After much planning and researching, I mapped out exactly how I wanted to do our 12 Dates of Christmas this year! Then... life happened, and some of the dates got changed around. Over the years, I have SLOWLY learned how to just go with the flow, but I am a planner at heart, so "going with the flow" hasn't been an easy lesson to learn.
I was so excited when a few people started doing their own 12 Dates of Christmas, and they would share with me their dates, ideas, photos, etc. Granted, this whole 12 Dates of Christmas was NOT an original idea by yours truly. Several years ago, I was just brainstorming on things to do for my husband at Christmas time when I came across a blog with ideas, and have been hooked on doing these dates every year since then. Through these dates, I've laughed as people have told me "You are like the Pro at Christmas Things to do in the DFW.".....something like that. I can't recall the exact words at the moment. And as much as I wish I could say that I am, I'm totally not! I just look up a few things, like City Events for Dallas/ Fort Worth, Grapevine, Irving, etc (anywhere close to our general area). I take into account our budget, and things we have going on at church. I consider when the Cowboys play (because Heaven forbid my husband miss watching a game :)!) I also see what we have that we can use, like our season pass to Six Flags, movie giftcards that were given to us, groupon deals, etc. I tend to repeat some dates, but will also try something new (as long as the price is right).
The following will be the dates that I did this year, with some of my thoughts on each date. Maybe you want to do something for Valentine's Day, or a Birthday for your loved one, and just need some ideas. Granted, these are Christmas dates, but don't let that stop you from getting some creativity flowing in that brain of yours!
Date 1. Setting Up Tree/ Dinner & Homemade Cookies. (FREE)
- This date required hardly any money. Our decor has been the same for Christmas ever since we got married, so every year we just pull out our two storage boxes full of Christmas decor, and set it up around the house. I made bbq chicken sliders for dinner (here is the recipe: Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sliders: 6-8 Chicken breasts (I usually just use two since it't just the two of us), Frank's Red Hot Sauce, Package Ranch Dressing, Put in low crackpot for 5-6 hours. Shred, remove extra juices and add additional Frank's sauce to taste. Serve on King Hawaiian Rolls and ranch dressing.) I also made chocolate chip cookies but that recipe is a family secret ;)! We also danced around with our dog, Maggie, and I about died from laughing.
This was our first year to attend this event, and it did not disappoint! I was (and still am) obsessed with watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix, so going to this event felt like I was stepping into a small town (which I grew up in) and captured my heart. We brought lawn chairs (I would recommend this) and parked ourselves on the corner of the street an hour before it started. There are several restaurants around to have dinner at before or after the parade, and so we ate at Esparza's right behind Main Street.
Date 3. Dinner & Games at Home w/ Friends (FREE)
I made Mississippi Roast from a recipe I found on Pinterest. My friend brought over Reese's chocolate chip cookies (so good!) and we played a round of What's Yours Like. I love having people around our table to share a meal, conversation, and laugh with.
This was a fun night, that I brought my big canon with me to take pictures, and I'm glad I did. We drove around to look at all of the lights, and had a good time. We had tickets to get into the laser show, and let me just say, if you don't have kids with you, don't go to this. The four of us sat there with a look of "ugh, are you serious?! this is a joke" when it started. Granted, your kids will probably love it, and it only lasted ten minutes, but still. It's definitely worth the trip out there, and the hot chocolate they sell for $1 is surprisingly really good!
Date 5. Christmas Movies at Home. (FREE)
It's not Christmas for us until we watch Home Alone 1 & 2.
Date 6. Truthical the Musical at Gateway Church in Southlake. (FREE)
This is a MUST. It was our very first time to see this production, and I could rave about it all day. It was SO GOOD! Plus we joined several of our friends for the event, and caught dinner at Palio's down the road for pizza afterwords (with a Groupon).
Date 7. Bahama Bucks Snowcones ($8) and Addison Vitruvian Park to look at lights. (FREE)
This date was kind of a whim, because other plans that I had fell through, so Jearen totally took the reins of this night. He knew that Addison had lights, but we were blown away by how awesome it really was. Tons of trees were covered in lights, we caught a string ensemble playing Christmas music (like All I Want For Christmas is You). The weather was a little chilly, and if we would have known about the free concert, we would have brought a blanket to sit on. This is for sure a date I will want to repeat next year, and maybe bring some friends along with us to have a picnic.
Date 8. Dinner at Texan Station inside the Gaylord Hotel to watch the Cowboys Game ($10 for parking plus food).
I wasn't thrilled to have to pay for parking, but once you're inside the Gaylord, it's worth it. They have lots going on during the Holidays, so if you haven't been to ICE, you should go. We have gone for several years, and always have had a good time, but I was trying to do something a little different, and since the Cowboys were playing for the night I planned, I wanted to catch the game. The food was pretty good, but the atmosphere is what draws you in. After dinner we walked around the hotel, where there are lots of lights and decor to catch your eye. I had a hard time getting a good photo of the lights though, so we captured one of us thanks to huge mirrors near the exit.
I made a big batch of Texas Chili, and we shared a meal around the table with my husband's dad & step mom. After dinner, we introduced them to Mad Gab, and it was HILARIOUS! I can't wait until they come over again for dinner & games. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of the four of us, but took one of my five minutes of rest & reading this book before they came over.
Date 10. Cowboys Game (FREE)
Yes, free! One of my friends at work offered me the tickets back in October, so I planned to make this one of our bigger dates. Who knew the boys would do so well in the season to WIN the game we attended, the NFC. It was literally the best game I have watched, and had my attention the whole time. I'm slowly loving watching football more & more, all thanks to my husband and his patience to explain everything to me :). We had a blast! And after the game, we went straight over to Six Flags to check out the Holiday in the Park (we have season passes). We met up with our friends and the weather was just right. It was chilly, and we had to bundle up, but it wasn't miserably cold.
Date 11. Christmas Lights over the Ft. Worth Skyline (Gift from Sherry). I am unaware of the price for this event, because this was a gift from Sherry. We went with Jearen's dad & step mom, and three of his brothers in a C47 WWII plane to look at Christmas lights in Downtown Ft. Worth. I was a little nervous of flying in a smaller plane (I guess I was expecting a lot of turbulence), but it was smooth sailing. Once you get in the air, you are allowed to get out of your seats and walk around the plane. I camped out near the huge window & took in all of the sights. If you have the opportunity to do this, DO IT! My only wish it that it would last a little longer. It was about a 30 minute flight, and a really cool experience.
My husband and I spend Christmas evening opening gifts for each other, cleaning up around the house, and watching A Christmas Story. It was a nice ending to a fun filled month.
So, I write all of this to say, use what you have to make a fun experience. A lot of my dates were free and didn't require a lot of planning (other than picking out what meal I would make). I know there will be new things we do next year & I am so grateful for all the things we got to experience due to giving friends & family.
Happy Planning!
Becky
