away Christmas decorations, some of us find the commencement of the first month of the year to mean something entirely different - the end of the holiday season.
If you're anything like me, New Years, while full of excitement for the year ahead, often marks a rather somber, and dreaded time of having to acknowledge and accept that Christmas is over. I mean, who could blame us? Parties every weekend, cookies in our stomach, the lights, the tree, the carols - they don't call it the most wonderful time of year for nothing.
There's nothing I would rather do less than be forced to take down my decorations after two months of yuletide cheer.
After much soul searching and fighting with my friends and family about how long is too long to keep a Christmas tree up, I've decided that there really is no limit to the holiday season. With a little willpower and a whole lot of eggnog, the holidays can live on past December and all year long.
1. Turn your Christmas decorations into wearable works of art.
Tired of people telling you to put away those Christmas decorations? Instead of leaving them around the house, turn on your inner Joanna Gaines and make those lights, ornaments, and garland into your latest DIY project. Those ornaments your grandmother gave you - earrings. Leftover lights - throw them on a sweater. There are endless possibilities.
2. Sing Christmas carols to your coworkers to encourage productivity.
Nothing puts you in the mood to finish those spreadsheets like some Bing Crosby.
3. Use it as an excuse to get raging drunk.
Using holiday cheer as an excuse for last night's hangover always seems to work.
4. Reenact the Mariah Carey "All I Want for Christmas" music video
5. Listen to other genres of Christmas music.
There's more than just Perry Como and Irving Berlin.
6. Show up to work like Judy Haynes in "White Christmas"
The original "Queen of Extra."
7. Be as enthusiastic as Buddy the Elf
8. Play around with some leftover gift wrap.
Can we say 'ho' 'ho' 'ho'?
9. Bake cookies for the neighbors (or yourself).
10. Wrap up everyday objects to give to friends and family.
Just tryna bring some cheer.
11. Pretend you're not listening to Christmas music when you definitely are.
We all know you rocking some Silent Night.
12. Watch Mean Girls
We all know it's really a Christmas movie.
13. Go ahead and prep for next Christmas.
It's never too early.