Celebrate the holidays this year with intention!! I’m bringing you 12 Mindful Days of Christmas – a series all about celebrating the holiday without buying a bunch of gifts for others! You can check out all the other days in the series here!
Welcome back to the 12 Mindful Days of Christmas series! I’m excited to be sharing these fun ways to celebrate the holidays with your friends and family without overspending and getting stressed out!
Day one was all about having a swap meet – a fun and free way to trade what you have and don’t want anymore (whether it is Christmas decorations, clothing, gifts, toys, anything!) with your friends for things they have and don’t want anymore!
Day two we spent cuddled on the couch for family movie night! Bust out the popcorn, snacks, fuzzy blankets, and cozy pajamas friends and enjoy a night in with your favorite family Christmas movie!
Day three we got competitive and busted out some of our favorite family board games and activities!
Day four was all about visiting loved ones that are in assisted living or nursing homes. Or, just visiting those places to visit with the residents – even if you’re not related to them!
Day five we talked about hosting a cookie swap for all your friends!
Day six was for all the at home and drive through chefs out there who can deliver a meal to a friend or family member!
Day seven focuses on breaking out an Advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas!
Day eight I encouraged you to rethink the idea of family dinner during the holidays!
Today’s activity might be my favorite one so far – we already do this one and it is SO much fun!
12 Mindful Days of Christmas
Ever since we moved to the Houston area, I’ve been ridiculously excited to go out and tour the city looking for Christmas lights! Luckily, I haven’t had to go too far, since the Woodlands has some of the best Christmas light displays in the state.
Even if you live in a smaller town, it seems like every city has that one neighborhood that goes all out with Christmas lights! Make a night of it – warm up some hot chocolate, put on your Christmas jammies, and jump in the car with your phone charger and your map tuned in to the best neighborhoods!
Some tips! Be prepared to drive s-l-o-w-l-y – for obvious reasons! Some of the neighborhoods we go to are literally crawling with cars and you just get in line with everyone else and drive 5 miles per hour through the neighborhoods!
Dress warmly – we like to roll the windows down because lots of the houses play music and the lights are easier to see that way.
Check for signs in the yards – some of them are tuned to specific radio stations and their lights flash and dance to whatever song is on! Really – it is fascinating. #Magic
Don’t be afraid to venture out a bit – the first year we were here I convinced my husband to drive all the way to Humble, around an hour away, to look at a specific neighborhood but it was totally worth it!!
Pin the places on your map that you love the best so they’ll be easy to find again next year! I already have a game plan for this year – our fourth Christmas here – so we know exactly where we are going.
Finally, eat dinner in the car. Grab some burgers and snack on fries while you’re in the car to maximize your time for seeing lights!
Are you planning on checking out Christmas lights this year?
Share this post with your friends and family by pinning it to your favorite board or sharing on Facebook & Twitter below!
