December can be rough, it’s chilly outside, often overcast & dreary, and frequently overrun by too much family.

BUT it’s all about perspective: you could choose to look at December’s roughness as a way to finish out your year strong before getting to start over in January, view the weather the way the Norwegians do as an excuse to stay cozy and warm, and cherish your family while you’ve got them! In far north Norway, they view the winter weather not as something to be avoided, but as something to look forward to–talk about an intentional mindset. They even have a word for the sense of coziness that attaches to the season: koselig. That’s the difference between this first picture and this second picture. In the first picture I was grouchy that my car was cold, my hands were frozen to the steering wheel, and my heat hadn’t kicked in yet. In the second picture, I was excited I got to wear one of my favorite jackets, that my MerSea scar was keeping me warm, and that the weather reminded me of my hometown in Minnesota. This mindset doesn’t just apply to keeping yourself cozy, but to spreading the sense of coziness to your community- check out these examples of great ways that you can Staycay Away the December Blues this holiday season.

This year, instead of letting myself get down with the December Blues, I’ve decided to Staycay the December Blues Away! I’ll be acting as a Local Tourist, and throwing myself into the holiday spirit by finding all of the coziest ways to fill myself with those cozy feelings all month long! You can follow along with other Christmas Staycay suggestions on Instagram by following #XmasStaycay.

While there are plenty more suggestions to come, I thought I’d introduce you to the Staycay concept with a few ideas:

Get inspired by your favorite things to do outside the house and bring them home!

• Get creative with your cocktails! I cannot impress how much I adore a good Christmas-themed bar. Here in Atlanta, we’re blessed with an abundance (I’ll be sharing a whole roundup in a later post). Bring these cocktails home and try to recreate your favorites for a movie night.

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• Bring your childhood traditions to your new home! I grew up loving to play pool with my family at the local burger joints (in Texas), so whenever I see a pool table while out and about, I must play! I really enjoy playing at my apartment complex, but if you’re lucky enough to be in a house, or want to encourage your parents to upgrade their game room or resurface their pool table, check out Absolute Billiard Services for pool tables in Atlanta! If you’re in the Atlanta area, they’re a local servicing center. Bonus: a billiard table is awesome for entertaining during the holiday festivities or a great activity to distract the family while you enjoy one of those aforementioned cocktails ;).

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• Relive your travels! Okay, this one requires a little forethought, while traveling, pick up an ornament from each place you visit together or each place that carries a special memory. Use these ornaments to decorate your tree, you’ll love revisiting vacations from years past and laugh at previously forgotten memories.

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• Bring your favorite movies to life! This Christmas, don’t just binge watch The Santa Clause trilogy, while watching the films, pick out a few of your favorite parts and incorporate them into your own traditions. We have the moose mug from Christmas Vacation, and this year tried our hand at making the Breakfast Spaghetti from Elf! What will you try?

• Have your friends join in! There’s nothing cozier than flannel pajamas at Christmas time. This year, instead of throwing a Secret Santa or a Glam New Years party (or why not all of them!?) consider throwing a pajama party! This season, Gap, Old Navy, & Target are all bursting with options for pajamas! Whether you want matching, coordinating, silly, footy, literally dozens of options.

That’s the beginning of my Staycay Suggestions to help you Staycay the December Blues Away! So what do you say? Should we all look forward to koselig this season? Should we choose to celebrate our families, enjoy our indoor time, snuggle under covers not by necessity but by choice… That’s what I’m going to do this year: figure out how to best embody koselig in my own home and in Atlanta, by finding all of the best staycay activities and spots in town. How to do you keep away the winter worries?

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