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Make the Most of the Holiday Season with a Christmas Bucket List

August 6 // 10 Comments // 4 Minute Read

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Make the most of the Holiday Season and focus on the moments that matter with a printable Christmas bucket list!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SunTrust. All opinions and attempt at a graham cracker house are 100% mine.

Make the most of the Holiday Season and focus on the moments that matter with a printable Christmas bucket list! Looks super cute in a frame and you can cross off each idea with a dry erase marker as your family completes them. Get ready to make this year your best December yet! #christmasbucketlist #holidaybucketlist #holidaytraditions #christmastraditions

As a little girl, I used to think birthdays and Christmas were only as good as the number of presents. I didn't care about the expensive stuff, because I knew there would be less gifts to open. Instead, I requested little trinkets that cost barely a thing, just so I had more to unwrap!

Pretty sad, I know.

But the older I get {ack—I hate saying that}, I'm increasingly aware that my taste in gifts have changed.

Instead of looking for quantity, I'm all about quality. It's less about stuff, and more about the experiences and traditions that surround the Holiday season. And December is FULL of amazing experiences, don't you think?

I don't want you to miss making this the best December yet, because you were swept up in a stress-filled shopping trip looking for that perfect gift. Besides, some of the most meaningful gifts are not found in a present you buy, but rather presence in every meaningful moment.

So in an effort to make the most of this joy-filled season, I have a fun little project for you inspired by the OnUp Movement by SunTrust—a Christmas Bucket List!

I'm a pretty big proponent of bucket lists because they are a fun, tangible reminder of what you want to accomplish in life. With a Christmas Bucket List, you get to experience the all the traditions that make Christmas….well, Christmas!

And best part? Most of these activities are either free, or barely cost a thing.

Ideas for Your Christmas Bucket List:

  • Decorate the Christmas tree. Obviously, most everyone does this {it's tradition!}, but if you're anything like me, you wait until the last minute to put it together. This results in a very narrow window to enjoy all your hard work. So get your tree up early this year, and if you're feeling extra motivated, give it a theme!
  • Decorate a gingerbread house. If the idea of making a gingerbread house from scratch is overwhelming, try a pre-baked kit, or even better, make graham cracker houses! Joseph and I did this last year and it was SO much fun. We each had a $5 candy budget at the dollar store, then whipped up some icing and had a package a graham crackers to work our magic. I have to say…they didn't turn out all that bad.

graham-cracker-houses-csb

  • Have a Christmas movie night. Classic movies are a Holiday must. Since we don't have cable, I have to forgo most of the sappy Hallmark ones, but Redbox always brings back the classics, and you can also find a lot of variety on Netflix this time of year. Pop some popcorn, turn on the Christmas lights, and enjoy a night snuggled up on the couch. {Psst. there is a secret way to get the Hallmark Channel for less!|
  • Look at Christmas lights. Find a neighborhood or town that goes ALL out for Christmas, and drive around to admire all the pretty lights. If you are ever in the Naples, FL area, downtown has a lovely scene that looks like you stepped right onto a Holiday movie set.
  • Send out Christmas cards. I personally love sending and receiving Christmas cards. I don't always get to it every year, but it's a fun way to reconnect with old friends and see what everyone is up to! If you're looking for an alternative option, I used MailChimp one year to send out a Christmas e-newsletter as opposed to a card. As an added bonus, I saved a lot money on stamps.
  • Bake and decorate sugar cookies. Mouthwatering sugar cookies are hands down my favorite kind of cookie to eat around the Holidays. Plus, they're so much fun to make! Use my go-to sugar cookie recipe if you want your cookies to come out perfect every time.
  • Make hot cocoa and snuggle under a blanket. Grab yourself a steaming cup of chocolate and lose yourself in a book for an hour or two. If I'm feeling frugal, I'll make my homemade hot cocoa mix for the occasion, otherwise, I tend to splurge for the Land O' Lakes variety. Ooh, these little packets are SO good and silky smooth!!
  • Go ice skating. Have a skating rink nearby? Rent a pair of skates and head out for an afternoon with the whole family. Bonus perk: You'll work off all those sweet treats!
  • Read the Christmas story. The Christmas story is a memorable tradition that reminds us of the true reason for the season. Carve out time on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to read through Luke 2…before getting caught up in the gift giving frenzy.

Come up with a list of your own Christmas Bucket List ideas, or use a combination of my suggestions to make your December that much more awesome. I even have my list in printable form so you can frame it up and cross items off with a dry erase marker as you accomplish them!

Make the most of the Holiday Season and focus on the moments that matter with a printable Christmas bucket list! Looks super cute in a frame and you can cross off each idea with a dry erase marker as your family completes them. Get ready to make this year your best December yet!

This Christmas Bucket List is available for FREE and you can download it HERE, or click on the graphic above.

My hope is that you'll stop stressing about how you spend your money this Holiday season, and focus on the moments that matter most. They are the ones that make the biggest difference, and create lasting memories for years to come!

What Holiday activity is your favorite?

 

onup-suntrust

At SunTrust Bank their purpose is lighting the way to financial well-being. When you feel confident about your money, you can save for your goals and spend knowingly on what matters most to you.

The onUp movement was created to guide millions of people one step at a time towards a more financially confident life without ever losing sight of the moments that matter along the way. Join the growing number of people transforming their stress into positive motivation to move onUp.

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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Comments

  1. Stacey Werner says

    December 4 at 10:14 pm

    This turned out great! I love it!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      December 4 at 11:33 pm

      I thought it went perfectly with the frame!

      Reply
  2. Tonya Jastad says

    December 14 at 12:52 am

    This is great! I like the idea of framing it and crossing off things as you do them. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      December 17 at 9:22 pm

      Your welcome!

      Reply
  3. Dominique says

    November 21 at 11:26 am

    This article has really put me in the Christmas mood. Great read!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      November 21 at 9:40 pm

      I’m glad! Ever since I moved to Florida I’ve found it takes just a little bit more effort to get into the holiday spirit… because it still feels like summer! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sandie @ Fulfilled For Less says

    November 21 at 11:40 pm

    I’m the person who plays Christmas music in October, so I just love this list! If not for my husband stopping me I would have our Christmas tree up and my nativity scene set out on the table already. I actually made sugar cookies from scratch for the first time ever a few weeks ago, and they turned out so yummy! I can’t wait to make another batch and maybe buy a few Christmas cookie cutters to make it extra-festive. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      November 27 at 2:03 am

      So you’re why I keep hearing that music before Thanksgiving! 😉 I love decorating sugar cookies! Making them can sometimes feel a little tedious to me but it’s all worth it for Christmas.

      Reply
  5. Lindsey Mozgai says

    November 22 at 11:36 am

    Love this list! My favorite holiday tradition is going stocking stuffer shopping with my fiance. We have a tradition where we each go to the dollar store with a set budget, usually $10 and we buy our stocking stuffers for each other from the dollar store! It’s a really fun tradition and I’m always amazed by how many cool things we find for each other.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      November 27 at 2:00 am

      That’s a great tradition. Joseph and I do something very similar!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Kalyn—a recovering perfectionist who nerds out about organizing systems, personal productivity, and helping you prioritize what matters over the pressure to do it all. I have a feeling we’re about to become the best of friends! Learn more >>

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kalynbrookeco

👩‍💻 | I help value-driven women lead manageable + meaningful lives.
💬 | INFJ / Enneagram 1
🚙 | RV Life @openroading
👇 | Resources + Links


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Recently, we visited our storage unit to swap out a few things. 📦⁣
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Almost one year has passed since we stuffed this 9’x9’ space with furniture, decor, and other odds and ends in order to travel in our RV full-time. And during our year on the road, I’ve not missed ANYTHING … until I saw my possessions in person! 💔⁣
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For a brief second, I wanted to sell the RV and buy a sticks-and-bricks home just so I could fill it with all my stuff. 🏠⁣
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Thankfully, this mental lapse didn’t last very long. 😌⁣
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Because almost just as quickly, I thought of all the experiences we’ve shared over the last year that I would have had to trade in order to do that, and suddenly I didn’t feel so attached anymore. ⁣
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Courtney Carver from @bemorewithless says, “I don’t want my legacy to be containers of stuff.” In other words, people won’t remember you by the amount of stuff you leave behind. They’ll remember you for WHO you are. 🤗⁣
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I want people to remember me as the gal who said yes to adventure and not someone who couldn’t say no to a Hobby Lobby sale. 🏷⁣
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And so, that means decluttering a few more things that I don't need (in the RV OR in a future home!) and holding onto the simple nomad life for a little while longer. 💼⁣
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What do you want your legacy to be? ⁣
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#lifeisajourney #homeonwheels #storageunit #theeverygirl #rvlife #rvliving #rvfamily #livelifetothefullest #tinyliving #traveloften #gorving #homeiswhereyouparkit #camperlife #campers #fifthwheelin #fifthwheeler #declutterwithkb #decluttering #declutterlikeamother #declutteryourhome declutteryourlife

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The busiest month of the year doesn’t have to be one you dread, especially when you try this simple, yet brilliant hack: 👇⁣
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**Number your to-do list.** ⁣
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1️⃣ Start by spilling everything you need to do this week onto the page (don’t worry about the order yet!)⁣
2️⃣ Identify your top priority.⁣
3️⃣ Number the rest of your tasks in order of importance. That’s it!⁣
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Psst… I use pencil just in case I change my mind and want to switch things around! ✏⁣
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This method does two things:⁣
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💛 It helps you focus on the next right thing...not ALL the things!⁣
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💛 It forces you to prioritize. When everything is important, nothing is important. And you want to make sure the most important things actually get done. ⁣
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FYI: You don’t have to go to every party or keep every tradition just because it’s something you “should” do or “always have done” in past holiday seasons. Lean into what you love most about this month and find freedom in letting the rest go. 👋⁣
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Because somehow, having less stuff to do makes the things you CHOOSE to do all that more special. 💖

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Even though we won't be spending Christmas in the RV, I just had to put up a few decorations to enjoy before we leave! 🎄⁣
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The next three weeks will be our first time traveling without our home-on-wheels and I'm feeling all sorts of anxiety over choosing what items to pack. We've always had everything we need with us, which means I'll probably forget something. 😬 RV living tends to spoil you in that way!⁣
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Q: Are you staying home for the holidays or going out of town?

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Earlier this fall I hosted a Facebook challenge where I invited you to define what self-care looks like for your life while making an intentional effort to incorporate it into your week. 📆⁣
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This event was even more popular than I expected, and I am so pleased with the positive results many of you shared!⁣
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What I didn't expect? 👀⁣
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The haters.⁣
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Some readers morally disagreed with my Facebook self-care event and let me know by messaging me and calling self-care "misguided," "unbiblical," and even an "idol." ⁣
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Let me be clear: I do agree that we should be careful about our priorities and not neglect our responsibilities completely for the sake of a little me-time.⁣
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👨‍👩‍👦 Your family still needs you.⁣
👨‍👩‍👦 Your church still needs you.⁣
👨‍👩‍👦 Your community still needs you.⁣
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What they don't need is someone who is a frazzled, stressed-out mess who serves out of obligation rather than joy. Because when we demonize rest, we inadvertently swing the pendulum the other way and create an idol out of working, serving, and hustling. ⚖⁣
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God didn't intend for us to wear ourselves out for His glory. Rather, I think He created us with needs (food, water, shelter, rest, etc.) to remind us that we ultimately *need* Him.⁣
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So when you take time to address those needs and care for yourself, remember that it's not selfish. It's just wise.

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Are you ready for Turkey Day tomorrow? Although I’m not hosting this year, I’m helping my sis-in-law prepare and contributing my Creamy Parmesan Mashed potatoes and a cherry pie (Joseph’s request) ☝ to the menu. ⁣
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When I *did* host Thanksgiving, my family made fun of me for being over-prepared, but they later told me it was the smoothest Thanksgiving they’ve ever had—and they weren’t just talking about the mashed potatoes! 🥔⁣
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I relied on these seven tips to pull things off without a hitch:⁣
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1️⃣ Read over your recipes one more time and confirm you have ALL the ingredients. ⁣
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2️⃣ Create your day-of timeline. Calculate backward from dinner time so you know exactly what needs to be in the oven when.⁣
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3️⃣ Copy/hang recipes on your cabinets  so you can see everything you need to make at a glance rather than being forced to flip through several cookbooks.⁣
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4️⃣ Lay out and label all food dishes (including serving ware) with sticky notes.⁣
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5️⃣ Set the table. (And perhaps bust out some crime scene tape to keep kiddos out of the dining room!) 🤣⁣
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6️⃣ Make whatever food you can ahead of time, whether it’s chopping veggies, assembling dry ingredients, or making the entire recipe and refrigerating until it’s time to warm! ⁣
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7️⃣ Do a quick clean of your kitchen so it’s fresh and ready for the big day!⁣
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Remember: the point of Thanksgiving is NOT to pull it off perfectly. 🚫⁣
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No one cares if you spill blueberries for the fruit salad all over the floor (true story) or you pull a too-jiggly peanut butter pie out of the fridge because it didn’t set right (also a true story). Those are just extra memories you can add to a table already brimming with abundance...and gratitude. 🍽Q: What is your favorite pie to eat at Thanksgiving?

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Family members are just about as different as the ice cream toppings they choose. 🍨⁣
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Even though we love them unconditionally, it's not easy for family to come together during the holidays and have it be completely drama-free. There's increased social pressure, obligation, tradition, personality differences, and always a comment or two that makes you bristle, whether it was intended that way or not! 😤⁣
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So, how can you celebrate holidays without the drama? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦⁣
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PREPARE. Head into family get-togethers knowing how you’ll respond in a tense situation. 🗣⁣
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Here are three ideas:⁣
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1️⃣ Leave the conversation and start a new one with someone else. 🚶🏻‍♀️⁣
2️⃣ Ignore the frustrating comments, and shift the conversation. 🤐⁣
3️⃣ Engage--but instead of gearing up for battle, respond with a curiosity-driven dialogue. Ask questions in order to understand the other person's perspective, rather than focus on "winning" the argument. 🥊⁣
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Most of all, prioritize being kind over being right. Because if you approach conversations with a different attitude, your button-pusher might too. 😉⁣
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Q: On a lighter note, what is YOUR favorite ice cream topping? I love rainbow sprinkles!


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