My Favorite Holiday Activities

Tis the season to be cozy, according to my Anthropologie pillows and mug (no longer available)! I love Christmas and the whole holiday season. There are just so many wonderful things to do! Keep reading on to see what some of my favorite holiday activities are.

Driving Around to See Christmas Lights

It’s always fun to drive around and see how much effort people put into the lighting on their houses/yards. My family in particular loves to check out this crazy house every year. I admire them; I would never have the patience to put up all those lights and take them down every year! I especially appreciate it though, because they are very fun to look at and make for great pictures.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

I always enjoy putting up the tree. I’ve used a fake tree for the last three years because it’s cheaper and also significantly easier to set up and take down than a real tree. My ornaments are a 50/50 mix of Anthropologie ornaments and Costplus World Market ornaments. Growing up, I always hung the ornaments my mom gave me, but living on my own, I get to make this tree 100% mine! You can check out some of my favorite ornaments on my other blog post here. 

Ice Skating

This is a holiday activity I really wish I could do more often, but almost every time I’ve asked someone to go with me, they’ve said no (either because they’re too busy or they don’t know how to skate). So you can imagine my excitement when Tom suggested we go this year! I used to take figure skating lessons as a kid and loved it. Honestly, I wish I didn’t quit, because I forgot so much of what I learned. However, I was able to teach Tom how to keep a somewhat steady pace on the ice. Something about gliding around while surrounded by Christmas lights is so fun and relaxing.

Wrapping Christmas Presents

This is honestly one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I don’t know why… maybe it’s because I want to be more crafty or it pleases my OCD to see beautifully wrapped gifts. Either way, I love it! I take my time and wrap everything slowly and carefully, making sure the paper is tucked tight and the ribbons aren’t twisting. It’s also fun seeing people’s reactions when you give them their gift and they admire the beautiful wrapping! You can check out some of my favorite wrapping materials in my other blog post here. 

Decorating for Christmas

Last plug of my other blog post, I promise! My previous post, “Shop My Favorite Christmas Decor” goes very in depth into where to buy some of my favorite Christmas decorations, including this adorable Santa! I don’t know about you, but having Christmas decor up just makes me so happy. Complete the vibe by lighting a pine tree scented candle and it’s like you’re in heaven. I swear, there is nothing better. Sometimes I light my candle in the summer, because I just can’t wait, haha! 

Gingerbread House Competition

Almost every year, I participate in a Gingerbread House decoration competition with someone in my family; usually, it’s with my dad. I am a pretty competitive person and also love to decorate (in case you couldn’t already tell), so this is really fun! Not to mention, the professionals make it look way easier than it actually is. Every year I strive to do better than the last!

Wearing Ugly Christmas Sweaters

I’ve always thought Ugly Christmas Sweater parties were the most fun parties. Everyone gets to embrace their inner dork and find a cute, yet “ugly”, unique Christmas sweater. This year, Tom and I found this gem and needless to say, we got a lot of looks and comments the second we walked into our friends party. Haha! Worth it. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the sweater online, but just know we got it from Target. What really ties this sweater together is the interchangeable Nice vs Naughty sequins. You can just swipe left or right and next thing you know, you’ve gone from “Nice” to “Naughty!”

Shopping at Craft Fairs

This has only been on my list for the last three years or so. One of the things I love about living in Los Angeles is that there’s always something going on, and around the holidays, there are a ton of craft fairs! Unique LA and the Renegade Craft fair are some of my favorites. Unique LA actually pops up all over the country, so keep an eye on their Facebook page! Craft fairs are fun, because you’re buying local and supporting small businesses. Not only that, but you will find such unique gifts for your friends and family! Featured above is the adorable Koala clock I bought from Birch Robot along with some other cute clocks. The little tail swings side to side! I have to admit, I bought this for myself. It’s hard going to the craft fairs and not finding something that you yourself will love!

Family Puzzle Challenge

Every year, my mom whips out the Christmas-themed Impossipuzzles and my entire family has a competition to see who can complete their puzzle the fastest! It gets super competitive and friendly smack talk sometimes comes out, haha. My family usually gets frustrated with me, because while I’m puzzling, I think out loud, which they say is distracting. Hey, that’s a win win for me right? I highly recommend you go out and buy some of these for your family. 

What are some of your favorite Holiday activities? Let me know in the comments below!