Give yourself a pat on the back, you made it to the last month of 2022 (and let's face it, that is worth celebrating)! If you ask me, a cozy Christmas at home with no expectations is just what the doctor ordered. Instead of rushing around to make this Christmas *perfect*, let go of the pressure and instead make the most of the last days of the year with the ones you love.
24 ideas on how to get festive this month and prepare for the new year from the comfort of your own home...
- Decorate everything! Seems like an obvious place to start, but after the year we've had Christmas decorations should be a little more extra this year if you ask me... so go all out!
- Make things clean and cosy. Give the whole house a proper tidy and freshen up before putting out extra blankets and pillows where you can.
- Dry orange slices. It's very therapeutic cutting the oranges thinly and slowly drying them out in the oven, plus they make the whole house smell amazing!
- Make your own wreath. Whether you go paper or collect fresh pine and holly, making your own wreath is a great way to pass a cozy festive afternoon at home.
- Get adventurous with your hot chocolates! Sure, you can't beat a classic hot choc with marshmallows and cream, but what about adding a drop of peppermint essence or ginger spice?
- Have a Christmas movie marathon - list out all the Christmas movies you'd like to watch this month and then plan what date you'll watch each one for the perfect movie countdown to Christmas.
- Make your own Christmas cards; nothing says seasons greetings like some cards made with love at home.
- Bake Christmas biscuits. One of my favourite pre-Christmas activities is Christmas biscuit baking. Bake a big batch to share with friends or colleagues as an alternative to store bought gifts. (Try my favourite recipe)
- Make time to finish reading the books you hoped to read this year.
- Do some cosy yoga at home to keep your body moving and feeling good even on the laziest days.
- Have a Christmas pyjama day, complete with snuggly socks and Christmas chocolates.
- Have a festive themed bake off with your family, housemates or colleagues. Who will have the best Christmas bake?
- Make your own mulled wine.
- Instead of Christmas carolling, have a Christmas song karaoke night at home.
- Tidy your closet and take out things you no longer wear that could be donated.
- Learn how to knit - I tried a kit from We Are Knitters, and it's my new favourite cozy Christmas hobby.
- Host a Christmas quiz night to raise money for a charity that is important to you at this time of year.
- Have a board-game tournament and get out all your old favourite games from when you were a kid.
- Make Christmas leftover sandwiches.
- Eat Christmas chocolates for breakfast at least once during the holidays.
- Make a collage with your favourite photos from the year.
- Write a list of all the things you are grateful for at the end of the year.
- Set your goals or intentions for 2023. Listen to this episode of Fill Up Your Cup Podcast for lots of goal setting tips.
- Have a big de-clutter before the new year and get your spaces Home Edit style organised.