{picture of colin from october 2007}ali edwards blog shared these first 72 ways to get into the holiday spirit... i had a make some alternative suggestions due to the weather here + i added a couple of my own ways...enjoy
Build a snowman (real or styrofoam)
Take a sled ride (real snow or man made kind)
Make hot cocoa (add kahlua for the adults)
Take a moonlit walk in the snow (or on the sidewalk)
Have dinner by candlelight
Make a list of 100 things you are grateful for
Bake cookies and give them to a neighbor
Give someone a gift anonymously
Have a holiday sing-along
Donate gifts to a needy family
Take a ride to look at holiday lights and decorations
Make snow angels (grass angels?)
Make a popcorn string
Simmer mulling spices
Make orange pomander balls
Cut out paper snowflakes
Go cross-country skiing (rent them if you don’t own them)
Go ice skating (yes, texas has an indoor rink somewhere)
Take bird seed with you on a hike
Snowshoe on a sunny day (working on a substitution for this one...)
Go caroling in your neighborhood or at a local nursing home
Put evergreens and other seasonal greens around your house
Host a cookie exchange
Take an egg nog break
Host a wreath-making party
Watch the snow fall (real or snow globe)
Read O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi
Gaze at the winter stars
Host a holiday dance party
Write holiday cards to 5 friends you have lost touch with
Pray for peace
Share your favorite holiday memories with your kids
Spent 30 minutes in silent reflection on the meaning of the holiday season in your life
Call five people you love and tell them why you love them
Invite someone new to dinner
Learn to knit a scarf
Make homemade soup
Cuddle under a blanket
Enjoy a cup of tea with a friend
Donate mittens and other winter items to a shelter
Attend a holiday concert
Share the story of the best present you ever received
Learn to play a holiday or a soothing song on an instrument
Make resolutions for the New Year
Have a late night cookie and milk break
Make a pine cone wreath
Put out food for the squirrels
Learn how the holidays are celebrated in different cultures
Shovel your neighbor’s driveway (sweep your neighbors driveway)
Learn to say "I love you" in five languages
Make breakfast food for dinner and eat in your pajamas
Warm yourself by a roaring fire
Give experiences instead of material gifts
Take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage
Volunteer at a soup kitchen
Write down the 10 best memories from the past year
Commit to support a charity for an entire year
Send a recent photo of your family to distant relatives and friends
Enjoy a cup of hot cider
Practice one random act of kindness each day in December
Dress up for a special holiday dinner at your own house
Offer to help someone who needs it at the grocery store
Make your own potpourri
Take a long winter’s nap
Plant bulbs in pots for winter blooms
Invite friends to have a sleepover at your house during the holidays
Write your what you’re thankful for on strips of paper and form it into a gratitude garland
Make breakfast food for dinner
Build a snow fort
Paint your own wrapping paper or find ways to create recycle giftwrap
Memorize a poem to recite at the dinner table
Eat snow (or snow cones)
Find a picture of yourself when you were a child on christmas morning
Burn your favorite holiday songs and have a neighborhood swap
Go see santa at the clubhouse on saturday afternoon - perfect for holiday card picture
Help your neighbors take DOWN their christmas lights after the season (no cutting allowed)
Make a fire even if its warm outside and roast marshmallows
Have an advent chain making party in november for the kids
Record your favorite holiday movies to enjoy after christmas
Buy extra ornament hangers to share with your neighbors
Set up a wrapping center somewhere in your house
Have the kids decorate shipping boxes with stamp art
Put santa hats on the kids stuffed animals
Let the kids decorate their room
Start a holiday journal this year
Create your own holiday binder - rip out ideas/articles/recipes that inspire you
Make reindeer 'food' now & leave near the front door for the big night
Cut one commitment out of your holiday schedule = less stress
Watch its a wonderful life...try talking the kids into watching too
Use a candy cane to stir your hot cocoa
Hang some mistletoe (real or fake)
Form an assembly line when it is time for christmas cards
Take pictures before christmas of the little everyday preparations
Start an online photo album to share all holiday pictures
Mix together crushed candy canes & vanilla ice cream
Wear a santa hat in public, just once, this season
