I'm so blessed to be able to bring my boyfriend back to Minnesota for Christmas this year.  He has met my parents, but now he will get to meet my sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. I'm so excited for all of the Christmas festivities (and hopefully there will be snow!).  I've come up with a bunch of fun, Christmas-y things to do over the next month with your sweetheart....

1. Sponsor a child together through the Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program.  Pick a number from the tree with the child's name, age, and gender, and shop for the child together. 

2. Make Christmas cookies together for your bosses and coworkers.  

3. Make DIY ornaments together.  I still have some ornaments that my parents made 30+ years ago when they were first married and had little money.  The ornaments you make now will hold precious memories.

4. Go sit on Santa's lap together and get a photo.

5. Attend a local church's Christmas choir concert. 

6. Go on a Christmas Lights Driving Tour through nice neighborhoods.  Google it to find some great routes in your area.   

7. Make a DIY wreath for your front door.  Pinterest has tons of ideas.

8. Buy matching flannel pajamas (or matching onesies if you dare) to wear on Christmas Eve/Day.

9. Go Ice Skating during a slow time at the rink where it will be more intimate and less o-m-g-there-are-kids-everywhere.  

10. Volunteer at a nursing home or hospital to do a Christmas activity with the patients like decorating Christmas cookies or making Christmas cards for their family members.  

11. Host a party together! Hosting a party by yourself can be stressful, but together you can make it a fun learning experience.  Work together to plan the menu, cook, decorate and facilitate the fun.

12.  Go Christmas caroling door-to-door with a group.   At first this can feel awkward or intimidating, but once you get a few rounds under your belt it can be hilarious and fun. 

13. Celebrate St. Nicholas Day and leave your shoes outside on the night of December 5th!  Fill them with treats and pretend you don't know how they got there the next day.  Learn more here. 

14. Send out Christmas cards as a couple. 

15. Be the FUN couple at get-togethers.  We all know those couples who are just F-U-N.  They always add excitement to ordinary occasions.  They spice things up.  They get people out of their shells.  Vow to do this at your next holiday gathering.  Bring a game, plan an activity, pull out a selfie stick, or pass out some strong Christmas cocktails.

16. Cozy up in a carriage ride through the city.  Hello, romance. 

17.  Watch a marathon of classic Christmas movies together.    Then watch a marathon of low-budget Christmas movies on Hallmark/Lifetime.

18.  Share each other's home movies and photos from your childhood Christmases.

19. Find a dark place out in the countryside on the night of the Winter Solstice (December 22nd).  Light a candle together to celebrate that sooner the days will be getting longer.  This was my mom's contribution to this post..