December Is A Great Month To…

There are a lot of fun and festive things to do this month. Here’s a list of the best things to do in December that will fill you with Christmas spirit for the whole month!

BEST THINGS TO DO IN DECEMBER- POMEGRANATES IN A WHITE BOWL

Merry Christmas, friends! Can you believe it is December already? Oh, this is such a busy and happy month! So this month’s December post is not to add to your to-do list but to help you enjoy the Christmas season even more!

I love the month of December! How about you? Here is the best thing to do in December that will help you celebrate this beautiful, blessed month…

December Is A Great Month To Slow Down

I know this idea is not for everyone, but if the thought of December makes you feel frayed at the seams, you might like to try slowing down.

It might seem impossible, but I bet most of us have things on our calendars that we can cross out. 

I can see some of your heads shaking “NO”. But give it a try! If you don’t want to hurry through this magical month, try saying NO to things you just don’t need to do. You should get to pick what you want to do and how much.

December is a great month to slow down.

Get In The Christmas Spirit

Start now enjoying the beauty and delights of the season. Get up every morning and listen to Christmas music. Turn on the tree lights and light a great-smelling candle or diffuse a wonderful Christmas fragrance.

How To Get In The Christmas Spirit has lots of fun and easy ideas for enjoying Christmas all month long!

December is a great month to get in the Christmas spirit.

Read Christma Books

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS BOOKS

Get a Christmas book or, better yet, a book about Advent, and read it.

I have a stack of beloved Christmas and Advent books I like to sit down and enjoy. If you have time in the morning read them with your coffee after you check in at StoneGable (ho-ho-ho)!

I like to read Christmas stories to my grandkids. Right now we are reading The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever. My oldest grandson, age 7, is loving it! 

My grandkids don’t live close, so I stay close by FaceTiming and they love it when I read to them.

Here are a few of my favorites: 

December is a great month to read a Christmas book.

Celebrate Something Every Day

Here are just a thing or two to celebrate every day in December.

1- National Christmas Lights Day, Peppermint Bark Day, 2-Business Of Popping Popcorn Day, National Mutt Day, 3-Let’s Hug Day, 4-Nation Cookie Day, Earmuff Day, 5-Bathtub Party Day, 6-St. Nicholas Day, National Microwave Oven Day, 7-Pearly Harbor Remembrance Day, 8-National Brownie Day, Christmas Jumper Day, 9-Christmas Card Day,

10-Nobel Prize Day, 11-International Mountain Day, 12-Gingerbread House Day, National Poinsettia Day, 13-National Cocoa Day, National Violin Day, 14-Roast Chestnuts Day, 15-Hanukkah Begins, National Wear Your Pearls Day, National Cupcake Day, 16-National Ugly Sweater Day, 17-Wright Brothers Day, National Syrup Day, 18-Answer the Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day, 19-National Oatmeal Muffin Day,

21-Go Caroling Day, 21-Winter Solstice, National Short Girl Appreciation Day, 22-National Cookie Exchange Day, 23- National Movie Marathon Day, 24-Christmas Eve, 25-Christmas Day, 26- Boxing Day, National Candy Cane Day, 27-Make Cut-Out Snowflakes Day, National Fruitcake Day 28-Pledge of Allegiance Day, 29-National Pepper Pot Day,

30-National Bacon Day, National Resolution Planning Day, 31- New Year’s Eve. National Champagne Day.

December is a great month to celebrate.

Plan Your Christmas Menus

BEST THINGS TO DO IN DECEMBER- TARTAN TABLESCAPE

Now is the time to really nail down your Christmas menus. You can have a delicious meal without a lot of fuss! Whether you are cooking a whole meal or bringing something to the party, planning things out ahead of time is a really smart and organized idea.

Here are some of my favorite easy Christmas dishes.

MAKE AHEAD BEEF BRISKET is a delicious and super easy Holiday main dish!

DELICIOUS BEEF BRISKET

Holiday Beef Brisket is full of big Christmas flavors that you throw together in your slow cooker a couple days ahead of when you want to serve it. And then just warm it up on the day you want to eat it. So good and so simple.

I’ve made CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST CASSEROLE for every Christmas breakfast for decades!

My kids and now grandbabies would stage a revolt if this delicious make-ahead egg and sausage dish was not on our Christmas morning table! The recipe is an oldie by a goodie!

CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

And BACARDI RUM CAKE is an easy and so so tasty sweet treat.

SCRUMPTIOUS BACARDI RUM CAKE

Using a box mix and adding a few ingredients makes this cake extra yummy and so easy to make.

And my favorite, Cranberry Orange Christmas Bundt Cake. Make sure to make the Sugared Cranberries. They are delicious!

Christmas Bundt Cake

You also may like more Christmas recipes HERE.

December is a great month to plan your Christmas menus.

Plan To Set A Pretty Christmas Table

You don’t have to set a whole table for Christmas. Just arrange a lovely and festive Christmas arrangement down the center of it.

BEST THINGS TO DO IN DECEMBER- POMEGRANATES IN A WHITE BOWL

I put a runner of greens down our table and added a large bowl of pomegranates in the center. And of course, adding a bit of candlelight makes it extra pretty!

When it’s dinnertime I put our place settings around the centerpiece and we have a pretty Christmas table to sit down to at every meal! Easy peasy and festive!

December is a great month to put a centerpiece on your table… and set a pretty table too.

Christmas Cards

BOWL OF CHRISTMAS CARDS

I love to send Christmas cards. I’m a little behind, but I’m still enjoying the process of writing a little personal note in the cards and addressing them. This is an old-fashioned practice, but I think it makes Christmas more special.

It’s not too late to write a few Christmas cards and get them out before Christmas Eve.

December is a great month to send Christmas cards.

Crank Up The Christmas Music

Nothing gets me in the Christmas spirit like my favorite Christmas music wafting through our home! I use this wireless speaker and listen to Pandora. My favorite Christmas channels are: Peaceful Christmas Radio, Maranatha, Christmas Radio, Michael Buble (Holiday) Radio, Peaceful Holiday Radio, Nat King Cole (Holiday) Radio- I love the old standards, and others.

So listen to your favorite sounds of Christmas this month! Most of us won’t listen to them for a whole year!

December is a great month to listen to Christmas music.

Take Advantage Of Local Christmas Pageantry

There is usually so much to do this time of year in your town or county! Get out and enjoy being around all the beauty and magic of Christmas!

Google your local tourist bureau to help find fun things to do in your area. I was looking in our area and they have “Shop Late”. Lots of shops stay open late while Santa pays them a visit. How fun!

See a show, go to your kids’ or grandkids’ Christmas Concerts. Go to your Church’s live Nativity or enjoy Christmas First Night!

There are so many things in December to celebrate the holidays and lots are free! Bobby and I missed our local tree lighting so we are going downtown to take a walk around the tree and have dinner in a restaurant with windows on the square!

December is a great month to do something fun locally.

Wrap Gifts As You Get Them

BEST THINGS TO DO IN DECEMBER- WRAPPED CHRISTMAS GIFT

Wrap gifts as you bring them into your house. I have said this a dozen times here and there on my blog. When I wait until the last minute to wrap gifts it is just one big stress ball! And I generally love wrapping gifts.

Make a little gift-wrapping center if you have the space. Put all your ribbons, embellishments, and tags in pretty bowls inside a tray. Organize the area where you wrap your gifts. I enjoy gift wrapping so much better when I am organized.

As all those boxes come in from online shopping, I enjoy the beautiful paper and velvet ribbons and lovely gift tags as I wrap!

December is a great month to wrap gifts as you get them.

December is a great month to wrap gifts.

Do Something Nice For Yourself

When I get busy, the first thing that goes by the wayside is taking care of myself. And I know that when I’m feeling and looking my best I can enjoy things more and have more energy and focus for them.

So make sure you eat healthy food and drink lots of water! And get your hair styled, or get a mani and pedi, or do all three! I am!

One thing I like to do every year is buy a new pair of pretty pajamas. We stay in our pajamas all Christmas morning and it’s so nice to have something pretty to wear! And I like myself a whole lot better in our Christmas morning pictures.

We spend so much time and energy thinking about others so don’t forget about yourself too!

December is a great month to do something nice for yourself.

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN DECEMBER

December is such a lovely month with traditions and amazing things to do… or not to do! Again your choice!

Here is a list of other fun things to do in the month of December…

  • Watch Christmas movies. I know we can watch them any time of year, but there is something so wonderful about watching them around Christmas!
  • Bake cookies. And better yet, bake cookies with someone. I’m making Sugar Cookies and my very grown-up Gingerbread Men this year. And maybe Russian Tea Balls.
  • Take a ride and look at the Christmas Lights! Bobby and I have done this for decades. We also walk in historic neighborhoods of Lancaster City and see the lights there too.
  • Donate to your local food bank or other charity. With food and other prices so high these days it’s such a nice way to give back. And it will put a smile on someone’s face.
  • Go to church. It’s so good for your soul.
  • Stay in your pajamas all day! I like to do this once in a while. It’s so decadent!
  • Make real hot chocolate and enjoy it with real whipped cream.
  • Go Christmas caroling! Does anyone do that anymore?
  • Leave a gift on a friend’s porch without your name. I love this idea!
  • Put up a tree with just lights on it. This is such a beautiful look.

Do you have a fun thing you like to do in December? Please share in the comments.

Click The Video For More Inspiration

December is really a month filled with love and wonder. Enjoy every minute of it!

BEST THINGS TO DO IN DECEMBER- PRETTY WRAPPED CHRISTMAS GIFT ON A LITTLE WREATH

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14 Comments

  1. All wonderful ideas. Being the practical minded person that I am, I have already planned 2024! I break down the year by quarter and list the items to be accomplished. Items consist of decorating projects, gardening, wardrobe purchases, finances, travel – you name it. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment to be able to check off items as they are completed. As we do not charge anything it’s a good idea to plan upcoming purchases. I start Christmas shopping in October every year purchasing items that I have heard family members express an interest in during the year. I’ve been using this system for 40 years, and I find it takes the pressure off day to day living. I hope my suggestions can help someone. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.

    1. Oh, my! Lyn you are organized. I need a bit of your think-ahead attitude. Good for you!

    2. I love that you are so organized. I try but I guess the discipline just isn’t there. I’m going to try this and see if it will help. I am ahead on wrapping and buying presents this year.
      Merry Christmas

  2. Kathy Lux says:

    Love these ideas! Thank you

  3. So many great ideas, my friend. Merry Christmas!

  4. I always enjoy your creativity and interesting ideas. Thank you!

  5. Thank you for doing all the work for us! I love the ideas. I will be sending a text to the grandkids each day letting them know what is being celebrated that day. Looking forward to using more of the recipes and ideas.
    Merry Christmas!

  6. Great movie to watch Noelle 2007. Very different but very good.

  7. LaVerne Day says:

    Yvonne, I loved your ideas and was particularly interested in trying the brisket recipe. I clicked on every link for it I could find, but did not find the recipe. Can you help? Love reading your blog.
    LaVerne