MY HOLIDAY BUCKET LIST

A little throwback of my tree for encouragement, hah!

Every year I like to make a little bucket list with all of the holiday activities I want to do leading up to Christmas. This year's is probably pretty close to being the same as last year but I like to map out my game plan. I love the festive activities but the season always goes by so quickly that it's impossible to get everything I want/"need" done. Ya'll know I also work in retail which makes things harder when it comes to my schedule and if we're being honest, my overall mental energy. Ya girl is tired, ok? We're tired but trying, lol. Right now the list is everything that I think I can realistically do to enjoy the holidays + get in the spirit. 

MY HOLIDAY BUCKET LIST

+DECORATE MY TREE - Putting up a Christmas tree seems easy (and obvious) enough, however it definitely takes some motivation on my end. I don't just work in retail during the holidays, I also sell a lot of seasonal Christmas merchandise and trees. I LOVE that, however by the end of the work day I just want to relaaaxxx and do nothing. I don't always feel mentally or physically motivated to drag my tree out and spend hours decorating. I love the end result and enjoy the process once I'm knee deep in glitter, I just need a little extra push to get going. 

+PUT UP CHRISTMAS LIGHTS - Alongside of that is doing outside lights/decorations. Love the look- need a little bit of motivation to get going. If all goes well, I'm planning on just diving into everything this week. I like to do it earlier so that it's out of the way + I have longer to enjoy it all. 

+BAKE CHRISTMAS COOKIES - I'm slowly establishing my own little tradition of baking Christmas cookies every year. I think this year will be my third or fourth year making homemade sugar cookies which I always do a day or two before Christmas. They are so delicious and fun, just a LOT of work. For me it's the decorating that is the most time consuming- maybe one day I'll be a pro! 

+BUY//WRAP GIFTS - I just started buying gifts this week which means I need to get a move on! I'm definitely a habitual shopper + wrapper. Every year I tell myself to wrap as I go which NEVER happens. Maybe this will be the year? I need a system where as soon as I buy something, I wrap it up. 

+HOLIDAY MOVIES - I'm proud to say I've started early this year with this one!! So far I've watched two Christmas movies. I always love to watch the new Netflix/"Hallmarky" romance ones as well as the classics. There are so many good ones, I wish I had time to watch one every day in December. 

+CHRISTMAS LIGHTS - Always a must-do is driving around to look at Christmas lights. It's so much fun and in a weird way, a little nostalgic? I don't know if it's because we always went as kids or if just the Christmas lights in general feel nostalgic. I love seeing how everyone decorates and gets into the spirit! It really is amazing and special how many people go all out and celebrate for the holidays. 

+ DONATE//GIVE - This isn't something I've really ever talked about on the blog but one of my goals for the holiday season is to give back more. With the state of the world, it just feels like we could all use a little more good and positivity right now. I also think I need it, too. Whether you spread a word of encouragement, volunteer your time or donate monetarily- it does something good for both others and your soul. You can feel it, as strange as that may sound. I use to feel like I couldn't offer much to make a difference but now I think we can all do something, even if it feels small or insignificant. 

What's your favorite holiday tradition or activity?

7 MUST-DO CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES

It's no secret that the holiday season is referred to as "the greatest time of year." For me it's a time to reflect on my faith, spend time with loved ones and enjoy all of the festivities and traditions that come with Christmas. It's always been (and I hope will stay) my favorite holiday. It also happens to always be an extremely busy one for me! I work in retail so to say this time of year is crazy is an understatement. Between longer hours and holiday season traffic, it's both an exhausting and rewarding time. Usually I'm ready to call it a day when work is over, however I also still love embracing as much of the holiday season as I can. Whether you also have a chaotic schedule or just love this time of year, here are my top must-do Christmas Activities! Also be sure to share what your favorites are-- I'd love to hear about them! 

Martha Stewart Tree (similar here) | Glitter Candles / Nutcrackers (similar here, here + here)

+ ADVENT CALENDARS 

Advent calendars are a tradition I started doing over the last couple of years. We never had them growing up but it's something that I always thought was a fun way to bring a little extra joy to the days leading up to Christmas. Opening a small gift everyday is fun + a simple way to celebrate the season. You can go as simple or as extravagant with this one as you like-- be sure to check out The Best 2021 Advent Calendars here. 

+ WATCHING CHRISTMAS MOVIES 

I've always loved Christmas movies!! I shared in a recent post how a few years ago I wouldn't have been caught dead watching a Hallmark or Netflix Christmas movie, lol! When I was younger, I always thought they were WAY too sappy and cheesy. I was more of a sentimental + classic Christmas movie kinda gal. I've since embraced them all and even when I'm tired, I love to lay in bed + watch them. You can read about some of my favorites in this post. Should I write an updated list for this year?

+ BAKING COOKIES

My sweet tooth loves the holiday season a little too much. I'm sure I can speak for most of us that it's too easy to indulge in all of the delicious holiday food, snacks + treats. Too easy but necessary! Balance is key so I tend to be a little more lax during the holidays. One thing that's a must do activity for me is to bake some sort of holiday treat-- usually cookies! Whether you make them from scratch or buy the Pillsbury cut-outs, it's the perfect pair to all of those movie marathons. 

+ GIFT SHOPPING

I live for gift giving during the holidays! While of course it isn't the reason for the season, it's always remarkable to me how it becomes the greatest season of giving. It's a special time to give and bless others if you're able to which I love. This can also be done in a lot of different ways-- not just through a material gift or present.

+ LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS 

Driving around to look at Christmas lights is one of the best (and free!) holiday activities you can do. Hop in the car with some friends, put on some Christmas carols and drink some hot cocoa while you cruise around town. So magical! 

+ HOLIDAY DRINKS 

Does anyone not like the holiday Starbucks drinks?? I love them + very year I try to treat myself to a few throughout the season. It's a fun little tradition I look forward to that's festive + delish. Today I tried the Iced Chestnut Praline Latte which had a warm, spiced flavor. Yum! 

+ DECORATING THE TREE 

I'll be honest-- I don't usually have the time or energy to do a ton of decorating. Retail will do that to you! Lol. One thing that is a non-negotiable is decorating my tree. I put up a little silver tree + a small green 5' which are the perfect size. My 5' still holds a lot of ornaments but isn't massive. Sometimes I have to push myself a little to actually get everything out and get it decorated, however I'm always glad once I do it. There's something about looking at all of the lights + ornaments that brings so much joy during the holidays. I also usually have fun doing decorating once I get started + I love adding a few new ornaments to my collection every year! 

What's your favorite holiday tradition?

I love sharing my picks with you! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping. Pretty cool, huh? :)