In case you're having trouble getting into the holiday spirit, here's some ideas to get you in the mood...* Watch Christmas and/or winter movies (My favs are Home Alone 1 & 2, and Elf)
* Listen to good Christmas music. If you don't have any, go on a hunt for some. My Christmas play list includes some of the classics by Bing Crosby, Elvis, and Brenda Lee. Newer stuff by Brian Setzer, & Los Straitjackets, and many other songs compiled through the years.
* Decorate
* Bake holiday appropriate flavors and goodies (I'd like to try and bake a Buche de Noel this year, aka Yule Log!)
* Make holiday crafts (more on this topic coming tomorrow)
* Donate/do good things for others (there's plenty of people and organizations in need, and now is as good a time as ever to do some giving.)
* Fill your home with seasonal smells (baking, wood burning fireplaces, real pine trees... scented candles work too)
* Do some holiday shopping
* Make a wish list
* Pick out seasonal flavors at the grocery
* Do traditional Christmas cards (hand write notes to each person, stamp it, and mail it snail mail)
* Plan a party
* Read a Christmas story (For adult reading I suggest David Sedaris: Holidays on Ice)
* Start a new tradition (For those of you with little ones... The Elf on the Shelf!)
* Participate in holiday activities (day trips, looking at lights, etc. Last year we went to Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights. This year or next, I'd love to go on a themed train ride.)
PS- We've been sick the past week but finally started feeling better later in the weekend. I had some time to work on lots of holiday crafts, so I have a full post on those coming tomorrow. The above photos are of two of them... Left: I matted and framed a page from a vintage encyclopedia of a polar bear etching. Right: a good old fashioned craft- cutting snowflakes from paper.
