Festive | Festive Bucket List 2017

It's December; let the Christmas countdown begin as the holidays are well and truly on their way. It's officially time to go 100% crazy for fairy lights, tinsel, Christmas cards and Michael Buble. How jolly exciting.

Christmas is by far my favourite time of the year. The traditions, the family time, the decorations; I'm all for it. I'm also a self-confessed list addict so it seemed only fitting I comprise a christmassy list of all of the festivities I want to get involved with this holiday season.

1. Visit a Christmas market.

In my Christmas-loving opinion, at least one trip to a Christmas market is a necessity during the festive season. My home town puts on a bit of a poor effort on the whole Christmas market front unfortunately but I have now moved to Sheffield who, or so I'm told, go all out with their festive market. I'm really looking forward to piling on the woolies and exploring the festive delights.

2. Matching Christmas PJ's.

Within my family we have a Christmas Eve tradition of my sister and I wearing matching festive pjs. Even though I'm now an adult, it is still something I love doing every year. Not only is the tradition itself special but I also adore the trip we take into town to carefully choose our festive attire for that year. Primark tends to be our go-to shop as they have so many gorgeous mix and match nightwear pieces that are also lovely and affordable, leaving more money for present shopping or even a festive  Costa treat.

3. Burn a Christmas candle.

Christmas candles are one of my favourite things about the festive period; I get a bit giddy over them. I'll put my tinsel-laden hands up and admit, I actually burn them all year round to ensure that my room constantly embodies that gorgeous festive scent. As always, Yankee Candle are killing it with their Christmas candles this year and it's fair to say I have more than a few on my list to Santa.

4. Drive around to see the festive lights.

Ever since I was a little girl I've absolutely adored seeing festive lights. I remember driving home from my grandparents house every year on Christmas eve, through lots of quaint little villages, and gazing in wonder at the houses all lit up with twinkling lights. Even now I'm an adult I'll take any opportunity over the festive season to visit places I might get to see some beautifully decorated houses. I know some people can find outdoor lights tacky but personally they're one of my favourite things about Christmas.

5. Christmas film night.

What kind of a festive bucket list would this be if I didn't mention Christmas movies. It's definite that a good festive film is a staple feature of the build up to Christmas, and I've already started working my way through my favourites. I'm very much into your festive rom-coms like Love Actually and the Holiday, but I do have a special place in my heart for family films such as Nativity. Now, unpopular opinion alert, I must admit that one of my ultimate favourite Christmas films is Die Hard. It might be a less than traditional festive film, but it is set on Christmas eve after all.

6. Buy a gift for a child in need.

One of the main reasons why Christmas is my favourite holiday is the fact that it is centered around giving. But it is important to also look beyond your loved ones at who else you can share the Christmas spirit with. Queensgate Shopping Centre, in my hometown of Peterborough, is home each year to a 'giving tree'. On the tree is a wealth of gift labels, each detailing the name, age and gender of a local underprivileged child. The concept is simple; you pick a tag off the tree, buy a present suitable for them whilst you're doing the rest of your Christmas shopping and pop it back under the tree ready to be wrapped up by the Christmas elves and taken to brighten up a child's Christmas. It's a really simple but lovely concept that I love getting involved with each year. I don't know if these campaigns happen in other cities but I do urge you to do a bit of research about ways  you can bring Christmas to those in your local area who are less fortunate.

7. Spend time with loved ones.

Christmas is the holiday which brings people together and provides lots of opportunity for festive get togethers with family and friends. My diary is already getting full of Christmas dos here, there and everywhere and I can't wait. From work Christmas evenings to a Christmas Eve Star Wars cinema trip with my boyfriends family, this year is going to be busy busy busy. 

8. Track Santa on Christmas Eve.

Yes I'm nearly twenty; yes I still track Santa on Christmas Eve. Despite nearly a decade of being all clued up on the whole Santa debacle, I still find there's something so magical about 'tracking' Santa online on Christmas Eve. We used to do it as children so it doesn't really feel like Christmas without it. I'll just keep up the pretense that it's perfectly acceptable behavior for a fully grown adult until I have children myself to share it with. 

9. Try some new festive foods.

So it dawned on me a few days ago that I'd never eaten a mince pie. Why, you may ask? Simply because as a child I convinced myself I wouldn't like them and for some reason I've stuck with that into my adult life. It's the same for Christmas cake and mulled wine. But this year is going to be the year I branch out a bit and try all of those common festive foods I'm yet to taste. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.  Side note - this pact does not extend to the likes of brussel sprouts. We're not going that far.

Which festive activities are going to be jingling your bells this Christmas?

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