For the first time ever our little family is not traveling during the Christmas season. This gives us a prime opportunity to really embrace our own 12 Days of Christmas! There will be baked treats, Christmas movie extravaganza, and Winter adventures.
There are some basic rules:
- No school or extraneous work
- Prioritize time with friends and family
- Keep the chores to a minimum
That means I spend my Advent preparing for Christmas in a very literal sense. If mom wants a break for 12 days, there is some prep required! Here's what we do.
Stock the freezer
One of my plans is to have a different cookie or treat every day of the 12 days of Christmas. In order to make that happen, I make a double batch of dough, bake up half for our parish's fundraiser, and freeze the rest of the dough for the Christmas season. Five varieties are done that way so far!
If you wanted, you could stock some freezer meals that could be easily heated up or dumped in the crockpot to minimize your kitchen time during the 12 days.
Deep clean during the Ember Days
Everyone likes to spend time in a clean space, and the Ember Days provides the opportunity to physically prepare your home for Christmas. I do tasks, like scouring the stove and bathtub, that I'm likely to put off doing.
Everyone pitches in. It's a good time for the kids to go through their things and decide if there are clothes or toys that can be given away or perhaps don't even fit. Even the toddlers can use a rag with vinegar and water to wipe down low windows and dust under tables.
This year, Ember Days fall on December 20, 22, and 23. You can read more about the Ember Days (they come around four times a year!) in this post.
Invite others in
Part of why we bother with a through Advent cleaning is so that it is easy to bring hospitality into our 12 Days observance! You might choose to host an open house, a white elephant exchange, a playdate, or feast day party. If you want to do something big, consider letting people know about it now before the Christmas burnout sets in.
Dream Big
I'm a list person so I am making a list of 12 things to do out, 12 things to do at home, 12 Christmas movies and 12 low energy family ideas. Pinterest is a useful starting place!
But also with a backup plan
We will NOT be completing everything on the lists! On purpose.
This is a marathon celebration and building in flexibility and adaptable ideas are necessary.
Living in Minnesota means there is a good possibility of inclement weather, sub-zero temps, difficulty driving, etc. I am making my lists with the hope that we can do things out, like visit the art museum, but allowing the possibility we may be housebound and reliant on Amazon Prime.
Maybe we just won't FEEL like going out either. Maybe we'd rather roast marshmallows in the fireplace or play a board game. That counts!
Wrap Christmas books
We will be wrapping up 12 Christmas books and numbering them to unwrap one on each of the 12 days.
These are not all new books! Just wrap books you already have. It's childhood magic!
I saw Rosie at A Blog for My Mom to do this last year and got inspired! She has a great post on Christmas and Advent reads for the 6 and under crowd.
Don't Forget the Adults!
The 12 Days of Christmas are not just for kids! I'm planning some things just for my husband and I. If it's not already planned, it's too easy to just focus on the kids and not feed out relationship too.
Warm cocktails to try, at home date ideas, and an out of the house date planned.
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If I get ambitious, I'll make Pinterest boards (and maybe get around to updating pinterest :P) with some of the ideas we're planning.
What are you doing for the 12 Days? Do any of your plans need Advent time prep?
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