How to make the most of Christmas in 2020
This year we’ve had to do a lot of things differently. We’ve adapted to a new way of living in 2020, however, there’s no reason why we can’t expect a touch of normality over the Christmas period!
Whether you’re staying with us over the winter break or going home, we’ve got some tips on how to make the most of your Christmas.
Make plans!
We’ve heard the importance of having something to look forward to a lot in 2020. Planning time with your family and friends, whether in the real world or the digital, the people you have a good time with will make you feel excited about the future.
Luckily in December, we have a lot of events to look forward to! We’ve got Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve (not to mention the lazy, food coma days in between). Planning for these events will help the time go faster, and make sure that you’ll be making the most of them. Just imagine all the movie marathons and quizzes you can fit into those days!
Staying with us for Christmas? Here are some top tips on what you can plan!
If you’re staying with us for Christmas then you’ve bagged yourself an early treat. On the 23rd December we’re giving you all festive goodie bags! Be sure to pick one up from reception. Not only that, but we also have our Big AXO Christmas Quiz on the 18th – where you can win a £50 Amazon voucher (perfect for treating yourself to a Christmas gift you really want).
The idea of spending a Christmas away from your family and friends can be daunting. However, it doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Just because you can’t physically see them doesn’t mean you can’t video call.
Decorate your room
Nothing puts us in the festive spirit like some Christmas decorations! The perfect time to go all out and transform your room. This doesn’t mean you need to spend all your money on decorations as there are a lot of cheap alternatives, plus you can handmake some!
Dress up your plant. Who said you can only decorate Christmas trees?! Why not change things up by decorating your plant? This will save you money as you don’t need to buy a new tree, plus it’s more sustainable.
Have some old gloves lying around? You can use these as decorations! This is where your handy work comes into play.
How to make it:
- Use thick ribbon to pin the gloves and hang up in your room
- Use safety pins to pin the gloves onto the ribbon (be careful at this stage!)
- Once you’re happy with how it looks, you’re ready to hang it up
Mix and match your gift wraps. This is a two in one as not only will you use the wrapping paper to wrap up your presents, but they will also brighten up you room. Another plus is that you can find affordable wrapping paper.
A suggested agenda for Christmas day:
Start your day with a big breakfast, it’s Christmas so you can go as unhealthy as you like. Once you’ve eaten and chilled for a bit go for a walk. This will help to break up your day and get out of your room. By the time you get back from your walk, you’ll be ready to start with your Christmas dinner. This is when you call the trusted cook of your family/friends and use their top tips.
Most of the morning will be spent preparing and cooking but once your food is done, you’re ready to video call your loved ones and enjoy your meal. The rest of the day will fly by!
Play games with your loved ones on Zoom
Most likely to. The rules of the game are easy and you don’t need to buy extra bits. All you have to do is take turns in coming up with questions. These can be “Who’s most likely to leave their Christmas gifts last minute?”, “Who’s most likely to forget to mute their mic during class”. The person who gets called out the most has to do a dare.
A Christmas Puzzle. You may have heard of the popular game, The Puzzle. Well, they’ve come up with a Christmas edition! The aim of the game is to work in teams to solve the puzzles. Make sure you set your teams before you start the game.
Charades. This is a classic and chances are you’ve played it before. To recap the rules:
- Take turns in miming a book, song, film, TV show etc
- Act it out and wait for the others to guess it
- Add a twist: put a limit on the number of questions asked to make the game more competitive!
Don’t leave your gifts to the last minute
Buying and receiving gifts is a big part of Christmas. Over the years, gifts we’re able to handmake have gained an important place in our hearts. This doesn’t mean buying them are out of fashion, but making your own has both a sentimental value and is more budget friendly!
If you’ve decided to handmake, make sure you do this with enough time to create your gifts and to post them (this applies if you’re staying with us over Christmas).
If you’re purchasing gifts, make sure you’ve got a list of all the presents you’re going to buy. This will make your shopping experience easier and will stop you from overspending with all the little, extra bits you see in store.
Give back to charities
The festive period is a great time to give back. Luckily, we have a lot of amazing charities which you can donate to, or do volunteering for.
Volunteering can be as easy as calling older members of society who will be spending Christmas alone. This would be such a lovely gesture towards them without taking too much of your time.
Some charities you can reach out to:
Friends of the Elderly
British Heart Foundation
Do what you love
It’s no secret that this year we’ve all deserved a relaxing festive season. Whether you’re going home to spend it with friends and family, or staying with us, make sure you do what you love. Get into your pyjamas, and binge watch your favourite movies while you eat all the food you like!
The team at AXO would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year! Here’s to having a better year in 2021!
