THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

CELEBRATE THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON ALL MONTH LONG.

BY KARIN FABRY-CUSHENBERY

This time of year can be both beautiful and stressful, joyful and overwhelming. The year 2020 has been one for the record books, so let’s end it on a positive note. Over the following pages, we’ve compiled some of our favorite ways to spend time with family and friends during the month of December. So, in no particular order, we present our 12 days of Christmas.

12. LIGHT IT UP There’s something about piling in the car and going on a hunt for beautifully decorated homes at Christmas time. Tune the radio into a station playing classic holiday tunes, roll down the windows and enjoy the sights.

According to foxbusiness.com, Americans spent an average of $230 last year on decorations alone. And displays are becoming more elaborate and thought out.

While exploring Marion County’s neighborhoods, make sure to take a quick detour through the downtown area, where more than 300,000 lights are on display.

And while you’re in the car, make a bit of a road trip out of it and visit Cottom Farm’s Christmas Villages and Santa’s Southern Home in nearby Weirsdale. The drive-through light display and other festivities are well worth the short trip. The entry fee is $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 3 and over, and kids ages 3 and under is free. The Christmas light maze, hayride and Santa’s house tour are included. The light display will remain open through New Year’s Eve. New this year is the 50-foot Christmas tree centerpiece. Find Cottom Farm on Facebook for more information.

11. DIY DECORATIONS Whether you have children or not, an afternoon spent crafting is a great way to relax and unwind. And rest assured you do not need to be an artist to add a personal touch to your Christmas tree. At any craft store you will nd wooden, acrylic, aluminum and ceramic ornament blanks. A Google or Pinterest search will yield literally hundreds of easy-to-follow suggestions for creating unique ornaments. Stock your craft closet with craft paints, ne brushes and glitter, and spend the day crafting.

GLITTER ORNAMENTS

• Shatterproof clear ornaments • Fine glitter • Polycrylic or Mod Podge

Using a medical syringe or dropper, add about 4 to 5ml of polycrylic or Mod Podge into your ornament. Slowly swirl the ornament to cover the inside with the liquid. Next, pour a few ounces of glitter into each ornament, swirling to coat the inside. Turn the ornament upside down to allow excess glitter to drip out. Use a hot glue gun to secure ribbons or other embellishments to your ornaments. Paint pens also work for writing and adding detail to the ornaments.

SALT DOUGH ORNAMENTS

• 4 cups all-purpose our • 1 cup salt • 1 1⁄2 cups warm water

Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix our and salt well, gradually adding water and slowly stirring. Once rmness sets in, nish mixing and kneading with hands. Roll the dough onto a hard surface or cookie sheet, and use a cookie cutter to cut shapes. Use a toothpick to create a hole for ribbon in the top of each ornament. Bake in the preheated oven about 1 hour, until hardened. Decorate your cooled ornament with paint, and then use varnish or a clear coat to seal and protect. Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com.

10. HOST A MOVIE MARATHON Put on the PJs, grab some blankets and settle in for a day of holiday movie favorites. Plan to do nothing else (except eat, of course) for the whole day. Everyone in the family gets to pick a movie to add to the list. When each movie is over, take a few minutes to talk it over, discussing your favorite and least favorite parts. In the spirit of the season, we wanted to share a few of our must-see holiday faves.

A Christmas Story – You’ll shoot your eye out. We’ve all heard that famous line. In this 1980s classic hit, Ralphie attempts to convince his parents and Santa to get him a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.

The Christmas Chronicles – Two years ago this Netflix movie became an instant holiday favorite. Brother and sister Kate and Teddy stowed away in Santa’s sleigh without him seeing. Unfortunately, the sleigh malfunctions and crashes and the presents are lost. The kids must now help Santa, played by Kurt Russell, save Christmas. The Christmas Chronicles 2 is now streaming on Netflix as well.

Home Alone – This one never fails to provide the laughs. When Kevin McAllister (played by a much younger Macauley Culkin) is left at home while his family travels for the holidays, it’s up to the 8 year old to protect his house against would-be robbers, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.

Cookies, cupcakes, cakes, oh my! There’s no time like December to indulge in a little sugary goodness. Gather together a few favorite recipes and spend the day with family making treats. Make sure sugar cookies for decorating are on the list! To make cookie decorating a cinch, we love using Wilton Cookie Icing. You could also create a sprinkle station your kids are sure to get a kick out of. From cinnamon balls and sugar crystals to crushed peppermint and holiday-inspired sprinkles, your cookies will be the talk of the neighborhood. And speaking of, why not make enough to drop a plate o at your neighbor’s house to say season’s greetings. 8. THE GIFT OF GIVING This past year left many families struggling, both emotionally and nancially. In the spirit of the season, have your children or family members create one or two shoeboxes of supplies for the underprivileged or for our soldiers overseas. Operation Christmas Child (samaritanspurse.org) has delivered more than 150 million gift- lled shoeboxes to children around the world, and Operation Shoebox (operationshoebox.org) has sent more than 1 million shoeboxes and 50,000 stockings to our troops. All tallied, the organization and its generous donators have shipped more than 200 tons of goods to U.S. troops.

For a child, select the gender and age range rst. Take a large shoebox and ll it with one “wow” item, such as a sports ball with a mini pump, a hand-held game or a stu ed animal. Then add in ller gifts like small games, treats, books, art supplies and hygiene items like toothbrushes and soap.

Our soldiers also love receiving care packages while on active duty. Some box suggestions include warm socks, candy and gum, magazines, granola bars and other individually wrapped snacks and even Ramen noodles. Most importantly, don’t forget to add a personal note of encouragement or thanks. If you prefer to give locally, maybe select an angel from an angel tree or contact a local charity to ask about sponsoring a child or family this season. 7. GET TO BUILDING Our creative director, Kristy Taylor, shared how a friend of hers has an annual family gingerbread building contest, and we thought it was a great idea. First, create a list of all the necessities (gingerbread, graham crackers, icing and plenty of décor/toppings) and make a quick grocery run. Set your date, and create your teams. Maybe the kids are old enough to build their own house. If not, pair with mom, dad or another family member. A glimpse online will o er plenty of inspiration for your gingerbread creations. Have a prize for the winning house (maybe they get to pick dinner or that evening’s movie selection), and take pics to share on social media. Encourage your friends to vote for their favorite house to make the results o cial.

9. SATISFY YOUR SWEET TOOTH

When all is said and done, bon appétit! 6. SECRET SANTA Why not start a new tradition this holiday season? Whether you choose to kick in a few dollars for each family member, or you want to go cost-free and homemade, a secret Santa gift exchange will create a bit of excitement and fun. Put everyone’s name in a hat, and have each family member draw a name. If you have little ones, they will need a bit of help with the shopping or creating, but make sure to keep the nal product a secret either way! If shopping, limit the cost to $20 per person to allow for some creative gift giving. And no lists allowed. Each person has to come up with a gift or creation for the person on their list on their own. On Christmas Eve, once everyone is comfy in their PJs, sit around the tree and take the time to go one by one, opening each gift. To make it even more interesting, you could also create categories for your gifts. Everyone has to buy books, games, food, etc. More than anything, have fun with your new tradition and encourage appreciation all around.

5. MAIL A LETTER TO SANTA Did you know the United States Postal Service can help your child receive a letter from Santa? It’s true! When your child writes a letter to Santa this year, you’ll have a little homework to do as well. Create a personalized reply to your child’s letter

and sign it from Santa. Be sure to include personal accomplishments and share what you’re proud of. Put both letters into an envelop and address it (disguise your handwriting) to your child. Make sure to add the return address as Santa Claus, North Pole, and place a rst-class stamp on the envelope. Finally, place that envelope into a larger envelope with proper postage and send it to:

North Pole Postmark Postmaster 4141 Postmark Drive Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

Another option? If you don’t have little ones at home anymore or if your children are teens and looking for a way to help, you can actually adopt real letters from needy children that were written to Santa. The Be An Elf organization (beanelf.org) allows donators to read through letters written to Santa and adopt the ones that truly move them. Using a barcoded address label, you can then supply that child with a return letter and gift. Your gift can be mailed from one of 19,000 USPS branches that o er label scanning. Be An Elf is a tax-exempt charity and helps support the United State’s Postal Service Operation Santa organization.

4. COCOA & S’MORES The weather in Florida in December is ideal for being outdoors. This season, plan an evening of s’mores and cocoa at the repit. Set up a topping station outside with sprinkles, mini marshmallows, cinnamon sticks and more. Have the kids gather sticks ideal for roasting marshmallows to get the whole family involved. Once the goody goodness has been enjoyed, settle in for an evening of camp re games appropriate for the whole family. Some great suggestions include In the Pond, Out of the Pond (you can nd the rules online), charades and name that song. Use your phone to select music and see who can name that tune rst. Also, try Numbers. The idea of the game is to count, as a group, from 1 to 100 without any two people saying the same number at the same time. It has to be in random order, and no pointing is allowed!

3. CHOP A TREE It may be hard to believe, but it turns out you can cut down your own Christmas tree for the holiday season right here in Marion County. Gibb’s Christmas Tree Farm and Nicholas’s Christmas Tree Farm are located in Citra and Summer eld, respectively. Gibb’s o ers a choose and cut lot and potted trees, plus hayrides, a petting zoo and other outdoor fun. Typically, the farm has sand pine, northern Fraser rs, Arizona cypress and red cedar trees. Nicholas’s also o ers a choose and cut lot and potted trees, plus fresh vegetables, raw honey, pure beeswax candles and more. Here you’ll nd red cedar, sand pine, Leyland cypress and Arizona cypress trees. Keep in mind that due to COVID-19, event o erings could be limited.

According to the Florida Christmas Tree Association, about 30 million real trees are used each year for Christmas. Fortunately, harvesting Christmas trees doesn’t upset the ecology of the area. More than 85 million trees were planted this past spring to replace the 30 million that were cut down. Also, when you cut the tree yourself, it’s as fresh as possible, ensuring the tree will last throughout the season. Can you already smell that fresh pine scent?

2. TAKE A DAY TRIP During the holiday break, a day trip or two should be in order. We already know there’s no place like home for the holidays, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get out and travel here or there for a few unique holiday celebrations. Here’s a few we are looking forward to!

Christmas At Gaylord Palms // Through January 3

Although ICE at the Gaylord Palms won’t be taking place this year, there’s still a ton of holiday cheer to experience, including the new I Love Christmas Movies walk-through experience. This limited-edition, 17,000-square-foot sensory pop-up exhibit includes interactive moments and characters from some of your favorite holiday movies, including Elf, A Christmas Story, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and more. There are more than 13 immersive scenes, including the Griswold’s magically decorated home. Masks are required for this exhibit, and tickets must be purchased in advance. Visit christmasatgaylordpalms.marriott.com.

In addition to the new exhibit, some classic favorites are also returning to the Gaylord Palms, including the Snow Factory, Cirque Dreams Unwrapped, snow tubing and more. Tickets and prices vary by event.

Nights Of Lights // Through January 31

Now in its 27th year, this annual event features more than 3 million sparkling lights throughout St. Augustine’s historic district. The lights will remain lit through January 31, and there are plenty of photo ops for impromptu family pics. St. Augustine’s trains and trolleys will also be available for special tours. Walking and boat tours are also available. To nd out more information, check out visitstaugustine.com.

1. READ THE CLASSICS Sure, Christmas specials are fun to watch. But what about the books? Make the month of December all about exploring the pages of some special holiday books. To make it extra fun for the little ones, gather the Christmas books ahead of time and wrap them individually in gift wrap. Each night, have a child pick which book to unwrap and read. Make sure to save The Night Before Christmas for Christmas Eve.