25 ways to make Christmas extra special, this year!
It’s almost Christmas! And I can totally say that {without being scorned} because Halloween is officially behind us. Which was awesome, by the way! We had such a good Halloween, but now? It’s time to take down all the cobwebs and spooky decorations and replace them with shiny baubles, snowflakes and gifts under the tree. This year has been…quite the year! So we are going to make this Christmas extra special and as big as we possibly can and why bloody not! After the shit-show that 2020 has been? We are going out with a festive BANG! And I swear if New Year dings over at midnight and I hear “WELCOME TO LEVEL TWO!” I will cry. Just to make you aware…
Ways to make Christmas extra special
Anyways, I figured I would share with you our plans to make Christmas extra special this year! As we are surrounded by a pandemic that doesn’t plan on going away any time soon. Masks will be worn for the foreseeable and yeah, the world has changed dramatically. Things are bleak and we just want to inject a shed-load of festive love, joy and fabulousness into this final part of 2020. Because now more than ever, we need a little magic. So, here we go…
First things first…
Put up your tree earlier!
I’ll be honest, we are usually strict ‘the first week in December’ kind of people! But I feel like this year? We need to get it up a week or so earlier! Turn up the festive music and just enjoy it, you know? Make the house look like a magical-frikken-wonderland. Get the kids involved to make popcorn garlands, bauble strings for the mantle and just go to town on the festive decor. It will make you smile, I promise.
Christmas Movie Marathon
There are a whole bunch of super fun family Christmas movies out there! Not to mention a whole array of Doctor Who Christmas specials to watch, too! So we will be putting aside 2-3 evenings a week to enjoy festive movies, with the biggest bowl of popcorn that we can muster. Not forgetting the delicious toppings as an extra treat!
Bake up a storm!
Baking in this house can be a little crazy. Everyone wanting to get involved, so I am planning to have a little bake-off with the kids. Which I think can go one of two ways! Either it will be super fun or it will be a complete disaster, but I am willing to take the chance! I am going to make up a selection of festive recipes and the kids can choose one each to make and we will do this once a week until it’s Christmas day.
Have an in-house secret Santa!
I think this is such a super cute idea and with 5 of us in the house, I reckon it would be lots of fun. The kids have been saving since July on their Go Henry cards for Christmas gifts, which is amazing. Our limit for this will be £5 per person and we can exchange them on Christmas eve.
Have a Christmas campout!
This is a lovely idea and it just has to be done! Having the Christmas tree lights twinkling as you drift off to sleep sounds delightful! Obviously, being the last Parent to close her eyes and switching off everything at the wall before going to sleep because of safety first and all that!
Get the board games out!
We are a board game-loving family, so this excites us! There are so many fun board games out there and they don’t even have to be festively related to play them! Bring out some classic family games such as Dobble, Monopoly, Munchkin, Uno is always hilarious to play! We also love Kittens in a Blender, Dino Dump and even Colour Brain are good for a laugh.
Make Homemade Christmas Cards
We actually started this last year and my kids really enjoyed it and it also means whoever you give them too, they’re much more meaningful. It also encourages festive creativity too and also gives you half an hour to enjoy a cup of tea, as you blatantly ignore the glitter explosion on your dining room table!
Have a Candy Cane Hunt
This is an activity that I usually tie in with our elf on the shelf. And even though that’s really only aimed at my youngest? My older kids do enjoy joining in too, which is honestly so lovely to see. So, hide a bunch of candy canes, watch the kids go wild looking for them all. Maybe even add a little prize for the one who finds the most?
Make your own Christmas tree decorations
We have done this over the years, but it hasn’t been an ‘every year’ thing. But this year, because it’s been the year it has, I reckon we will. The wee kits are in all kinds of shops from Poundland, Home Bargains and B&M stores. So easy to find and are quite cheap too. Or maybe make your own Christmas tree decorations, salt dough style!
Have an epic advent calendar
Over the last two years, I have made a DIY advent for my three children at home. I just picked a branch of the tree in our back garden, wrapped copper lights around it, pretty tinsel wire and then added the daily packages. Which are things like chocolate coins, activities {card making, baking cookies etc} and yeah, the kids absolutely love it.
Make a Christmas Cookie stack
There is nothing more fun than making a Christmas cookie stack. Such a simple baking activity, super fun to build and even better to eat!
Create a Front door Christmas Wreath together
This is something we have never done as a family before and I think this year is the perfect year to change that. Get yourself over to Hobby craft, get everything you need, sit down at the table as a family and create something fabulous. I love this idea and cannot wait to create something with my gang and to bring it out year after year.
Throw the kids a North Pole Breakfast!
I have thrown a North Pole breakfast for my children for a number of years now. It is a Christmas tradition that has slowly gained traction and I love seeing everyone’s breakfasts on my social media feed. There are two days a North Pole breakfast are typically thrown, December 1st to welcome the arrival of the elf or on Christmas eve as a farewell present from the Elf.
Wrap up your doorway on Christmas morning
I did this last year and it was hilarious. Simply wrapping up the door into your living room for the kids to burst through. They love it and the smiles you’ll get as they burst into seeing their gifts is priceless.
Read bedtime stories by the Christmas tree
There is something so incredibly magical about reading a Christmas story by the lights of the Christmas tree. The twinkling lights, you’re all wrapped in a blanket and sat on cushions.
Bake a Candy Cane Cake!
Get everyone together and bake a delicious candy cane cake together.
Decorate your kitchen!
I have to admit, the kitchen isn’t somewhere that I typical decorate at Christmas. I’ll change that this year. I am going to create a hot chocolate station, wreaths from the cupboard doors and twinkling lights.
Post your letter to Santa
This is my youngest daughters most exciting time of the month. Writing her letter to Santa and always make a big deal out of it. We colour in pictures for Santa, write him a lovely letter, add stickers and the best part? Wrapping up warm to put it into the post box.
Get a text from Santa!
Give your child the gift of getting a text from Santa. This is a super cute service and costs £3.49 for 3 text messages.
Give Christmas eve boxes
We have done this for a number of years and my older kids still love receiving them. Fill them with Christmas eve pyjamas, cosy socks, hot chocolate accessories i.e. marshmallows, a new mug etc. You can also add a DVD that you can watch or a new book to read on Christmas eve. Lots of fun ideas. You can check out my Christmas Eve Boxes post here on the blog.
Hide the ‘last’ present!
I ADORE this idea. It’s something my own parents actually used to do so I don’t know why I never thought of doing it before. But I will this year. We will hide one of the kids gifts, as an extra surprise present to gift them maybe after dinner or later on that evening.
Track Santa on NORAD on Christmas eve!
This is something we do every single year and we track him all day. My daughter loves to see where he is and then the excitement builds as she knows she has to get to sleep before he can visit her house. It’s such a lovely way to ignite the excitement into our children. You can track Santa too from his NORAD website.
Make a Chocolate Christmas house! {or a Gingerbread one!}
We have tried making Gingerbread houses every Christmas and I have to admit, they’re super tricky, right? They hardly ever stay together and they’re just not as fun as you’d first think. So, I bought a silicone mould to make a chocolate Christmas house with and I am so excited. We might even make it into a competition to whose is the best creation!
You can buy your own silicone house mould from Amazon.
Make your own Reindeer food {that’s safe for the birds!}
This is a simple wildlife-friendly snack is perfect to sprinkle on your paths and driveways this Christmas eve. A lot of the time, the shop-bought reindeer foods can be harmful to our wildlife, especially due to the non-edible glitter in them. Check out this wildlife friendly reindeer food recipe from the RSPCA.
Buy fewer Christmas gifts
We have applied the 7 gift rule for a few years now and it has worked out so much better. And if you are unfamiliar with the 7 gift rule, then here it is:
- Something they want – Their main gift
- Something they need – Practical gift i.e. sports equipment, new drum sticks etc
- Buy something to wear – Clothes, new shoes etc
- Get something to read – Magazine subscription, new book collection.
- Something to do – An experience voucher, movie gift card etc
- A gift personal for ‘them’ – A keepsake, a homemade gift etc
- Something for the family – Board game, a day trip out together a family.
Here are my 25 ways to make Christmas extra special this year! Creating simple family Christmas traditions is something we all love doing together as a family. One day, as cheesy as it sounds, I hope, when they’re sat around the tree with their own children? That they still do the same family Christmas traditions.
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Remember to slow down and let go of any and all expectations. This is something I struggle with myself as there is always an array of pressure over the holidays. But that pressure can get in the way of you enjoying moments with your family, don’t miss a single minute!
And lastly? Keep celebrating for 12 days after Christmas! This has been one hell of a year! For every single one of us for one reason or another. We have all ridden this horrendous rollercoaster together and taking down our Christmas decorations has been something I have always done on Boxing day. Which is horrible, I know! My Dad is always telling me off for doing it. But this year? I’ll keep them up for those 12 days after Christmas day. As we need as much happiness and magic as we can muster.
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