If Kevin McCallister from Home Alone has taught you anything, it's that spending Christmas by yourself can be exciting and unexpectedly thrilling. You can have a ton of adventures right in your own decorated home, assuming you make a plan first. What will Christmas plans when you're home alone look like, might you ask? These itinerary items definitely don't include witty pranks, but would still be approved by the star of Home Alone.
This year, you might be spending Christmas alone because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Your family get-togethers have been canceled or made virtual, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly advises to only gather with people in your immediate household, as noted by their guidelines for holiday celebrations, updated on Dec. 4, 2020. Now, maybe you have a roommate who's quarantining in another state, or you're staying on your college campus to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. No matter what your situation may be, your holiday can still be merry, bright, and memorable.
You simply have to think, "What would Kevin McCallister do if he were in my shoes?" You know a fun-loving kid like him would be whipping up the best snacks or watching a sweet movie. We here at Elite Daily have come up with some Christmas plans for when you're home alone that he would so approve of.
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In Home Alone, Kevin's mind is always up to something. From a massive prank, to his hilarious sarcasm, he relies on his brain a lot to have fun. Take a page out of his playbook, and do a holiday-themed jigsaw puzzle (Jiggy Puzzles, $49) on Christmas. With a design created by illustrator and artist Livia Falcaru, this one is a perfect pick and features a couple snuggling on the couch.
By the time Christmas rolls around, it may be too late to send a Christmas card. But, you can have a Home Alone-inspired photo shoot and post it on Instagram for all the laughs.
To start, pose with your sled or toboggan at the top of the stairs to pretend you're sledding down it like Kevin did. Or, pose for the iconic Kevin scream with your hands on your cheeks. Re-watch the first movie for some inspo.
Building a cute gingerbread house is both time-consuming and tasty work. So, be sure to add this activity to your plans. Snag a kit ahead of time that includes the necessary walls, roof, icing, and even some candy for decorating. Or, plan to use your own materials like chocolate kisses and graham crackers you have laying around, and get crafty with the treats you have leftover from Halloween.
If you're not going to eat this gingerbread house, you can always paint it a really unique color. Why not go florescent pink or bright green? Do this activity while listening to Christmas music.
When Christmas comes to a close, it'll almost be the start of a new year. Take this quality time that you have to yourself to journal or jot down thoughts you have about the past year, and plans for the next one. Tuck pictures you may have taken at home into the pages, and write down a few quotes you came across and really loved, too. Keep a section to add to your list of hopes, a must-watch list, and everything fresh for next year.
Let's be honest: If Kevin McCallister was a real-life kid in 2020, he would be all over TikTok. He'd be making up trendy dances to holiday songs like it was his job. For that reason, you should make up and master your own TikTok dance to "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt or "Mistletoe" by Justin Bieber.
Spoiler alert: it's OK to get all dressed up and have no where to go. Remind yourself of this, and then try out beauty hacks from TikTok on Christmas. Spend an entire afternoon perfecting the blowout brush or the eyeliner technique. That way, when you gather with friends and family again, you can show off all your new skills.
Around this time of the year, your fave retailers have holiday candles all over their shelves. This Christmas season, take yourself on a candle shopping spree and stock up on mistletoe or evergreen-scented wicks ($18, Anthropologie) that you love. Odds are, you'll find one at a discounted price. You may add a candle to your cart that smells just like champagne, too, to ring in a brand new year.
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