1. Decorate A Christmas Tree – This is totally a no brainer for most. Duh, there’s nothing more Christmassy than decorating a tree, but I make it a whole affair. When I was younger, I remember having my own personal ornaments that only I could add to our Christmas tree. Each kid in our family each had their own. There were the normal personal ones that had your name on them from Baby’s 1st Christmas and then there were the ones you made in school with paint and glue, but then there were also the super special ones. The ornaments that were your absolute favorite to stare at on the tree every year. In the spirit of those ornaments, my boyfriend and I buy two new ornaments to add to the tree each year. We pick them out especially as our favorites, mine are always Disney themed, to add to our tree for this year and every Christmas to come. It’s becoming one of my favorite Christmas traditions.
2. Visit Festive Lights – I am so thankful to have been born and raised in San Francisco. I especially love it during the holidays. The city seems to get more and more festive around this time every year and it seems like every door has a wreath and every window has a tree. The hotels in the downtown area become especially festive around the holidays with their enormous trees and fantastical gingerbread creations. I love taking a tour of all my favorite hotels to see how they dolled up for the season. It really gets me in the Christmas spirit.
3. Bake Up A Storm – Baking & the Holidays go together like PB&J and I love to hole up for a weekend making secret ingredient cookies, homemade peppermint bark and my own personal favorite, oatmeal jam bars!
4. Watch A Bunch of Christmas Movies – The Christmas season would not be complete without watching a million and one Christmas movies! I love to pull out all my Christmas favorites and watch them as I decorate the tree or bake something festive. Some of the movies on my top ten Christmas movie list have to be Elf, Home Alone, The Polar Express, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Muppet’s Christmas Carol. I wish I could watch all of those right now!
5. Open Advent Calendars – One of my new Christmas Must Do traditions has to be the Countdown to Christmas with Advent Calendars. It’s like opening up a new present every day as you count down to my favorite holiday of the year!
I love visiting festive light displays! My boyfriend + I did this with our pup last week and had so much fun– one house was set to music and it was spectacular!
Love it! I did a lot of this last week and I feel so much more in the festive spirit!
xo Jen | The Single Diaries
http://www.thesinglediaries.com
I LOVE watching Christmas movies. What a gorgeous infographic too! LOVE IT!
I have done all these except an Advent calendar. Really need to do this with my little girl. They all get my in the spirit of the season!
I love counting down until Christmas with our advent calendar! I love watching Christmas movies, that's a MUST (all of these are!) <3
I'm excited to check out the local down town scene with their Christmas festival going on this weekend. 🙂
Not big on Christmas stuff, but these are really cute items!
I have been definitely been baking up a storm!!! ^_^ I can't wait to get our tree up and decorated!
Yes those are all great Christmas traditions!
I have to do all of those as well!!
All things that need to be done this time of year.
I'll have to visit San Fran sometime at Christmas! Your Oatmeal Jam bars sound delicious!
I remember the amazing gingerbread installation at the Westin St. Francis. Amazing! I miss SF. Do you have a recipe for the oatmeal jam bars?
Love your must-dos! I'm in college and my house didn't get a tree, which makes me so sad! But I have most definitely been baking up a storm 🙂
I need to make a list of things too! I really want to make gingerbread cookies! They are so cute and festive for this time of year!
Done, done, done, done, and done! I love Christmas and this time of year! <3
I need to do some baking this weekend – I can't believe Christmas is in a week and a half, I thought I was in the spirit but lately there just doesn't seem to be time for it which is unfortunate. Maybe some Christmas movies will help!
I have to get myself that Benefit advent calendar next year!!
All of the above! Except this year I was a slacker and did not get the kids advent calendars on time 🙁