I’ve always loved Christmas. But over the last few years, I’ve noticed an overwhelming sense of dread as Halloween ends and the holiday season really begins. For a while, I thought it was just me feeling all the expectations of being a mom during the holidays, but I realized something pretty quickly: It’s the social media. There is so much Christmas inspiration available at our fingertips, but it can also be too much. Buy these Christmas decorations! Swipe up for the year’s hottest toy! Watch me make these elaborate cookies! Over and over, we’re being fed more and more Christmas content, but it’s not bringing me more Christmas cheer — it’s dragging me down.
I know I’m not alone, so having a list of easy, cozy Christmas ideas to help you find your Christmas cheer and spirit again is a must. Sometimes you just need to put the phone down, get a cozy blanket, and recalibrate your festive self, you know? Don’t get caught up in making any of these things too elaborate — the more work it takes, the harder it may be to feel the Christmas cheer, especially if you’re struggling with the comparison game on Instagram and TikTok. Pick one or two to try with your family or buy yourself, and sink into some cozy Christmas ideas that don’t require your PayPal login.
Drive Around & Find Christmas Lights
They don’t have to be overwhelming displays of flashing lights and synchronized music and animatronics; just find Christmas lights! From houses with a few strands wrapped around their porch railings to displays that take up an entire cul-de-sac, there’s something genuinely magical about looking at lights. Sure, gas costs money, but you don’t have to spend a lot to get out there and find some loveliness. And when you actually think about it — how the people inside their homes can’t see the lights, but they put them up for all of the rest of us — it really gets you in the Christmas spirit. Take some hot chocolate with you, some good car snacks, and make a great Christmas playlist.
Read All the Christmas Books
Christmas movies always have a special spot in your heart, but when was the last time you read a Christmas book? These don’t have to be new books or even books meant for adults — just curl up with a blanket and get lost in the real Whoville for a bit, or read the novella Skipping Christmas that Christmas with the Kranks is based on. Don’t overthink it. I read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever every year, even though it’s clearly written for middle-grade kids. It still puts me in the best, festive, coziest mood.
Go to Bed Early with Christmas Episodes of Your Favorite Sitcom
You don’t have to do an elaborate snack display or order Christmas-themed charcuterie board supplies. Simply put on your coziest jammies, climb into bed early, and get your TV all lined up with Christmas episodes of your favorite sitcoms. They’re nice and short, perfect for feeling nostalgic and festive, and if you fall asleep in the middle of them, it’s no biggie. Try outThe Office, Will & Grace, Home Improvement, New Girl, Friends, and Modern Family for some great Christmas episodes.
Share the Stories Behind Your Christmas Ornaments
Whether you want to film a video or write everything down in a journal, spend an evening as a family going through your tree and telling the stories behind each ornament. It’s so easy to get caught up in buying new decor and playing the compare game on social media, but when you can sit back and focus on the magic you already have in your home, it makes you feel so much better.
Watch a Christmas Movie from Your Childhood
You probably already watch a bunch of Christmas movies you grew up with, but when was the last time you put your phone away and watched Mickey’s Christmas Carol? Or A Charlie Brown Christmas? These movies have a sweet way of bringing you back down to reality and what matters most at Christmas. You’ll forget all about those swipe-up links you meant to check out!
Bake Cookies
That’s it. Just bake cookies. There is something so solidly festive about tying on an apron and knowing you’re going to make cookies, whether you’re doing the break-away Pillsbury kind or making some gingerbread from scratch. Don’t worry about finding some new cookie trend or trying to make it into some elaborate thing — keep it simple and enjoy the moment. Honestly, making cookies will put you in the most festive mood.
Get Dressed Up & Dance To Christmas Music In Your Living Room
There’s a reason why we’re all obsessed with the classic Christmas movies like White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Christmas in Connecticut — it’s the glamour and the romanceand thedancing. You don’t have to have Bing Crosby’s or Fred Astaire’s talent, but get your family all dressed up, clear some furniture out of the way, turn on the Christmas lights, and hit the music. Bonus points if you have a record player, but no matter what, some classic Christmas tunes crooning through your soft, twinkling home while you and your loved ones spin each other around? Pure Christmas magic.
Cut Out Paper Snowflakes with Your Family
This is extremely specific, I know, but can you remember the last time you cut out paper snowflakes? It’s so cheap and easy, and even the littlest ones in your family can join in and do them. It doesn’t require a massive trip to the craft store or following some long-winded instructions. You can chat about Christmas, tell family stories, and reminisce all at the same time as you cut and hang your snowflakes, which will truly put you all in the most cheerful mood.
Take a deep breath. Christmas is all about what you make it, so think about what’s most important to you and focus on that. Family togetherness? Good food? Your favorite decorations from childhood and The Santa Clause? Then you’re having the perfect Christmas.
