Break out those chocolate advent calendars – December has begun and so does your daily chocolate! How do you get into the holiday spirit? Our Southern California winter might not have sleigh-rides through the snow (except for in Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead), but there are still ways to feel festive! 

Here are 10 ways to celebrate the holiday season all December:  

  1. Watch a Christmas Movie – Elf, Miracle on 34th St, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, or It’s A Wonderful Life. Choose 1 or do a movie marathon after a long day of shopping. We recommend caramel popcorn and hot chocolate as a snack!  
  2. Present Wrapping Party – Bring out the wrapping paper, scissors, tissue paper, and tape and get it all done at once! Invite a friend to help!  
  3. Christmas Lights – Look at Christmas lights in Hastings Ranch in Pasadena, Thoroughbred in Rancho Cucamonga, or Naples in Long Beach. Where is your favorite spot to look at lights?  
  4. Ugly Christmas Sweaters – Find your holiday sweater and have a contest with friends & family. Ugliest sweater wins! Our office does an annual Ugly Christmas Sweater party and the sweaters are always creative!  
  5. Holiday Music – Whether you listen on Spotify, Apple Music, or Pandora, listen to Christmas music during the workday or when wrapping presents. We like Frank Sinatra or Michael Buble Christmas albums!  
  6. Drive Up to the Snow – Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, Idyllwild, Mount Baldy. Be aware that after snowstorms some roads might be closed and traffic might be rough, but to see some fresh snow, it could be worth it!  
  7. Chocolate Advent Calendars – Pick up a 24 day countdown calendar at Aldi, Trader Joe’s or Target and enjoy a piece of chocolate every day before Christmas.  
  8. Gingerbread House – Use a gingerbread kit, make homemade gingerbread, or use graham crackers and build the best house you can! Decorate with candy canes & gum drops!  
  9. Outdoor Ice Skating – Bundle up and go ice skating outside in a local rink. Irvine Spectrum, downtown Burbank, or downtown LA.  
  10. Sample Hot Chocolate – Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Regular Hot Chocolate, Cinnamon Hot Chocolate, or make it adults-only and add Bailey’s. Experiment with different ad-ins and host a sampling of the different flavors. Make the best flavor a holiday tradition! 

The month of December is still busy for real estate! When you need to sell a home or buy a home, you don’t wait! That means we are available for phone calls, consultations, appointments and meeting with friends & clients like you all month long!  

As always, we appreciate when you pass our name onto your friends and family. 

Enjoy your holiday beverage of choice, whether it is egg nog, hot chocolate, or apple cider!

This content is not the product of the National Association of REALTORS®, and may not reflect NAR's viewpoint or position on these topics and NAR does not verify the accuracy of the content.