12 Days of Christmas Challenge 2023!

There are officially 12 days until Christmas!

I forget now who said it- maybe Jenny? No, I think it was Suzanne- but I 100% agree that the holidays seem to exist in two phases.

Phase #1: It’s way too early for Christmas music and decorations!! Christmas is so far away yet!

Phase #2: Christmas is tomorrow. 😂

Back in 2020, during my first year of having this blog, I made up a random and fun 12 Days of Christmas Challenge. I really enjoyed it then, so I decided that I would like to do it again! Especially since we’ll be away for Christmas, I think this will be a fun way to focus on the holiday in these days leading up to it. Nothing is overly taxing or difficult (and I swapped a few things/ moved things around to fit our schedule). I didn’t bother reinventing the wheel here though, and mostly just copied and pasted from my old post.

*This is 100% customizable, so if anyone wants to join me and sub in little activities that suit YOU, please feel free! I would love that.

12 Days of Christmas Challenge 2023:

Day 1 (12/13) Wednesday: Read a Christmas book for at least 60 minutes (total). (I found the book The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron on our shelf and I’ve never read it, so this will be my holiday read.)

Day 2 (12/14) Thursday: No social media for 24 hours

Day 3 (12/15) Friday: Do a yoga/ stretching routine in the early morning darkness with only Christmas lights on! (*Looking forward to this! I distinctly remember doing this in 2020 and it was great.)

Day 4 (12/16) Saturday: Get to-go hot chocolate and drive around town to look at Christmas lights + listen to Christmas music. (*Asher has a swim meet this weekend, so I’m not positive this one will actually fit in. If not, I will sub in: Bake cookies. I need to make a batch anyway before Sunday.)

Day 5 (12/17) Sunday: Have a little date night with Ivan (drinks, etc.) at our bar in the basement. *We are actually celebrating a low-key Christmas with some of Ivan’s family on Sunday night, but at our house, and around our bar with food and drinks… so I figure that’s close enough.

Day 6 (12/18) Monday: Go on a walk with the boys after dark in the neighborhood and look at Christmas lights.

Day 7 (12/19) Tuesday: Eat family dinner AT THE TABLE (we often end up around the breakfast bar…) with candles lit, twinkle lights + Christmas music.

Day 8 (12/20) Wednesday: Read old kids Christmas books with the boys before bed (T’was the Night Before Christmas, etc.) + hot chocolate. (*They were game for this in 2020… time will tell if they’ll let me read them stories now in 2023!! haha. I will try.)

Day 9 (12/21) Thursday: Talk to my sister on the phone. (*Subject to change per her availability… Sister, if you are reading this, does Thursday work?? 😅)

Day 10 (12/22) Friday: Deliver little holiday gifts to a few local people I want to drop something off for.

Day 11 (12/23) Saturday: No social media for 24 hours (yes, again. I want to focus on the season, not my phone, for these next 12 days).

Day 12 (12/24) Sunday: Go for an extra long walk in the morning Christmas Eve. (*This will not happen in 2023… I will be at the airport super early and just walking around the airport does not sound like what I envisioned with this challenge. Instead, I have downloaded White Christmas to my phone and I will watch that on the plane as my “Christmas challenge” activity. :) 

Anyone want to do a fun 12 Days of Christmas Challenge?! If you do, let me know what your “challenge” items are. 🙂

Daily Gratitude:

I am grateful for some super cute Christmas dog toys that my mom sent for Charlie! She actually mailed them since we won’t see them until after Christmas now… they are adorable!! The Grinch, Max, and Cindy Lou Who.