When we look at Christmas on TV, we always see falling snow, people going to Christmas Tree farms, people wearing fluffy coats and people drinking steaming cups of hot chocolate. Put on a fluffy coat and drink a hot chocolate in the Houston weather and you might as well sign yourself up for a potential heat stroke. That being said, here are a few ways to make it feel a bit more like Christmas.
Christmas tree
A holiday classic, you can’t do Christmas without a Christmas tree. While some people opt for in imitation tree, nothing is as good as the real thing. If you don’t have the space for a full sized tree, just get a personal one and dress it up. They do require some cleanup and you need to remember to water them, but regardless they’re worth the little bit of hassle.
Candles
A common solution, candles can solve a variety of problems and they come in a variety of scents. Pick up some musky scents, cinnamon, pumpkin or ones that smell like Christmas trees so your whole house smells like Christmas. If you’re not a fan of candles or worried you might accidentally burn down the house, get some diffusers or plug-ins. I’d recommend going to Bath and Body Works or Anthropologie for all your candle needs.
Baked goods
Baking is hands down the yummiest way to make it feel like Christmas at home. Not only do you end up with a sweet treat in the end, your house ends up smelling like whatever you’ve just baked along the way. My favorite suggestions have to be pumpkin pie, pecan pie or just about anything with anise.
Hot chocolate
Even though drinking hot chocolate on a hot day might make you sweat, when the temperature does get a little cooler it’s a must. If you’re impatient like me, just crank your AC down to 65 and make some homemade hot chocolate— I promise its well worth the hassle of making it yourself.
Fuzzy blankets
Nothing feels as cozy as wrapping yourself up in your fluffiest blanket and putting on your fuzziest socks on while you lounge around your house. Much like the hot chocolate, you can wait for it to get cold or just crank your AC to freezing and pretend.
Fairy lights
Who doesn’t love fairy lights? One of the best parts of the season is walking down the streets where every square inch of foliage is covered in Christmas lights. Turn your room into Highland Village and wrap your bed, bookshelves and whatever else in twinkling lights. You can get these just about anywhere but I’d recommend getting them from target or a clothing or furniture store because the standard ones have thick green chords that can be distracting.
Christmas movies
Everyone has a favorite Christmas movie, unless you hate Christmas in which case you probably shouldn’t even be reading this article. So, pop your favorite Christmas movie into your TV or watch it on your laptop and revel in the Christmas spirit. In the case that you don’t have a movie of preference, put on the Hallmark channel and enjoy an almost nauseating amount of cheesy Christmas movies.
Read a book
My favorite pastime during the holidays is reading because during the school year I never seem to have the time. Curl up in bed with your favorite wintery novel and get to reading. There aren’t any Christmasy books I can recommend but I always reach for fantasy reads — The Magicians, Uprooted, A Court of Thrones and Roses and The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender to name a few.
Go ice skating
What better way to make it feel like Christmas in Houston than by spending the weekend ice skating? If you’d prefer an indoor rink, the Galleria and Memorial Mall both have ice skating rinks open year round, but if you prefer a more outdoorsy ambiance, Discovery Green offers an ice skating rink as well. The park debuts its winter season Nov. 18 with “Frostival,” so check it out if you have the chance!
See the Nutcracker
Each year, the Houston Ballet presents the Nutcracker all during the month of December. The beautiful dancing and festive music of this holiday class is sure to put you in the Christmas mood.
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