5 fun ways to prepare your family for the holidays.
Photo by Tyler Delgado on Unsplash
The holidays are a special time of the year for families in Miami-Dade and everywhere else across the country. It’s when we all come together to enjoy each other’s company and merriment. This year, after all that has happened, we all deserve to have a very happy holiday with our loved ones. The season is fast approaching, and it’s probably a wise idea to start getting prepared now. Below are five fun ways to get your family prepared for the holidays so everyone is in a festive mood.
Go Christmas shopping early
One of the more stressful parts of the holiday season is the rush to buy gifts for all your loved ones. Sometimes, you can feel like you waited far too long. You may end up running out of money and time to get everyone what you wanted to. However, if you do your Christmas shopping early, it can be much more fun and leisurely affair for your entire family that helps to build up the anticipation of the holidays instead of stress and frustration.
Take your family out on some early Christmas shopping trips well before Black Friday. 174 million people in the United States go shopping on Black Friday. Avoiding those big crowds can be good for your sanity. Cross the big items off your list, and get everything else you need for Christmas decor and party supplies.
Stock up on holiday spirits
The Christmas holiday season is all about joy and merriment. For many people, nothing makes them merrier than adult beverages. Make sure you are well stocked in anticipation of the holidays. If you live in the Miami-Dade area, consider ordering multiple bottles of holiday-themed wine from one of the multiple wine delivery Miami-Dade services. Make sure to have both red wine and white wine in abundance for all your holiday parties and dinners.
Holiday-themed cocktails can also be quite fun. Consider getting some rum to mix with eggnog. You can make cranberry mimosas by mixing cranberry juice, champagne a few other ingredients. Peppermint flavored martins are another favorite. Also, don’t forget the kids. You can mix Shirley Temples and serve an alcohol-free sparkling grape juice cocktail from a bottle so they don’t feel left out.
Have your family write out Christmas cards early
One thing that has gone by the wayside in recent years is mailing written correspondence. However, it’s that correspondence that helps families keep in touch especially with older family members that may live in other states. Preparing Christmas cards for different family members that may live far away can be a group activity for your entire family. Prepare the cards early so you can send them out in the mail a few weeks later.
Make sure to get your children involved. Writing messages in Christmas cards to aunts and uncles can help young children practice their writing skills. Also, teach them how to write out mailing addresses on the envelopes. It can be a great educational opportunity for your children, and your relatives will certainly love receiving those cards.
Plan a Christmas decorating party
One fun part of the holidays is all the decorations families put up to celebrate. Make sure to schedule a decoration day for your family to put up all your Christmas decorations. Doing it together can be a very fun bonding activity for your family that gets them in the mood for the rest of the season. The best time to schedule such an event is immediately after Thanksgiving. That way, you won’t have to worry about decorating later in December.
Make sure it’s not just about putting up decorations either. Make it more like a holiday party. Play your family’s favorite Christmas music to put everyone in a jolly mood. Also, make snacks and drinks. Christmas cookies and hot cocoa are an excellent choice that everyone will enjoy in-between hanging decorations.
Take your family out for a drive to a holiday light display
Something that has become popular in the past several years across America is the drive-through holiday light display. The lights used in these displays aren’t regular Christmas lights. Many of the display pieces are animated. This is done by programming specific lights to turn on and off to create the illusion of motion. Driving through this kind of display is like traveling through a winter wonderland cartoon full of elves, Santas, penguins, and more all brought to life. In Miami-Dade, such a drive-through attraction named Nights of Lights is held at Pinecrest Gardens from late November to early January. Your children will love it and may want you to drive through the attraction multiple times.
For many families, the holidays are the most joyous and fun time of the year. However, if you don’t prepare early enough, they can certainly become stressful when you’re in a rush to get everything done. Instead, start getting ready for the holidays early. Involve all of your family members so you can help get them in the holiday spirit. The Christmas season will be more fun and stress-free for all of you as a result.