Thanksgiving is already next week and with the upcoming holiday season of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, it is certainly a good time to sit down with a journal and start planning for the holidays ahead. Creating a luxurious holiday season takes intention and time to really think through the details of what that will look like for each of us. Usually, people get frustrated by the end of the holiday season because they are usually left with a lot of overwhelm (or maybe even underwhelm) and even a holiday hangover because they feel like the ‘magic” of the holidays are simply gone. I think this happens because there was no thought into what would make the holidays luxurious and enjoyable. Many go on autopilot and do the same things they’ve always done without questioning if they are creating the luxurious holiday season of their dreams.
Plan out an afternoon this weekend to set the surroundings for a journaling session about creating your luxurious holiday season. Make your favorite hot drink, light a scented seasonal candle, put on a favorite holiday playlist, sit by the Christmas tree if you have one up (or put on a Christmas ambience on YouTube), grab your favorite pen and journal and enjoy working through these10 journaling prompts to create a luxurious holiday season this year.
1.) What essence words would i like to describe this holiday season?
A good first journaling prompt is gathering a few essence words that you would like to describe your holiday season for this year. This will help guide whether certain things such as decor, experiences, foods/drinks, gifts and invites fits into this essence of the holiday season you want to create. If your essence words for example are luxurious, calm and elegant then this will help you decided what gets to be part of your holiday experience through this filter. For example, when shopping for decor you can ask if it embodies luxurious, calm and elegant. When getting invites to holiday parties you can also ask if this party feels luxurious, calm and elegant, etc. Start with the essence words to guide your holiday this year to help filter your choices for a better-quality experience. Some essence words to choose from could be luxurious, calm, elegant, cozy, quiet, fun, minimal, stylish, timeless, classic, traditional, glamorous, exquisite, sophisticated and family centered.
2.) How can I treat my body exquisitely this season?
‘Tis the season of all things delicious and I really enjoy all of the seasonal treats that I get to experience this time of year, but I also want to make sure that during this time of extra treats, less sunlight and colder days that I am also taking care of my body too. Taking care of ourselves physically during the holidays can help start the new year feeling more vivacious instead of sluggish which also gives us energy to start on our new goals as well. Some ideas for taking care of your body might be gentle workouts a few times a week (be sure to schedule as you are able), a massage or facial, taking a walk outside for some sunlight, taking a Vitamin D supplement, visiting the sauna (if you have access to one), taking relaxing baths or showers, at-home spa treatments, eating well during the work weeks, getting 7-8 hours of sleep, yoga or Pilates. Part of having a luxurious season is knowing that you are well cared for throughout the next month and a half to start the new year in a good physical shape.
3.) What’s one Thing I can take off my list this year?
With this being the season of a lot of “doing” in preparation for Christmas, there can be a lot of things that needs to be taking care of or tended to. Things such as putting up the Christmas tree/decor, purchasing/wrapping gifts, holiday parties, Christmas dinners/brunches, traveling and so much more. Try to think of at least one thing (but maybe even two or three things) that you can take off your list this year. Did you not really like sending Christmas cards last year? Don’t do it this year. Tired from too much cooking? Offer to host a potluck style meal instead and have others participate. Not a fan of wrapping gifts? Outsource it or buy experiences instead of objects this year for gifts. Not thrilled about an event every weekend in December? RSVP no and stay home instead. Find at least one thing that you have been doing that is not causing a joyful experience and find a way to either eliminate it or outsource it.
4.) If I were staying at a luxury hotel for the holiday season, what would I expect the experience to be like?
if you are like me and simply love a beautiful luxury hotel, then this prompt is a fun one to journal about. Sometimes it can be hard to imagine just what we want a luxurious holiday to look and feel like, but in this prompt, you get to outsource this for inspiration. If you were to stay in a luxury hotel this holiday season, what would you expect to see, hear, taste and what feeling would you have? Some ideas may be a large, beautiful Christmas tree decorated in traditional holiday colors of dark reds and gold, twinkle lights throughout, beautifully appointed meals, freshly made baked treats on offer, fluffy robes and slippers in the room, a large soaking tub with seasonally scented bath salts, seasonal facials at the spa, a cozy Christmas jazz playing in the background and a rich hot chocolate delivered right to your room to enjoy in those big fluffy robes. Come up with ideas with what you imagine a stay at a luxury hotel would be like and start creating those moments for yourself at home. Everything that is offered at a luxury hotel can be recreated at home with some planning and on a budget. Here’s a video from The Ritz Hotel in Paris and The Goring Hotel in London for inspiration.
5.) How do i want to expereince this holiday season sensually?
This journal prompt will help create a cohesive holiday season with knowing exactly what you want to experience with your senses. What kind of sounds would you like to hear? Classic Christmas music, Christmas jazz, classical symphonic music, or contemporary? What are your favorite scent profiles? Woodsy like a fireplace or a Christmas tree, sweet like baked cookies, fresh like snow, classic like berries and oranges? What about tastes? Are you looking forward to baked goods like sugar cookies, rich and velvety like a hot chocolate or chocolate truffles, spicy like gingerbreads or savory like charcuteries dips? And of course, visually with the decor. Is it classic greens and reds or more neutrals? What kind of decor? Christmas trees and nutcrackers or poinsettias and twinkle lights? And lastly the physical sensations. Is it sitting by a warm fireplace or submersing into a hot bath, wrapped in a cozy blanket and fuzzy socks or a fluffy robe, an oversized turtleneck sweater or a fitted cashmere sweater, cold morning walks or sitting in hot saunas? Work through the different sensations that you are looking forward to and show up to create the experiences to delight your senses for the holidays.
6.) What are some holiday themes I am loving on Pinterest right now?
Pinterest is a great place to gather ideas for a luxurious holiday season. If you are currently not on Pinterest, then I highly recommend you try it. Create an account and make just one board if you like and name it “My Luxurious Holiday Season” and then search “luxurious Christmas”. Start pinning the images that resonate with you for a week or two. You can even put on some Christmas jazz in the background while you do this to set the mood for your luxurious Christmas idea gathering. By the end of the week or two take a look at your board and find some themes. What are the colors you pinned the most? Activities? Decor? Food or drinks? Experiences? Hobbies? What themes are you noticing? Is it a cozy cabin kind of holiday? A holiday in the big city visiting all the markets? A luxurious getaway at a 5-star hotel? A big family celebration? Cozy nights at home with Christmas movies and lit fireplaces? Journal about what the themes and ideas you are noticing and work to create those for this year’s holiday.
7.) What are three luxurious things I want to experience this holiday season?
Think about three truly luxurious things that you would love to experience this holiday season. Some ideas for going out can be things like dressing up and seeing The Nutcracker, booking a Christmas Afternoon Tea at a luxury hotel, a seasonal facial at a spa, a holiday music symphony, stay at a luxury hotel for a couple of nights to relax and enjoy their decorated surroundings, visit favorite local shops or antique stores, booking a reservation at that one restaurant that really goes above and beyond for holiday decorating or a seasonal wine tasting. For luxury at home some ideas might be hosting a holiday wine and cheese evening with friends, having a holiday themed at-home spa night, watching classic Christmas movies with freshly baked cookies, sitting around the fireplace drinking a hot chocolate or mulled wine, or maybe even just quiet mornings wrapped up in a fluffy robe and a coffee by the Christmas tree. Think of at least three luxurious things you would like to experience this season and plan for them.
8.) What is one fabulous gift I can buy for myself?
So often we can rely on others to buy us that “perfect gift”, or there may even be something that you do want, but do not want to divulge to others even though you would still love to have it (something like a luxury $100 candle for example). This year, think of that one fabulous gift that you would love to have for yourself and get it. Try to order it online too as many places will offer gift wrapping. If they do offer wrapping services, go ahead and opt for it to be gift wrapped (even if it’s a small charge) and then when it arrives put it under the tree to be opened on Christmas day. Buy that Jo Malone gift set, that Diptyque candle set, those beautiful diamond stud earrings, that gorgeous coffee table book, the beautiful silk scarf, or that beautiful silk pajama set. Set a budget for as much as you can for that luxurious item and purchase it (especially during Black Friday) and put it under the tree just for you.
9.) what does my dream christmas day look like?
All of the preparations above lead to the culmination of Christmas Day and how we experience it. In order to plan for a luxurious Christmas, you have to have clarity as to exactly what that looks like. Use this journal prompt to dream about your dream luxurious Christmas day from beginning to end. Start with when you first wake up to when you go back to bed. My perfect luxurious Christmas day for me looks like: Wake up to the sun shining and pull back the window coverings to enjoy the Christmas lights below in the town square. Make a coffee to enjoy in bed for an hour or two with Christmas jazz playing in the background and the little fireplace turned on. Make a batch of cinnamon rolls and watch the Christmas parades on television by the Christmas tree. in the afternoon take a walk around to get some fresh air and visit the local Starbucks for a holiday flavored drink and enjoy seeing the large Christmas trees in our neighborhood. Come back home and enjoy a holiday themed charcuterie board while watching a Christmas movie. Take some quiet time to read a holiday themed book and around five begin cooking a Christmas dinner of prime rib with a red wine reduction long with a few traditional sides. After dinner open the 2-3 gifts the husband and I got for each other plus a bonus luxurious gift I bought for myself. After opening the gifts and doing a quick clean we’ll cozy up on the sofa with a dessert and watch an episode of The Great British Bakeoff holiday special on Netflix. After cleanup we will settle in for the evening in cozy pajamas by the Christmas tree enjoying the last few hours of a luxurious, calm and elegant holiday season.
10.) What is the feeling I want to be left with after Christmas and how can I ensure that I achieve it?
Sadly, I think some people are left with a feeling of overstimulated, exhausted, or even disappointed after most holidays. If you find this happening to you just know that you are not alone. We can feel the need to do all the things when it comes to the holidays, so that is why I created this post. To help you create the holiday season that you truly want to experience and not of one that is a blueprint of what you “should” be doing. When you think of your personal holiday season, what is the feeling that you want to be left with afterwards? Some words you could use might be delighted (this one is mine for this year), calm, renewed, content, relaxed, mindful, restful, pleasant, soothing, excited, joyful, fun or even elegant. Pick one word that resonates with how you want to really feel on December 26th and then write some ways that you can ensure that you achieve it. My word is delighted and when I think of that word, I think of delighting the senses, so some ways that I plan on achieving my delighted feeling is by decorating my home beautifully, baking some holiday cookies to enjoy, making a homemade French hot chocolate to enjoy on a cold weekend night, playing my holiday playlist throughout the month, enjoying some holiday themed hobbies like jigsaw puzzles and books, visiting my favorite shops to visit their Christmas displays, enjoying my favorite holiday movies, cozying in at home by the fireplace with a Christmas themed tea tray and holiday editions of English Home and Victoria magazines and enjoying all of the holiday specials available for viewing.
You can create a luxurious holiday season ahead by being intentional about what you truly want. Whether you want to create a calm, simple holiday season cozied up at home or you want to go all out with parties, family events or travel, take some time to think through and journal about your luxurious holiday and then simply plan accordingly to ensure that you are left with your own delighted feeling of a beautiful holiday well spent.
I love the idea of thinking in advance of what you want your holidays to look like. Just yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed and like I had taken on too much (all things I want to do and excited about but too many of them). I was exhausted mentally and physically all day. Today I purposely chose to not go to my planned boot camp workout because I knew that would make me even more tired and instead had a slow morning with some gentle stretching and walking the dog outside. I’ve decided to push my to-do list to tomorrow (other than one event I have tonight) and instead cozy up with a warm blanket, some popcorn and Diet Coke and watch a Christmas movie on Netflix. I want to remind my body and soul that what truly brings me happiness is slowing down (especially after the frenzied pace of summer). I don’t want to feel overwhelmed this holiday season. While I love going to live holiday concerts and choirs (I went to a number of them last year), I am being called to have less scheduled this year. I’d like to feel “delighted” and not “tired” or “overwhelmed”. Thanks for the thoughtful post. I’ve truly been enjoying reading your blog!
Thank you so much Beth and I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying the blog 🙂 I love that you took some time to cozy up at home when you knew you needed a break. Being productive and doing “all the things” is great, but time built-in to also do nothing but relax is so important too. I do hope you create a delightful holiday season this year and do the things that you truly want to do, including a chance to slow down.