The holidays are just around the corner, and as someone who loves this time of year, I take my Christmas prep very seriously. The holidays start on Nov. 1 for me, and once the Halloween candy and decorations go on sale in stores, I’m running in to grab some of my holiday essentials. I’ve always loved the giving spirit, the pretty colors, and the warm and fuzzy feeling the holidays bring me. I love the weather outside when it gets cold (as cold as Florida gets, anyway) and the way the holidays bring people together.
I always do the most during this time of year, but how do I do it? How do I make the weeks leading up to Christmas so festive and create the best version of the holidays for myself? These 7 essential holiday prep steps help me create my holiday haven.
1. Festive Foods and Drinks
Grabbing some of my favorite holiday snacks and drinks is one of my favorite ways to ring in the holiday season. Eggnog, peppermint, cookies, and hot chocolate are staples for me. Getting some of those different holiday snacks and drinks as soon as Halloween is over has been a tradition for me for quite a few years now and having them in my home helps usher in the warmth of the holidays.
2. Decorating My Space
Once I have a cup of eggnog in my hands, I start to work on the decorations for Christmas, specifically the tree. After ensuring all my Halloween décor has been removed and stored away, I bring out my tree and all the different decorations I have gathered over the years. The tree is the first to go up, glimmering with lights, tinsel carefully wrapped from top to bottom, and ornaments hanging off the different branches to create a cozy and festive look.
Once the tree is up, I place all the smaller ornaments around the house and insert my holiday-themed wall plug-ins. The scent of cranberries and cinnamon brings a little festivity to every corner of my home.
3. Consuming Christmas Media
With the holiday season comes a load of holiday-themed movies and shows I can start to enjoy once more. There are movies for just about anyone, such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), A Christmas Story (1983), and Tim Allen’s rendition of Santa Claus in The Santa Clause (1994), its sequels, and its Disney+ show.
I watch all of these and more each year as I enjoy the spirit of the holidays to try and get the feeling of the magic in the air. I love the emotions behind all the holiday movies where people are coming together and growing their connection to those around them, especially in the cheesy, Hallmark-style Christmas movies.
4. Playing Christmas Music in the Background
To help maintain the warm and cozy ambiance I’ve created, I will lightly play Christmas music in the background when I’m home. I always like to have something to listen to, whether that be a movie or music. When the holidays come around, I bust out some Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey. Whether I’m cooking, baking, or just reading at night, I love to play Christmas music to help me focus on my current task.
5. Baking
While I may not be the best baker out there, I enjoy putting on an apron and baking some treats for myself. Baking brownies and cookies fills the room with the warmth and comfort I look for during the holidays. It reminds me of a warm embrace. Standing in the kitchen with my mixing bowls, a hand mixer, and cookie sheets to start making holiday-themed desserts is one of my favorite ways to usher in the spirit of the holidays.
6. Driving Around to See the Lights
While most of my holiday cheer comes from within me and my home that I create to act as a safe haven, I know there are others who also love to decorate for the holidays and have the means to decorate not only the inside of their homes but the outside as well. I love to get in my car with a hot chocolate and drive around aimlessly in town to see who has their lights on outside and where all the best-decorated houses are. Seeing how others show their Christmas spirit brings me so much joy, and I just adore the twinkling lights lining a neighborhood.
7. Getting Christmas Gifts
The most important thing to do that requires delicate planning is going Christmas shopping for family and friends. You must think of something unique to get them and make sure you aren’t giving them something they already have or something they’re going to get from someone else. You have to do this process for everyone you have plans to shop for, and then you have to go out and actually buy it. I try to look for deals on things that I think would be a great gift online, in stores, or through different store flyers with their current deals. When you have a few people to shop for and you’re a college student on a budget, deal shopping is the key to success.
Once I’ve done everything listed above, I am in full holiday mode. While I acknowledge the fact that not everyone celebrates Christmas and may not get into the holiday spirit as I do, I just wanted to share my special holiday traditions and my yearly routine as someone who really digs into the holiday spirit. Everyone is allowed to celebrate (or not celebrate) the holiday season as they see fit, and this is how I make the most of my celebrations.
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