It’s almost Christmas! If you’re ready to embrace some festive downtime for the next few days, I’ve got some great ways for you to relax and also feel those holiday vibes.
I’m tired. You’re probably also tired. I was having a conversation with my sister-in-law the other day about how we are always getting sick around the holidays because there is just too much going on and our bodies just can’t keep up. So far, I haven’t felt the smack of the holiday season sickness, and I’m really hoping I can make it out unscathed this year. To make sure I can get through without my body self-destructing, I’m forcing myself to schedule some downtime into these days before Christmas.
Even though I know I need more downtime to keep myself sane and healthy, I still want to make the most of the Christmas season. There are certain things about this time of the year that I love to do and I don’t want to feel like I’m wasting the opportunity to do them. That’s when I had a lightbulb moment. I can still enjoy the Christmas vibes and make festive memories while I’m having a bit of downtime!
I’ve been loving my festive downtime this season, and I want to share what I’ve been doing with you so you can make the most of your downtime in the days leading up to Christmas. I’ve got ideas for you to have festive downtime with your family and also by yourself or with other grown-ups. Let’s get into it!
Ideas for Festive Downtime
Family
If you have kids, really of any age, they’re probably at home with you more in these days leading up to Christmas than they normally are. Although I’m sure you’ve got things scheduled for these days, you probably also have more downtime than you usually do with them. Let’s fill that family downtime with all the Christmas vibes!
Christmas lights
I am like a little kid when I see Christmas lights. I just love them. And happily, so do my little kids. One of my favorite holiday traditions is to take a Christmas lights drive in the few days before Christmas. We make a real event of it, even though I’m absolutely counting it as festive downtime because it doesn’t take much out of me or anyone else in the family. We plan our route, I make hot cocoa for everyone, we eat Christmas cookies. It’s a fun time.
Because it’s usually very cold where I live in the few days before Christmas, we almost always do this as a drive in the car. If you have a mild evening or you live in a place that is warm at this time of the year, you can absolutely turn this into a Christmas lights walk around the neighborhood. This is especially appealing if you have a kid who just got a new bike for his birthday like I do. And if it’s cold where you live and you would still rather take a Christmas lights walk than a Christmas lights drive, you absolutely can. Just remember to bundle up!
Christmas movie
Some of my favorite movies are Christmas movies. My hands-down favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas. I watch it every year as one of my last minute Christmas traditions and I have since I was a very young child. I really want my kids to fondly remember watching Christmas movies as a family when they have families of their own, so we are starting that now. We might need to watch a movie in 30-minute increments over several nights, but if that’s what it takes, that’s what we will do.
This year, my kids are really into the movie The Santa Clause, which makes me giddy because this was a movie that came out when I was a kid and will always have a special place in my heart. I mean, Tim the Toolman Taylor becomes Santa Claus, what else could you ask for? Over the next few nights, we will get in our jammies a little early, grab some snacks, and cuddle up on the couch as we watch Scott Calvin become Santa Claus.
If The Santa Clause isn’t for you, there are so many good family Christmas movies you can watch in your festive downtime with your family. You can go classic with Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and cheer on Hermey to pursue his dream of being a dentist. If stop-motion is a little too old school, you can try The Polar Express for another weird style of animation. I’m sure you have a favorite family Christmas movie. Carve out the time to watch it all together in the next few days.
Christmas books
My kids love to read books before they go to bed. It’s a nightly tradition in our house. A great way to put a festive twist on an activity you’re already doing is to read Christmas books. Some of our favorite Christmas books are classics. My 5-year-old is currently obsessed with How the Grinch Stole Christmas. We have read it every night since about Halloween. He’s getting to a point where he can basically recite the whole thing. And it’s long! Some other festive book favorites are the Polar Express (way less creepy in book form), Jimmy Fallon’s 5 More Sleeps ‘til Christmas, and the classic A Visit from St. Nicholas (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas). Gotta love an activity for festive downtime that’s also educational!
Dinner out
My kids love to go to a restaurant for dinner, especially my 5-year-old. We don’t do it often (mostly because his 2-year-old sister’s behavior is unreliable in a restaurant), but when we do, he is so jazzed. Now, to make this a festive activity, really lean into it being the holidays. Have everyone dress in a Christmas sweater and head to your favorite restaurant. Bonus for mom: this gives you a night off from cooking! And during the holidays when you’re cooking and baking a lot, this is truly a gift to yourself.
Dance party
I shared recently that my kids are really into kitchen dance parties while I’m cooking dinner. It’s a great way for the kids to get their wiggles out and for mom to cope with the stress of the holiday season. To make this a festive downtime activity, have your dance party to Christmas music! My 5-year-old likes to be the DJ when we have a Christmas music dance party. He likes to pick a song he’d like to hear. I then type that into Spotify and see where Spotify takes us. So far, we haven’t been disappointed. We’ve even learned how to spell Jingle Bells from Frank Sinatra’s version of the classic Christmas carol. J-I-N-G-L-E B-E-double L-S!
Grown-ups
I struggle to truly have downtime when my kids are awake. That’s getting to be less true as my kids get older, but I’m still in mom mode as long as they’re up. For me, I wanted festive downtime activities that were just for me (or for my husband and me) after the kids went to bed. I’ve found some winners, friends.
Festive drink
I am a beer girl like 95% of the time if I’m imbibing in an adult beverage. It’s not that I don’t enjoy a cocktail occasionally, it’s just that it’s a lot of effort when you’re making it yourself. Well, I’m throwing that out the window in the next few days. I have found a festive drink recipe that I am very excited about. I bought all the ingredients and I’m ready to go. What is this festive drink that’s gotten me so excited? It’s called the Sleigh Ride Smash. I took a screen shot of the recipe from only God knows where, so I can’t tell you where I saw it (sorry!). Blame my excitement. Anyway, here’s the recipe:
Sleigh Ride Smash
What you need
2 oz bourbon
1 oz cranberry juice
1 oz orange juice
½ oz simple syrup
4-5 fresh cranberries
2 orange slices
How to make it
Muddle the fresh cranberries and 1 orange slice in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with the simple syrup. Add the bourbon, cranberry juice, and orange juice. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with the remaining orange slice.
If you’d rather wine or a vodka-based drink, go for it. Don’t drink? A good old cranberry ginger ale (not too sweet!) does the trick!
Puzzle
I love to spend some downtime with my husband putting together a jigsaw puzzle. It makes a great at-home date night. It also can easily be made into a festive downtime activity by choosing a holiday puzzle. Heck, make yourself a festive drink to have while you’re putting together your puzzle, really go wild!
Spa night
Moms, you all need a spa night right about now. It’s been a long holiday season, and it’s not over yet. Recharge your holiday batteries with some relaxing me-time. It’s easy to make this festive by choosing minty products (mint smells and flavors really get me in the holiday mood) and lighting a Christmas tree scented candle. Draw a bath, pop on a sheet mask, light a candle, and take a minute. You’ll be a much more capable elf if you allow yourself this festive downtime spa night.
Craft
I am not a craft mom. Doing crafts with my kids stresses me out. I don’t hate crafts, though. I love to do grown-up crafts in my downtime. As I’ve shared previously, I really like to cross-stitch. It’s so soothing to me to focus on a detailed task. It also brings up very fond memories of my Mam, who was prolific in her cross-stitching. Every single year, she attached a new ornament to each person’s Christmas present. Needless to say, my parents’ Christmas tree is almost exclusively Mam’s ornaments. Looking back at these ornaments is like taking a walk down memory lane.
My goal for next year is to cross-stitch ornaments to attach to my family’s Christmas presents like she attached them to ours. I can’t make three ornaments before Christmas this year, but I do have a nearly-complete Santa Claus ornament that I’d like to finish before Christmas and pop on the tree. I can’t think of a more perfect way to enjoy some festive downtime in the days before Christmas. Well, maybe if I add one of those Sleigh Ride Smashes….
Whatever craft you enjoy, pick it up when you have some grown-up downtime over the next few days. It just might restore your soul.
Other posts
Looking for last-minute Christmas inspiration? Try these posts:
I hope I’ve given you some ideas for how to make your downtime a little bit festive over the next few days. Please share your favorite ways to spend some festive downtime down in the comments or over on Instagram @sarainseason.