December is such a magical month with it’s twinkling lights, decked out shop windows, and overall Christmas cheer. It can also be the month where we are so busy and overwhelmed with the extensive list of to-do’s. Shopping for gifts, sending out holiday cards, planning visits to family — the most wonderful time of year gets stressful! It also happens to be my busy season at work, as you guys know that I love serving as your little elf, creating gift guides and acting as a personal shopper on Instagram. So, I totally relate if you, too, feel overwhelmed amidst the bright lights and joy. That’s why Nick and I make sure to plan a special holidate every December.
What’s a Holidate?
A holidate is no ordinary date. It’s a day or night we plan to do a Christmas-related activity just us two. We recognize that during the month of December we’re constantly around people while visiting family or attending holiday parties. We don’t get time alone and enjoy some quiet, quality time. The memories we’ve made of our holidates over the years have been some of the ones I now hold most dear. We always put our cell phones away and so we can live in the moment and enjoy each other to the fullest. This year we decorated gingerbread houses, but over the years I’ve collected many ideas. So here are…
10 Holidate Ideas
- Picking Out and Decorating a Christmas Tree
- There’s nothing quite like picking out a tree to bring a couple together. It’s a team effort to find the best one — do you go for that tall one that you’re not so sure will fit in your living room, or give that cute, little straggly one a chance? I love how each partner takes get to take on a role. For us, Nick likes to be the tree-carrier while I am appointed head decorator. Whether it’s choosing which tree or hanging the ornaments, it’s something fun to do together and create a beautiful creation you get to enjoy all month long.
- Decorating Gingerbread Houses
- With decorating these little houses, you both get to show off your creative skills (or lack thereof 😉 ). Laughter is guaranteed, whether it be during the creating process or when you’re finished, laughing at the finished products. This year when we did ours, Nick ate half of his candy decorations instead of sticking them to the cookies. We had so much fun and now have some new Christmas decorations to proudly display in our apartment.
- Exchanging an Early Gift
- This is for those of you who just can’t wait until Christmas day to give your guy that gift you just know he’s going to love (hello, guilty as charged 🙈 ). This year, I gifted Nick a leather backpack from Fossil. I loved the cool vintage look and was perfect to hold his laptop and documents when commuting to and from the city. He absolutely loved the surprise and was a great kickoff to Christmas.
- Ice Skating at your Local Rink
- Always a romantic activity, ice skating is the perfect seasonal holidate for an afternoon of fun. It’s also the perfect excuse to hold hands and get close while you catch each other if you fall. Even if one of you is learning to skate for the first time, it’s just fun to do something that you don’t normally get to the rest of the year.
- Hot Cocoa at the Christmas Market
- One of my favorite things to do at Christmastime, I love strolling through the markets to see all the beautiful items. It’s a personal mission for me to support small businesses, something Christmas markets are full of. and Nick and I always get gourmet hot sauce and a new ornament. I love being able to cross off some items on my shopping list while supporting a deserving entrepreneur who has been sitting out in the cold all day long.
- Christmas Lights Hunting
- Easiest to do if you have a car, this is a tradition that my mom and I did while I was growing up, and Nick and I have now stolen the idea. It’s so fun to drive down those streets where you know all the house are decorated with twinkling lights and blow up snowmen. Even if you’re just a few blocks away from home you feel like you’ve taken a trip to the North Pole.
- Matching Pajamas and a Christmas Movie
- For those of you that are homebodies and love a good Netflix and Chill night, you can make it extra special by wearing your holiday pjs early. Whether they’re onesies adorned reindeer or a plaid flannel set, the cozier the better. The key to making this night more than just your typical movie night is you have to keep the cell phones in another room! Have each of you can choose your childhood favorite Christmas movie for a special double feature.
- Baking Christmas Cookies
- Kind of like a baking class, it’s really fun for each partner to have a turn mixing the ingredients, rolling the dough, and decorating with frosting and sprinkles. You can even do this date a couple days before you see your relatives so you can fill up a jar to give your family. Both you and your partner can take pride in knowing these cookies are made both from scratch and with love.
- Sledding in the Snow
- Sledding will made you feel like kids again and do something that’s a little physical. After a day of a big snowfall, find the biggest hill in the area to sled down, and make some snow angels and snowmen while you’re out there. You can make a day of this and grab some lunch to warm you up after. Crossing my fingers you get that snow!
- Window Shopping and Wine (mulled is my favorite)
- Whether you live close to Fifth Avenue with it’s iconic displays or you go to your local mall, stores always go all out for this time of year. It’s always fun to window shop and not feel guilty for spending any money! Fill up some thermoses with a little mulled wine and pretend you’re tipsy elves 😛 Nick and I love playing this game where we head into the stores and pick out what we each would get if we could buy anything in the store. For example, we always go to the Louis Vuitton store where Nick picks some high top sneakers and I usually go for a cross-body bag.
GIFT IDEAS FOR HIM
LEATHER LAPTOP BACKPACK | FOSSIL SMARTWATCH
Let me know your fun holidate ideas, I’d love to add more to my list!
This year we did gingerbread houses but I’m hoping that next year that we have a car and can look at lights🤞🏼
