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Let’s face it: we all deserve some merry.
So although this post started out as my personal Christmas bucket list,
I decided to make it bigger and share it on the blog!
This December will be busy for me. My spicy romcom novel Her Time Traveling Duke comes out on December 9th from Berkley, and I hope you’ll pre-order it as a Christmas gift to yourself (and to me, frankly!)
But I’ll also enjoy the season! For the first time in I don’t know how many years, I’ll be in my own home for the holidays. That means that I won’t skip the decorating, like I sometimes do, and I’ll enjoy some of the festivities in my own town.
No matter what holidays you celebrate, you can find some fun things to do on this Christmas bucket list.
It’s all about enjoying the season when many of us have time off from work, see family, or look forward to the New Year to come. If you’ve had a rough year, you especially deserve to enjoy yourself!
Almost all of these are cheap ideas, or can be, and I’ve included plenty of free ideas. I’ve also included many ideas that you can do by yourself, because the holidays (and enjoying life) isn’t only for families.
And some of them are ways to bring yourself a little joy all winter long…or even all year long.
Pin the post to Pinterest or bookmark it if you want to come back to it!
01
Take a drive to look at Christmas lights.
Some neighborhoods and downtowns are famous for doing it up, but either way, this is fun to do.
02
Sing a Christmas song in public.
Do it while you’re shopping, or just walking down the street. You don’t have a great voice? That’s more of a “them” problem than a “you” problem, right? But if you’re too shy, you can sing it in the shower. 🙂
03
Send Christmas cards.
You may need to text some people to get their addresses. It’s such a treat to get actual mail in the mailbox, and a card on the fridge or a desk reminds someone that people care about them.
04
Spend a day (or a lot of one) in your pajamas watching Christmas movies.
Whether your tastes run to Hallmark or Die Hard, this is a great way to unwind. There are a some things on this list that you could do at the same time.
05
Bake your favorite Christmas cookies or treats.
If you’re baking more than you can eat, you might be able to bring them to your workplace, school, or church…or donate some to a nursing home, soup kitchen, or shelter, if they allow it.
06
Bring Christmas treats to your neighbors.
You could also do this with some of your cookies! I’m just making Chex Mix and putting it in jars with Christmas ribbons to take to the neighbors, which is about as easy as it gets.
07
Make little gift bags to give to retail associates and other people working hard on Christmas Eve.
Working on the holidays can be stressful, and just a little gift bag with delicious treats and a card can make someone smile. If you have the budget, you can add another stocking stuffer or a $10 gift card to a coffee shop.
08
Decorate a Christmas tree.
09
Cut out paper snowflakes.
These look great on a Christmas tree, on windows, or hanging on threads from the ceiling.
10
Make paper chains out of scraps of wrapping paper.
This is another frugal decoration that looks really good.
11
Shop for ornaments and Christmas decor at thrift stores.
I think that sometimes the vintage ornaments and figurines are more charming than the new ones.
12
Wear an “ugly” Christmas sweater.
I’m putting “ugly” in quotes because I always think they’re cute—even the gaudy ones! Especially the guady ones, in fact! If you don’t want to invest much, this is something else you might be able to find at a thrift store.
13
Take a quiet walk in the woods or a park with a journal.
Enjoy nature and write about your thoughts.
14
Take a walk downtown…
And enjoy taking photographs that embody the Christmas spirit.
15
Go to a holiday market.
If your community has a Christmas craft fair, or a Christkindlmarket like Chicago does, this is another great place to take photographs and soak up the atmosphere.
16
Go to a free Christmas concert or play.
In many communities, there are a lot of these during the holiday season!
17
Go to a free holiday event at your local library.
Many libraries have special events or movie showings around Christmas. Honestly, when I’m looking for something to do, and I don’t want to spend money, I always see what’s happening at my local library.
18
Read a Christmas-themed novel.
Many romance novels, cozy mysteries, and feel-good reads are set during the holiday season.
19
List to an audiobook while doing a Christmas-themed puzzle.
Because I’m an author, a freelance book editor, and a blogger, I sometimes get eye strain from staring at screens. Listening to an audiobook while doing crafts or a puzzle (which for some reason, doesn’t tire my eyes as much) is one of my favorite ways to read on my down time.
20
Make hot chocolate or a peppermint mocha.
Homemade hot chocolate is amazing, but honestly, I’m happy with the packaged kind, too.
21
Take a bubble bath while listening to your favorite holiday music.
Light some candles, and just relax.
22
Make mulled wine, spiked eggnog, or a champagne and cranberry juice cocktail.
You can enjoy this in the bubble bath. I won’t judge.
23
Kiss your sweetheart under the mistletoe.
Of course, nothing is stopping you from drawing or printing out a picture of mistletoe and taping it up in your apartment.
24
Ask an older person what Christmas was like for them as a kid.
If you’re around older relatives at the holidays, ask them other things about their past, too. What was it like to be a teenager? Or to work at their first job? What was their first apartment like, as an adult?
25
Write about what Christmas were like when you were a kid.
This is a fun thing to journal about or blog about. You might like to leave a record for future generations.
26
Write a Christmas story or poem.
You probably knew I would include this one!
27
Visit a museum on a free day.
Since I love museums so much, of course I had to put this one on there, too! Art museums, history museums, and science museums almost always have holiday exhibitions, and most of them have free days.
28
Go to a lighting ceremony.
If you are reading this on Black Friday, there might be a Christmas tree or shopping center lighting ceremony tonight.
29
Take a day trip…
to a town or city that’s known for their holiday displays or events.
30
Organize your holiday photos.
My photos are a jumbled mess on my phone, and I know it might be a good idea to organize them and save them elsewhere as well. I’d probably start with the holiday photos. I’m sure if I took on this project, I’d also send some photos to people reminding them of good times…and maybe Mr. Donovan and I would set aside some time to look at all the holiday photos together.
31
Take holiday pictures of your pet.
Put a Santa hat or reindeer antlers on their head, or put them in a holiday costume…if they’ll put up with it. Or get photos of them under the tree, next to Christmas gifts or decorations, or playing in the snow.
32
Buy a gift for someone at a locally owned shop near you.
It’s so important to support small business owners if you can.
33
Reach out to someone you haven’t seen or talked to in a while.
Wish them a happy holiday—or, if they live close by, make plans to get together.
34
Compliment or chat with a stranger, especially if they look grouchy or lonely.
If they really don’t want to talk, that’ll be immediately obvious, but sometimes a friendly word can brighten someone’s day.
35
If you are lucky enough to have snow…go sledding!
This is not just for kids! My husband and I bought a cheap toboggan at a hardware store, and that’s really all you need for a very fun afternoon.
36
Try a new holiday recipe.
If you’ve never made latkes, tamales, or pierogi, give it a go. It might become your new tradition.
37
Play a board game with someone
while listening to Christmas music.
38
Paint your nails or toenails with red, green, or sparkly nail polish
to get into the holiday spirit.
39
Roast chestnuts.
Build a fire in a fireplace or an outdoor fire ring.
40
Volunteer.
A community organization may need help with a toy drive or a food drive.
41
Foster a cat or dog from an animal shelter.
You could give a pet a safe and warm temporary home.
42
Make little gift boxes out of old greeting cards.
I worked with someone who showed me how to do this. Her grandma showed her how to do it. Here are instructions that are pretty similar to my coworker’s method.
43
Make orange and clove pomander balls.
Have you ever made these? I first did it when I was a kid. You can decorate your place this way (and make it smell great), and/or you can give them to other people. Here are directions!
44
Make Christmas ornaments for family members or friends.
There are so many ways to do this, and lots of them are very cheap and easy. They can bring back good memories many years later.
45
Make a snow globe for someone.
I keep meaning to try this, because you could make one that reflects a person’s hometown, hobby, or personality. Here are Martha Stewart’s instructions on how to do it.
46
Decorate a gingerbread house.
Here’s a cute version I’ve done with kids before, using milk cartons and graham crackers to make little houses that are very structurally sound.
47
Get a picture with Santa.
Again, this is not just for kids! But if Santa is collecting money for charity when you see him, be sure to donate.
48
Shop for holiday decorations, holiday-themed clothing, and holiday-themed food gifts…two days before Christmas.
I don’t recommend this if you hate crowds! But if you’re like me and enjoy the bustle, this is when you can find amazing deals on anything holiday-related.
49
Shop day-after-Christmas sales.
This is when almost everything is marked down. When I was growing up, my mom bought most of our Christmas gifts on December 26th of the year before.
50
Make plans and resolutions for the New Year.
This is my favorite thing to do, and it’s absolutely free.
Are there other things you would add to a Christmas bucket list?
Or things on this list that you would never do? Let us know in the comments! Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you’re having a lovely December!
