1. Listening to Christmas songs 24/7
Who can beat the beautiful, smooth voices of crooners like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole singing Christmas classics?
2. Christmas shopping and Secret Santa!
I picked these out months ago, no lies
3. Watching Christmas movies
White Christmas, It’s A Wonderful Life, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Carol, Elf, The Polar Express, and a lot more that are perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit!
4. Decorating the tree
I missed this tradition since I haven’t been home since Thanksgiving, but I love putting up all the ornaments while blasting Christmas songs
5. Sitting by the Christmas tree
I love to curl up in the big chair in our living room at home with a fuzzy blanket and a pillow to read or watch Netflix as I admire the colorful lights and beautiful ornaments
6. Making paper snowflakes
I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. I am DEFINITELY not an artist, but they’re still fun to make and hang on the window and door. I even made some for my dorm room this year!
7. Baking EVERYTHING
I love to bake anyway, but there are some recipes that only come out for the holidays, like homemade Chex Mix, fudge, Thumbprints — I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
8. Decorating Christmas cookies
This is one we always have done with my grandma. There’s at least a hundred red, green, blue, yellow and white frosted sugar cookies covered in sprinkles for everyone, and the leftovers take a few weeks to eat. They’re amazing!
9. Getting snow!
The last few years we haven’t had a White Christmas, but it makes the holiday so much better. Praying for lots of beautiful Christmas snow this year.
10. Homemade breakfast on Christmas morning
We all help make brunch in the morning before getting ready to go to my aunt’s house. I am incredibly thankful for my parents doing this even though they’re exhausted from wrapping presents all night
11. Christmas Eve Mass
My sister and I used to sing at the 5 p.m. Christmas Mass at our church, and even though the Youth Choir has since been disbanded, it’s still fun to go Christmas Eve and old friends and sing all the classic Christmas hymns
12. Christmas Day with my family
I love being with all my family on Christmas Day at my aunt’s house. No matter how crazy everything is, it’s fun to sit, talk, and laugh with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family.