Holiday Bucket List
My hands-down very favorite day of the holiday season Christmas tree cutting day. I grew up in Houston, Texas with a fake tree and loved putting it together. Did yours have those letters on the branches and you matched it up with the right part of the tree center? And then you had to really fluff those branches to cover up the plastic parts? Then add the lights and ornaments and you are just sitting there ready for Santa to come see your glowing tree! I love Christmas. But then I moved to Oregon in the fall of 2013 and my coworker told me she was headed up with her family to pick out their Christmas tree. What? What does that even mean? She went on to tell me about their long-standing tradition of picking up a tree cutting permit (for $5!), driving up the hill, and setting up camp for the day with snacks and hot chocolate. Then they have snowball fights, build snowmen, CUT DOWN THEIR OWN CHRISTMAS TREE LIKE LUMBERJACKS, and head home to decorate it! I got the wind taken out of me. It’s like I had stepped into the plot a Hallmark Holiday movie but it was the most normal thing in the world to her. As soon as I got home I told my husband and we made plans to cut down our first Christmas tree. I’ll never get over the magic. And the fact that some years we’ve gotten stuck in the snow, rained out, or picked very sparse/weird trees. To me, it’s the most amazing tradition and I look forward to it yearly. This is a list of some of my favorite things to do in the holiday season in no particular order. But first, get the Christmas tree.
Go get a Christmas tree! Fake is fine, but once you go real, you can’t go back IMHO
Write letters to Santa (or if you don’t have kids, make a list and send it to your parents or s/o and ask for theirs too!)
Make cookies + decorate
Take wintery pictures either by the fire or out in the elements
Make an unconventional tree out of something like Legos, or sticks on the wall
Visit a holiday market + purchase gifts from local makers
Make salt dough ornaments
Go sledding
Make an dehydrated orange slice garland
Donate warm goods to a local shelter
Create a gingerbread house out of cardboard or make a real one!
Embrace your roots and make a traditional food (mine is making lefse from my husband’s Norwegian side)
Scavenger hunt
Watch a Christmas movie
Make peppermint bark
Attend a holiday performance
Go ice skating
Read a holiday themed book (may I recommend “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”?)
Make a snowman or have a fire in the backyard
Send gifts to friends and family! Be sure to include some handmade elements!
Make a puffball garland
Hang up Christmas lights
Make paper snowflakes
Drink hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. Bonus points if you make your own!
Try out snowshoeing or cross country skiing!
