20 Ways To Get Into The Christmas Spirit

December 10, 2017

Can you believe that Christmas is only 15 days away?!? It’s crazy that it will be here before we know it. It seems like just yesterday that it was two months away. I absolutely love this time of year! I love everything about it – the movies, the music, the food, the energy from people, the extra togetherness with family and friends, and overall spirit of the season. I love the feeling that miracles can happen and that anything is possible this time of year!

I’ve pretty much been in the holiday spirit ever since the clocked struck midnight after Halloween, but I know some people aren’t into the holidays or it takes them longer to get into the mood. I’ve come up with twenty surefire ways that can get you into the Christmas spirit. By the end of it, you’ll be singing, “Deck the Halls… Fa la la la la la la la la”

20 Ways to Get Into the Christmas Spirit

1. Watch Christmas Movies: Nothing will get you more into the Christmas spirit than Hallmark.There are so many great Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel. Netflix has some, but I recommend just watching Hallmark, because it’s by far the best! Netflix has nothing on Hallmark. You can always go the classic route and watch movies like A Christmas Carol, A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, or A Charlie Brown Christmas. If you are into cheesy, romantic Christmas movies, then Hallmark is the channel that you want to watch! I’ve been watching Hallmark since November 1. The UP Channel and ION are also showing tons of movies throughout the holiday season. Here are some of my favorites:

  • One Starry Christmas
  • A Gift to Remember
  • Let It Snow
  • A Very Merry Mix-up
  • A Royal Christmas
  • A Christmas Detour
  • Switched For Christmas
  • A Dream of Christmas
  • Once Upon a Holiday
  • Naughty or Nice (the Hilarie Burton OR the Haylie Duff one)
  • Christmas List
  • Family For Christmas
  • Love You Like Christmas
  • On the Twelfth Day of Christmas
  • Christmas in Homestead

2. Wear an “ugly” Christmas sweater: Wearing tacky sweaters is one of my favorite things about the holiday season. I have tons of “ugly” Christmas t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, and even hats. My favorite Christmas sweater has to be my pizza themed one!

3. Go ice skating: I’m absolutely horrible at skating, but it’s just one of those activities that you have to do around this time of year! It also could be super romantic going with your significant other!

martine's pastries
[cookies made by martine’s pastries]
4. Bake Christmas cookies: ‘Tis the season of sweets! There are so many recipes out there to choose from to bake.

5. Create a Spotify Christmas playlist: What’s Christmas without Christmas music?!? You can go straight traditional or listen to covers of your favorites or even discover new favorites with the new modern songs.


6. Buy a Christmas scented candle: Why not make your house smell like Christmas? How about the scent of a pine tree or sugar plums or hot cider? Bath & Body Works has some wonderful candles this year! I bought three candles last week on their “$8.95 candle day” day!

  • ‘Tis the Season
  • Merry and Bright
  • Spiced Apple Toddy

7. Drive around and look at the Christmas lights: This is one of my favorite things to do! I think it makes downtown and all of the neighborhoods look beautiful. It’s just so nice to see everyone getting into the Christmas spirit.

street scene vintage
[everything seen here is at the store, street scene vintage – located in Lexington, Kentucky at 2575 Regency Road]

8. Decorate for Christmas (if you already haven’t): Decorating is a must when it comes to Christmas! If you haven’t decorated yet, then get on it! It’s December 10! There are only 15 days until Christmas!

9. Do a Secret Santa/White Elephant/Dirty Santa gift exchange with a group of friends: My group of friends and I usually do this and it’s so much fun and hilarious. Last year for our “Dirty Santa,” the theme was “crappy” gifts. We ended up giving a box of 15 gift cards. Some had zero money on them, some had small amounts like 45 cents, and one had $25. The whole point was that whoever received the gift had to go to each website to check the amount on each card.

10. Throw a holiday party: I love attending house parties, holidays or not. Spending time with friends always creates wonderful memories.

11. Build a snowman or have a snowball fight: This one will obviously depend on the weather. Snow is definitely one of those things that people associate with Christmas. There’s just something so magical about it!

12. Read a Christmas book: There are so many classics that will guarantee to put you in the Christmas spirit, such as; A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Story by Jean Shepard, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May, The Snowman by Raymond Briggs, A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz, The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss.

13. Read the true Christmas story: Remember the reason for the season!

14. Go caroling: It doesn’t matter if you have a great voice or not, just as long as you are having fun and spreading holiday.

15. Drink hot chocolate or hot apple cider (include bourbon if you’re feeling frisky!): Hot apple cider is my favorite! All of these drinks are perfect for when it’s cold out!

16. Build a gingerbread house: Build one with your children or build one with your significant other! Either way it’s a fun activity. When my husband and I first started dating, we built a haunted “gingerbread” house for Halloween and is was such a blast, but yet so hilarious!

17. Take a picture with Santa: This is a super cute idea if you are a couple!

18. Wear Christmas PJs: Old Navy has many cute matching tops and bottoms!

19. Volunteer: Do something good for someone else. Donate items to a homeless shelter or volunteer at a soup kitchen. Christmas is the season for giving. It’s great to give back to help the less fortunate and to help those in need.

20. Write a letter to Santa: Maybe you’ll get what you asked for?!

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If you loved my post, check out what the rest of the #LexBloggerFam has to offer you this holiday season!

Sarah Caton | Space, Place & Southern Grace

Leela Foley |  Lex Eats

Ella Rutledge | Girl Meets Lex

Chioma Brown | C’s Evolution of Style

Lindsay Latimer | Bourbon & Lipstick

Nina McClure | Blooming Boldly

Erin Short | The Bliss Between

Sheryl Woolverton | How to Make a Life

Courtney Hastings| Kentucky Girl Ramblings

Desarae Anderson | House Three Thirty Six

Tif Fannin | Bright on a Budget

Bronwyn Butler | Basically Bronwyn

Zac Jones | The Kitchen Gent

Stephanie Hargis | This Lexington Life

 

20 ways to get into the christmas spirit

 

 

How do you get into the Christmas spirit?

  • Bourbon & Lipstick December 10, 2017 at 9:01 am

    These are all great ideas! We drove around and looked at lights last week – such a fun date night!

  • Nina McClure | Blooming Boldly December 10, 2017 at 9:09 am

    Yes, girl! So many good ideas! I love those Bath & Body Works candles – Tis the Season is so good!

  • Zac Jones December 11, 2017 at 10:49 pm

    I’m a HUGE fan of all of these. This is my favorite time of year, and these are all great suggestions to enjoy the season!

  • Leela Foley December 12, 2017 at 2:21 pm

    Such fun ideas! I want to make a gingerbread house!

  • Lisa Arékion December 12, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    Great post,
    I love the holidays but I’m not always feelin the christmas spirit… can be a bit more difficult when there’s less kids in your life, kinda have to force yourself to be jolly and merry!!
    Hope you don’t mind checking out my blog and entering my giveaway!
    xox
    MESSYPOT.COM

  • We Go With Kids December 14, 2017 at 8:59 am

    We had our first snow this weekend so I am definitely ready for some holiday cheer!

  • Kyla Matton Osborne December 14, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    Hmm, I’m not so sure I could get into the spirit of the “Dirty Santa” exchange. But watching Christmas movies always does it for me!

  • Ashley Stephenson December 14, 2017 at 2:26 pm

    So we have been watching christmas movie after christmas movie and I love it! We are also doing a lot of baking on Saturday!

  • Heather Jordan December 14, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    These are great ideas! I’ve always loved Christmas so it doesn’t take a whole lot to get in the spirit. I really hope I don’t lose that magic once the kids are older.

  • momwifefoodie December 14, 2017 at 4:14 pm

    I love this list! You’ve got a few things on here that I want to still do!

    Thanks!

    danielle

    momwifefoodie.com

  • Carissa December 14, 2017 at 4:25 pm

    Love these ideas! Doesn’t take much to get me in the season, but driving around looking at Christmas lights is definitely a MUST! 🙂

  • Carissa December 14, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    Love these ideas! Doesn’t take much to get me in the season, but driving around looking at Christmas lights is definitely a MUST! 🙂

  • Carissa December 14, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    Love these ideas! Doesn’t take much to get me in the season, but driving around looking at Christmas lights is definitely a MUST! 🙂

  • Kristi McAllister December 14, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    These are all fantastic ideas! Admittedly, I don’t really enjoy the holidays as much as I used to because it’s become so commercialized! But a few things you mentioned are things I do to get into the spirit: I watch cheesy holiday movies, I love to drive around and look at all the Christmas decorations, and baking holiday cookies is always a sure fire way to get myself into the holiday spirit! One thing I hadn’t thought of though was something one my reader’s said a few days ago about how she gets into the Christmas rigamarole: she buys herself a nice peppermint body wash and lotion set every year to indulge in. I think I’m going to start doing the same for myself every year from here on out! Great post!

  • Melody Angel Butler December 14, 2017 at 10:31 pm

    I love Hallmark’s Christmas movies but could never remember the names of my favorites. You are a saving grace!

  • In Saitama December 15, 2017 at 3:16 am

    Thanks to the kids I have most of these crossed off the list, but I must remember in years to come to follow the Christmas traditions such as Santa, letter writing, Christmas lights, movies, food etc. It really does get you in the mood. ?? Love Christmas!

  • Lyndsey Piccolino December 15, 2017 at 7:09 am

    I love this list!!! Hallmark movies are so fun to watch while you’re baking Christmas cookies!

  • Carissa Link December 15, 2017 at 8:34 am

    It doesn’t take me much to get in the spirit, but driving around looking at Christmas lights is a MUST! 🙂

  • Stephanie - a Sparkle Factor December 15, 2017 at 8:57 am

    OK I love all of these suggestions!! My favorites are probably Christmas PJs, decorating for the holidays, and baking Christmas cookies! My mom is obsessed with Hallmark Christmas movies so I will be sure to write down all these movies for her to check out haha!! (I personally love the ones where someone is a secret prince or the one where the girl has to pretend she has a fiance and brings him home for the holidays and then they obviously fall in love lol!)

  • Carley December 15, 2017 at 9:56 am

    This is a fantastic list. My husband is kind of a Scrooge which makes it hard for me to really get into the Christmas spirit. I absolutely LOVE the stripper glasses, too! 😉

  • Andrea McCann December 15, 2017 at 12:09 pm

    I love all of these ideas! We do most of them every year, but I’m so bummed we didn’t do a white elephant this year.

  • Dara @ The Southern Thing December 15, 2017 at 12:55 pm

    So many great ideas! I have the Christmas movies on non-stop and having been baking up lots of cookies! Love this time of year!

  • Greta Hollar December 18, 2017 at 12:57 am

    I’ll admit I’ve been struggling to be in the Christmas spirit. These ideas should help!

  • Erica Seale December 21, 2017 at 7:27 am

    I love your ideas! Our favorites are decorating Christmas cookies and looking at lights! (Plus decorating the tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving).

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    Hey y'all! My name is Whitney, and I'm the founder of Fabulous in Fayette. I've been living in Lexington since 2008. I'm in love with my city of Lexington and love all the amazing local businesses and restaurants. It's seriously one of the best places to live!

    Not to be confused with Fayetteville, North Carolina. Fabulous in Fayette celebrates the fabulous city of Lexington, the great state of Kentucky, and Southern Living. In case you are not from here, Fayette refers to the county where Lexington is located!

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