It’s time to put the pumpkins and Spirit of Halloween decorations away because it is now November, and November means it’s officially Christmas season! Sure, Thanksgiving still has yet to pass by, but the power of Mariah Carey’s iconic All I Want For Christmas is You is simply too strong to be suppressed. In light of the Christmas spirit, here are a few light-hearted, festive activities you and your family can engage in to make the most of this holiday season.

1. Blast All I Want For Christmas is You at unholy volumes for 3 hours straight

This one is a given. This is the official theme song of Christmas. This song needs to course through your veins at all times. Channel Mariah Carey. Feel Mariah Carey. Be Mariah Carey.

2. Start decorating the house 🙂

It’s never too early to start pulling out the decorations for the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc. season. Don’t ever feel ashamed for decking your halls with poinsettia, festive candles, or seasonal cultural pieces early! Decorating your home with your family can serve as a bonding moment between all of you and most definitely builds up holiday spirit full of joy and life. Decorate the inside as well as the outside! Go all out! 

3. Plan a Friendsgiving!

As excited as we all are for Christmas and just the cheery winter-holiday spirit in general, we can’t forget about Thanksgiving. I mean, we can, but there’s always those people who say November 1st is “too early” to start playing Christmas music, and that “Thanksgiving still has to come”.  Ridiculous, I know! So for the ones who love Thanksgiving, this one’s for you. Plan a Friendsgiving! In addition to having a filling feast with your family, have one with your friends too, or better yet, your family and your friends’ families. Have everyone bring in their favorite or signature dish and sit around a huge decorated table all together as one big group. Make it interesting too and set a dress code or theme for the meal. Formal? Deck out in a dress and jewelry. Autumn? Everyone wear sweaters and warm colors! The more people there are, the more lively and fun it will be, because nothing beats quality time with the ones you love. 

4. Make hot chocolate and cookies

Now that we threw in a Thanksgiving option to silence the “it’s not even December yet!” people, time to get back to the winter-holiday activities! Obviously, the holidays aren’t the holidays without seasonal foods. Consider making some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. It’s simple, but it’s classic. It is, after all, the famous snack offered to Santa on Christmas Eve. It’s perfect to munch on while watching holiday movies, a comforting snack to eat if you’re somewhere chilly, and just something cute to share with other people. 

5. Have a gingerbread house making contest!

If you’re more on the competitive side, this activity can go two ways for you. A, you’ll have a lot of fun going all out on your gingerbread house and ending with a beautiful array of beautifully decorated gingerbread houses; or B, you’ll go feral and win at any cost. And I mean at any cost. Either way, you should invite some friends over and decorate some gingerbread houses together! Or do it with your family and have some quality bonding time. Let your creativity shine and decorate your gingerbread any way you want! Let your imagination run wild. Completely cover your house in icing, add some gumdrops, go minimalistic and just add cute little designs. There is no right or wrong. In the end, after taking some pictures and arguing over whose house looked the best, break that baby apart and dig in. Gingerbread decorating is super fun if you’re looking for an at-home activity that takes a little time, and if you’re down for a little chaos and messiness, even better! 

6. Go to a lights show!

After your daily run-through of All I Want For Christmas is You, get your family together and watch a holiday lights show. Light shows are beautiful organizations of Christmas lights that flash and change colors to the beat of holiday music and take on the shapes of everyone’s holiday favorites like gingerbread men, Santa Claus, dreidels, jingle bells, and candy canes. They truly illuminate your world as you slowly drive past each set-up. You should definitely consider going to a light-show if you’re looking for something that doesn’t take up too much time (about 30 minutes excluding travel time and line time) or require much effort on your end, but just keep in mind that these typically open towards the end of November through the entirety of December.  

These aren’t the only activities you can do during the holidays. Get creative and create your own moments with the ones you love. It’s the best time to come together and make memories that will last a lifetime, so put on some Mariah Carey and make the most of this holiday season!