How to Get In the Christmas Mood

Christmas is nearing and we're beginning to see signs of it everywhere.

City workers are draping greenery interwoven with big red bows and gold and silver ornaments around every lamppost and sign all around town.

The Salvation Army bellringers are at their posts in front of all the stores and malls ringing their bells for any spare change you might have.

Young and old stand high on top of ladders trying to reach the tallest branches to hang their strands of colorful Christmas lights.

Extension cords are laced across yards to reach all of the Christmas inflatables.

The newspaper, TV, and radio are filled with Christmas ads luring you to reach for your money and buy, buy, buy.

What do you do if you're still not in the Christmas mood?

Below are a list of ideas to help get you in the Christmas mood.

• Go on a Christmas Scavenger Hunt-I have created a list of items to look for to make it easy for you!
• Listen to Christmas music. I've assembled over twenty of my favorite Christmas music videos.
• Decorate your house with festive ribbons, bows, greenery, scented candles. One of my absolute favorites is a Woodwick candle. They have a wood wick that crackles when burning to get that sound of a fireplace crackling. The scents are incredible as well. Try scents that remind you of the holidays.
• Buy some strands of LED lights and decorate your yard by wrapping the trunk and a few limbs of a tree in your yard. If you have a tall enough tree, drape entire strands of lights like long icicles for a beautiful effect. Some of the grand homes here do that and it's absolutely beautiful.
• Try decorating ideas you may not have tried before such as switching out your current wall light switchplates with Christmas light switch plates. It takes less than a minute to unscrew two screws, pop off the old switchplate and screw the new one on.
• Catch some Christmas specials on TV. I found a website that has the Christmas TV listings.
• Go ride around looking at Christmas lights. I've assembled the locations and websites of some of the Best Christmas Lights in Texas.
• Any day now you will begin to receive Christmas cards. Where are you planning to display them? For ideas for displaying your Christmas cards visit my hub about Christmas Card Holders.
• Start looking for stocking stuffers for all of the family. Think small. Think unique.
• Visit a friend who is already in the holiday spirit. Their mood just might be contagious.
• You can take a lot of the stress out of Christmas if you start planning now.
• Volunteer your time for a local charity that is having a Christmas activity for the public. Last year my daughter and I volunteered to paint faces at a community feast called "The Feast of Sharing" that is sponsored by H.E.B. Food Stores (Texas chain of grocers). They provide thousands of free meals with all the trimmings to anyone in the community. We had a blast. We wore our Santa hats and painted hundreds of children's faces with snowmen, reindeer, Christmas trees, candycanes and anything else they requested. Admittedly, we had some unusual requests, but it made the day more memorable. We'll be volunteering again this year. Dozens of other fellow employees that I work with will be serving food or helping children make holiday crafts.
• Make some Christmas cutout cookies. Making cutout cookies is an annual tradition at my house. I have probably two dozen cookie cutters and we spend a couple of hours cutting out cookies, baking them and then decorating them with icing and sprinkles.
• If there is snow on the ground where you are, build a snowman or play in the snow with snow toys.
• Go on a sleigh ride. Check out my sleigh ride directory for one near you.