Since Christmas is going to look a little different this year, Loren and I decided we wanted to work hard to try and make it special. We brainstormed new and unique ways to bring some holiday joy without the normal big celebrations.
Below are a few new activities we’re planning on doing this year. I hope you can use some of these to bring holiday cheer to your family!
Enjoy Local Christmas Lights
Loren and I usually grab hot tea or holiday coffee from Starbucks to sip while we walk. This year we also brought masks just in case there were crowds.
Last week we went to Largo Central Park in Largo, Florida. We plan to go to another park or neighborhood this weekend too. It’s fun to just be outside and enjoy all of the twinkly lights!
Make DIY Orange Garland
I had no idea this trend was all the rage! I made this simple craft because I wanted a light orange color in my Thanksgiving centerpiece but didn’t want to buy something. When I saw how easy it was – I couldn’t stop.
When I saw how beautiful they turned out I made a decision to re-purpose them after Thanksgiving and string them on twine and make a garland for our Christmas tree! The next day, I got an ad in my email from West Elm and their magazine tree was our exact tree! So, I guess we are on-trend, you guys!
A few tips…
I kept ours super simple – but you can string cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, wooden beads, or really any other element like that! I wish I even had some gelatin to give them a little sparkle!
If you have a food slicer, use that. The thinner you can slice these oranges, the better. When I was slicing them by hand, I couldn’t get them quite as thin as I wanted and they ended up being a little sticky – even after drying them out.
Keep in mind, you may have some that still have a slightly sticky feel – that’s normal! If you have a dehydrator you can also use that for about 8 hours. You can do this with other fruits too — lemon, grapefruit, etc.
Be sure to tag me @brittanylegette if you make them!
Experience Christmas at Gaylord Palms
We knew we wanted to do something different and special as a family. Christmas events are pretty limited this year – but we fell in love with the idea of having a safe and organized Christmas experience like the one at Gaylord Palms!
We are headed to Orlando – about an hour or so away from our house – to enjoy their immersive Christmas experience. The registration process was a little intense because to keep crowds down – every experience has to be scheduled at a specific time. Everything is designed for social distancing and a touch-free experience. There is a fun Christmas movie theme and then it breaks off into so many different Christmas activities.
This will be our first experience – so we have no clue what to expect really. We just know we will make it fun and memorable!
The family-friendly activities we are looking forward to:
- Snow Flow Mountain: indoor snow tubing.
- Snowball Build & Blast: I’m not sure if Loren or Roux is more excited about this one! This is a real snowball-making assembly line!
- Elf Training Academy:
- Feast with the Grinch: Roux is a big Grinch fan so he’s going to LOVE these Grinch-centric experiences.
- The Grinch Scavenger Hunt
- Gingerbread House Decorating
- The Greatest Story of Jesus
- The Nutcracker Musical
- Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions Story Time
- Hot Chocolate
- The Christmas Light Show
- ….and pictures with Santa!
We are really looking forward to a little Christmas magic. Being out of our normal routine is always fun together as a family for a little bit.
I’ll be sharing a ton of it over on IG – so make sure to head over there and follow along for the Christmas fun!
Make Gingerbread Cookies
I made these gingerbread cookies for the first time last year and my family and in-laws devoured them! I hunted for the best recipe and landed on this one from Sugar Spun Run.
They were such a special treat that we only make once a year. This recipe is special because the cookies aren’t “snappy” — they are still a little soft. These cookies are what I am most excited about making again this year!
The recipe is all butter and no shortening and the spices are perfect. I plan on making some small changes this year, just for fun.
Do yourself a favor and save this for every year!
Even though this year is a little different, I hope you have your family are able to make special memories as well. Let me know in the comments below what your plans are! I LOVE hearing from you all!
