Christmas in July - Day Twenty-Four

Welcome to Week Four - Holiday Fun/Entertainment.  I'm going to turn this week's list into a meme - please feel free to cut and paste the categories and share your own answers.

Week Four (July 24-31)

HOLIDAY FUN/ENTERTAINMENT

Christmas movies, music, theater, books, church and school events, special activities and events in your area, games, holiday books, Christmas travel, Christmas markets, parties and party themes, Advent calendars, Elf on the Shelf, Christmas countdowns.

Leave me a comment so I can be sure to check yours out.

Christmas Movies

We have a huge collection and my favorites are The Holiday, Love Actually, White Christmas, and the 12 Men of Christmas.

Christmas Music

I love Target's selection of Christmas CDs - they have everything from traditional carols, to versions sung by current entertainers, to kids' versions.  I usually pick up a new one each year.  'Tis the Season - Celtic Christmas is a recent one.

Christmas Theater

I love to find a Christmas show for the whole family - this year that will mean a trip across the water to Seattle and it may just be Vic and I depending on Sophia's schedule.  Our favorite Christmas theater outing was to Boston to see White Christmas at the Wang Theater - it was amazing.  It is so sad that ticket prices are astronomical - it is often beyond the reach of most families.

Christmas Books

Debbie Macomber is from my local area and she brings out a Christmas book each year - for the last two years, she has done a book-signing at the Navy Exchange and I hope it's on her schedule for this year.  I also love Robin Jones Gunn's two Christmas books, Finding Father Christmas and Engaging Father Christmas, (and I see she has a new one out, Kissing Father Christmas, available for pre-order) and Maeve Binchy's This Year it will be Different.

Church and School Events

No more school events for us but we used to love to attend the annual Christmas play or concert put on at Sophia's school.  Christmas Eve at church is always a lovely service.

Special Activities and Events in Your Area

Craft fairs!  I can't wait for the craft fair season.  The local newspaper is always a good source of information for your local area.  Jan Brett came to our area one year and there are the Jule Fest activities in our little Norwegian town.

Games

I have Rudolph Dominoes and a Christmas version of Yahtzee that I always bring out.

Christmas Travel

We've only done a few trips at Christmas - our family Christmas in England in 2001 and then we've traveled to Oregon to my sister's a couple of times.  We're pretty much homebodies when it comes to Christmas although now that we have an empty nest, we may think about some Christmas travel.

Christmas Markets

This ties in with Christmas travel above - my dream is to go on the Viking River Cruise that takes in the European Christmas Markets.  I would love to find a Christmas market in my local area - I'll be checking out the local paper for something in our area.

Parties and Party Themes

We have held a Holiday Open House on the Sunday before Christmas - I'd love to get back to doing that when we have our new house.  No particular theme - just festive, lots of yummy food, Christmas music in the background, a fun time with friends.  People often bring an ornament as a hostess gift which I love!

Advent Calendars

Yes, Advent Calendars have been a tradition in our family since I was a little girl.  My Mum always bought the card-type calendars with the little windows for my sister and me, and even sent them to us when we were adults and lived away as a little reminder of home.  She sent them for Sophia and after she died, I continued to buy them and send them to my nephews.  These days, I get a little more creative - chocoate ones, or the Playmobil or Lego versions that are available.

Elf on the Shelf

Yes, we have Edward.  Not sure what he'll do this year - when Sophia was at home, it was easy to plan his antics but the last two years, I've had to come up with an Edward from Afar plan and I need to think about that one.

Christmas Countdowns

Apart from an Advent Calendar and Edward, I usually have some sort of countdown piece in my decorations like blocks that you adjust each day to show how many days are left until Christmas Day.  This year, I have my Christmas planner so there will be some sort of activity every day.  I'll post a photo when it's finished - need to blend three schedules into one calendar.  If you are interested, search "Christmas Countdown Planner Stickers" on Etsy - lots of options there.