✨ 40 Writers Share Easy Ways to Infuse More Joy into the Holidays
Even if You’re Feeling (Extra) Grinch-y!
Here’s a thing about me: I don’t really like the holidays. I’m not someone who loves to set up their Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. We’re not a family who blasts Christmas carols from Halloween until the New Year. (Ken would never.) And maybe at Taylor Swift’s house they leave the Christmas lights up ’til January, but I love to take every bit of holiday decor down on January 1 and restore order to my little household.
The holiday season kicks my perfectionism into high gear, and in the past, it’s made me feel incredibly stressed out. I never feel like I can live up to my own high expectations. But I wrote about these anxieties last year, and frankly, I don’t want to rehash them again, in part because I don’t want you readers to think I’m always miserable, LOL. And also, I don’t want to be miserable!
The world is arguably a dumpster fire right now, but in my corner of this universe, I am surrounded by so much joy and love. I have a wonderful family, fun friends, a lovely home, and plenty of resources. Sure there’s a thousand tiny tweaks I’d like to make (I need to be striving for something), but when I stop, take a deep breath, and really look at my situation, it’s so clear just how lucky I am. And I’m so grateful for all that I have.
So I am trying to shake off my Grinchiness this holiday season. In order to really get into the spirit, I tapped the many Substack writers I’ve gotten to know over the past year and asked them to share the low- and no-cost ways they are infusing more joy into the season. They more than delivered (because they are the very best!) with suggestions for movie marathons, touristing in your own town, and letting go of expectations.
I’ll add that all of these writers have wonderful newsletters that I highly recommend. I’ve included links to all of them if you want to subscribe (even better if you upgrade to paid!). I’m not a gift guide girl, but you can consider this my unofficial list of favorite Substacks (though I’m sure I’m missing quite a few!).
Speaking of upgrading, this month, The Purse is donating 20% of all new paid subscriptions to The Brave House, a nonprofit that supports immigrant women in NYC. It’s our small way of supporting a cause we care about during this season of giving.
And now, here are 41 ways to add more joy into your holiday season!
(This post is very long, so you’ll likely have to click at the bottom to open the whole thing on your computer. But I added a fun video at the end (#41!), so I *think* it’s worth it!)
Get Out and See the Lights
1. “We have a tradition of putting on the holiday radio station and driving around the Sauganash neighborhood of Chicago where people go big with their Christmas lights, which is something I did as a kid. But first we eat hot dogs in the car at the Superdawg drive-in. The last few years my husband and I did this without our kids because we were sick of them arguing over who saw what first and all that crap, but we may give them another shot this year for old times’ sake.”
Claire Zulkey is an Evanston, IL-based writer and creator of the Evil Witches Newsletter.
2. “There’s a family nearby who goes all out decorating their large, walkable backyard with lights, toys, and holiday inflatables and then opens it up to the community. (This family is amazing!)
“Each year we make it a big thing for the kids—we plan ahead of time, invite friends, and talk about it as one of our favorite holiday traditions. It costs nothing (except the food pantry donations they collect, which is wonderful), and we make a night of it—we often stay for over an hour! Being out in the cold, dark air surrounded by twinkle lights always feels super festive and gets us all in the holiday spirit.”
Mary Catherine Starr is the artist behind the @momlife_comics Instagram account and Momlife Comics: This Is Personal on Substack. She’s a graphic designer, author, yoga teacher, and mother of two young[ish] children, and her first book, Mama Needs a Minute, will be released in March 2025.
3. “We always take our little kids out one night to drive around and look at Christmas lights in the neighborhoods that have the best displays. It’s simple but so magical for the kids and brings us all a lot of joy just to look at beautiful things.”
Maggie Mertens is a freelance journalist, author of Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women, and host of the Gilmore Women podcast.
Watch a Holiday Movie (or Make it a Marathon)
4. “Every year since I was old enough to watch television—and probably also as a baby—my father and I have watched White Christmas together. Even during the two-and-a-half decades I lived in NYC, the moment I was home for the holidays, he’d froth some hot chocolate and I’d grab the blankets, and we’d stay up until the wee hours beating the actors to their lines. He’s 97 now, and we’ll be watching it again this year. It doesn’t truly feel like Christmas until we have laughed along with ‘Sisters’ and sung our hearts out to the title song.”
Jane Ratcliffe is a novelist, essayist, animal mama, White Christmas enthusiast, and writer of the newsletter Beyond with Jane Ratcliffe, which focuses on intimate, old-school interviews with today’s greatest authors.
5. “We’re trying to watch more movies together as a family. It doesn’t always work that we can all agree on which movie, but there is something about rewatching Elf for the zillionth time and still laughing that makes it worth it. I have a very cheap air popper, and I manually melt butter and add it to the air-popped popcorn, which tastes so much better. I’ll never go back to microwave popcorn.”
Rebecca Gale is a childcare reporter and founder of It Doesn't Have to Be This Hard.
6. “A holiday movie marathon with my husband and kids. We make popcorn and hot cocoa, and my youngest puts together a snack tray. Our go-to movies are The Grinch, Elf, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story. It’s one of my favorite traditions, and I hope my kids never outgrow it!”
Fran Hauser is an author, speaker, podcast host, and soon-to-be bookstore owner, and she writes two newsletters, From the Desk of Fran Hauser and BOOKS WITH BETHANY + FRAN.
7. “My boys are with their dad this year, so I’m probably going to be spending Christmas Day alone. I did it for the first time a couple of years ago and loved it. I can do whatever I want!! Which will probably be watching Hot Frosty in my Wham! Last Christmas sweatshirt with a mug of mulled wine and a mince pie.”
Keris Fox is the bestselling author of fourteen novels and creator of The Ladybird Purse • Opening up about money newsletter. She lives by the seaside in the northwest of England.
8. “We started our regular holiday movie watching early this year. Once dinner and homework are done, and the kids are bathed and in pajamas, we bake a few sugar cookies (specifically the pre-portioned ones with holiday designs) and settle in with a holiday movie. My boys, for whatever reason, love The Christmas Prince and The Princess Switch trilogies on Netflix, and we've already watched all six films this season (before Thanksgiving, at that!). It’s a very simple tradition, but one I look forward to every year (especially when my parents visit).”
Hitha Palepu is a multi-hyphenate: CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals; writer of her eponymous Substack, hitha; two-time author; and mom of two.
Do Some Crafts
9. “My kid loves those mini gingerbread house kits that you can buy at the grocery store, so we do one every year. For little kids, the trick is for the grown-up to assemble the house in advance (and let it dry!) and then the kid just decorates. I sometimes buy some extra candy, so we can really do it up.”
Laura Fenton is the author of the LIVING SMALL newsletter and The Little Book of Living Small.
10. “Each year, we love to make salt dough ornaments of my kids’ hands to give to grandparents and keep for ourselves. The dough is made with salt, flour, and water (ingredients you likely already have), and then you just bake them in the oven. We decorate them with paint or with sharpies. It’s fun to see how the kids grow each year. This idea came from my best friend’s mom, who has a tree decorated with just her daughters’ handprint ornaments from over the years, and I always thought it was so special.”
Ellie Rineck is a working mom of two, host of A Day in Her Life podcast, a hobbyist, and an avid reader in Boston.
11. “This year, instead of taking professional pictures for postcards, we are thinking of doing a DIY version. All we need is our phone for the camera, a cardboard box, some random items from our Christmas tree—lights, ornaments—and, of course, the star of the show: a (hopefully) cooperative toddler. If all goes well, we are only paying for printing costs but get to have these pictures forever.”
Marc Typo is a father and husband living in Birmingham, AL, who writes about the joy of being a dad in his newsletter, Raising Myles.
12. “I’m making my own holiday cards this year! It started as a weekend activity to keep my toddler busy, but I kind of got into it. We grab a bunch of magazines, glue, and some blank cards I bought at the dollar store. My kid gets to practice his scissor skills, and I make these little holiday-themed collages. It’s a lot of fun!”
Kristin Wong is a writer and journalist who covers social science and pens the Untranslatable newsletter.
13. “I make dried-orange-and-cranberry garland for our Christmas tree and mantle every year. I love the natural touch it gives to our holiday decor, and our apartment smells amazing when the oranges are cooking. It’s also a fun activity for kids—our toddler loves to help string up the oranges and cranberries!”
Kelley MacDonald is a freelance writer and editor and the founder of Park Slope Times, a newsletter about the people and culture of Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Be a Tourist in Your Own Town
14. “My partner and I have a winter ritual of getting decadent hot chocolates at L.A. Burdick, a fancy chocolate store and cafe in Harvard Square. It’s always so warm and festive in the shop—with a good mix of families buying pastries and hot chocolates, shoppers picking up boxes of chocolates for gifts, and people drawn in by the window displays. Highly recommend!”
Aja Frost is the cofounder and author of platonic love.
15. “For the past two years since moving to Evanston, IL, we’ve gone to the holiday festivities on Central Street. Last year, we went to the tree lighting, and it truly felt like something out of a Hallmark movie with all the lights and families walking around, plus we got to take a picture with Santa. This year, we went on a holiday stroll, our daughter participated in the storytime with her friends, we rode the trolley (for free), and took pictures with Santa again. Of course, we ended up supporting the small businesses on that street by buying coffee and ice cream, but I love that the city has these free, family-friendly events all season long.”
L'Oreal Thompson Payton is an award-winning journalist and the author of Stop Waiting for Perfect: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Into Your Power and the newsletter LT in the City Weekly.
16. “I’ve been loving enjoying the holiday-themed window displays on Fifth and Madison Avenues! I am also doing a Secret Santa gift exchange with friends to avoid spending too much on gifts for everyone!”
Maria DeVoto writes Ten Dollar Latte about spending and living intentionally in NYC as a woman in her 20s.
17. “In my (many) years spent living alone in NYC, I developed a solo holiday ritual: First, an evening walk through a picturesque neighborhood, thermos of hot chocolate in hand, drinking up the scent of Christmas tree stands, the glow of twinkle lights, and the warm scenes glimpsed through windows. Back home, I’d watch When Harry Met Sally, which boasts multiple holiday scenes but is not officially a holiday movie, and always feels just the right amount of festive. Though life now has a different shape, my husband and I have continued the tradition, where the annual When Harry Met Sally walk provides a night of quiet respite amid a season of madness.”
Caroline Cala Donofrio is an author, editor, and writer of the newsletter Between a Rock and a Card Place.
18. “Washington’s dark, rainy winters can feel like a long slog; I’m trying to change that by going on an adventure to my local floating ‘social sauna,’ where visitors spend time sweating before jumping into frigid Lake Washington together. (I went on Black Friday as a fun alternative to shopping!)”
Based in the Pacific Northwest, Maddie Burton is a former financial planner who writes On The Cusp.
Curate Thoughtful Gifts (You don’t have to spend a lot—or anything at all!)
19. “This is going to sound like an absolutely shameless plug for Substack, but one of my favorite gift ideas is assembling curated lists of Substack writers, publications, and posts for friends and family (almost playlists, if you will). I’m lucky enough to be exposed to so many incredible writers, podcasters, and creators in my job who my friends may not know about, so I always try to find new people they may not have heard of. No more than 10 recommendations max, and I often just send them the list and call it a day—they can decide who to pay for from there. But sometimes, if I’m super confident they’ll love someone from my list (or I’m feeling extra generous), I’ll also pay for a few months of a gift subscription!”
Bailey Dunn works on the Substack partnerships team and also writes Park It, a Substack all about Parks and Rec.
20. “Zero-cost gifts! I always forget one word in particular, and it’s happened a few times with a friend, so I asked her to research my description of the word and tell me what it is for Christmas. What could be more satisfying??”
Leslie Stephens is a Portland, OR-based writer, editor, and founder of the morning person newsletter. She’s obsessed with living a more intentional, meaning-filled life.
21. “Holidays are better with a dog. This year, the only cooking we’re doing is scrambling a special egg for our pup. Otherwise, it’s takeout and pie. The holidays are a great opportunity to foster. Follow local rescues on Instagram—they’re always looking for last-minute help around the holidays.”
Melanie Ehrenkranz is a writer and creator of Laid Off, the coolest place on the internet to talk about being laid off.
Bake!
22. “We make cardamom buns from scratch on Christmas morning and then play board games by candlelight in the evening! After the kiddos are asleep, we’ll probably watch the Christmas episode of Mr. Bean. I want ALL the coziness on Christmas day.”
Sri Juneja writes Readable Moments, a newsletter about finding the perfect children’s book for those important, teachable moments so you and your kids can learn and bond together.
23. “My friends and I are keeping it low-key with no gift exchanges this year, but I plan to drop off candy and baked goods at their front doors as a tiny treat. (Shh. It’s a surprise.)”
Sarah Shapiro is the retail-obsessed author of Retail Diary.
24. “Gosh I love to feed the holiday spirit with food! Every year I bake cookies with my kids to give to the doormen, teachers, sitters, and hosts. While homemade goodies sometimes end up costing more than packaged alternatives, baking ingredients fall into multiple budget categories (gifts, hobbies, kids’ activities, food, tips, to name a few!). As such, a bit of convoluted math suggests the tradition is relatively low cost.”
Elizabeth Narins is a mother of two, freelance writer, and the voice behind the More Than Mom newsletter.
25. “My 5-year-old is conceptualizing wild baked goods, and then we’re making them together experiment-style and sharing them with friends. So far his creative brief for us includes: ‘something with cheese but it’s sweet and also blue’ and ‘cake with apples but it’s a brownie with frosting.’ Who knows where we will land!”
Erika Velazquez Alpern is a marketing and media person, Brooklyn mom, and cofounder of The Purse.
Host at Home
26. “We’re hosting a hot chocolate bar at our apartment for close friends in the neighborhood. Toppings, mix-ins, all of it. It’s a great way for people like me who don’t drink to celebrate. And way less expensive!”
Erika Veurink is a writer and founder of EV Salon and the Long Live newsletter.
27. “I recommend a Christmas breakfast over Christmas dinner. I usually make a selection of scones and have bowls of fresh berries and whipped cream and fancy coffee concoctions (or mimosas for adults). Add bacon, sausage, and some kind of egg-y casserole as desired. The night before, set a formal table with cloth napkins, candles, and all your table bling. This is vastly cheaper than buying a turkey or ham and feels really special. I came up with this idea the first Christmas after my marriage broke up, since the kids were spending that evening with their dad. I declared we had a new tradition, and we’ve kept it. It keeps me from cooking all day long, too!”
Michelle Teheux is a Midwestern writer on Substack (Untrickled) and Medium who often focuses on topics like money and culture. She’s the author of the novel The Trailer Park Rules.
28. “We normally travel to visit family in both Texas and Florida for the holidays. This year we were able to convince everyone to come to us!”
Andre Nader is a semi-retired tech worker who is focused on helping others reach financial independence through his newsletter, FAANG FIRE.
29. “I love to watch The Holiday with friends and have a cozy dinner. You can watch it on Amazon Prime or rent it for $3.99. I love this movie so much and even convinced my Gen Z coworker to watch it (she loved it). Nancy Meyers nails the sets, and I love the Hanukkah angle since there is not enough Hanukkah in pop culture. Also Jude Law in glasses—need I say more? Alongside the movie, we make some kind of baked pasta and light lots of candles to be cozy.”
Abigail Koffler writes the food newsletter This Needs Hot Sauce, works in PR for food and beverage brands, and reads a lot of library books!
30. “My girlfriends and I are having a cookie decorating night together this December. We’ll make mulled wine and decorate sugar cookies while hanging out in our coziest loungewear—a perfect evening in!”
Set a Cozy Scene with Music and Candles
31. “I really love tapping into coziness this time of year. We have the ‘Fireplace for Your Home’ video playing on Netflix almost every night (we rotate who gets to choose ‘classic’ or ‘birch’). I light taper candles and sometimes set out a simmer pot on the stove (though I have to set a timer to remind myself to turn off the burner, eeeep). Firelight (even on a screen), candlelight, and twinkly Christmas tree lights go a long way toward helping me actually enjoy the darker months.”
Anna Maltby is a health journalist, personal trainer, and the author of How to Move, an anti-diet newsletter about fitness.
32. “I’m keeping our Spotify Christmas playlist jamming in the car. It’s impossible to be gloomy when listening to ‘Holly Jolly Christmas.’ Plus we often all sing along!”
Cindy DiTiberio writes the newsletter The Mother Lode.
Just Get Out of Town
33. “We’re Jewish, so the holidays are always pretty low-obligation for us, which is nice. However, my husband and I are taking advantage of the time off by dumping our kids at my in-laws to get away for a few nights locally on the cheap!”
Heather Sundell is a writer, mom, digital strategist, Ph.D. student in organizational psychology, and founder of the MissHezah Letter.
34. “My husband, my two-year-old son, and I are escaping the Boston cold and spending a week in Los Angeles over Christmas (an easier sell since we’re Jewish). Flights weren’t cheap, but we’re saving thousands by flying on Christmas Day, and we’re cat/house sitting for friends who will be away over the holidays. We don’t really have any set plans—I’m just excited for some warm downtime, plus beach walks, tacos, and playground hopping!”
Aliza Sir is the cofounder and author of platonic love, a relationships newsletter (“by friends, for friends”).
Do a Little of All of It (But Not Too Much of Anything)
35. “Cozy is key! We view the winter holidays as the perfect time to unplug and unwind together as family and really just focus on each other. We watch movie marathons, bake a ton, and go for drives with hot chocolate to check out the lights.”
Heather Joelle Boneparth is a lawyer, writer, and coauthor of The Joint Account, a couples and money newsletter.
36. “I am going old fashioned this year: writing handwritten notes on lovely paper, baking molasses cookies, and taking gag gifts very seriously. A good gag gift is extremely underrated and can be such a fun and thoughtful way to bring joy to your friends and family for under $15. Etsy has a lot of great inspo!”
Carly Valancy is obsessed with networking. She helps people and companies find their people and writes about it in her newsletter, a good omen.
37. “My tangible answer: I love the daily joy of Advent calendars—the classic kind with chocolate squares behind cardboard doors, available for $1.29 at Trader Joe’s (or most any grocery store).
“My non-tangible answer: Opting in to annual gatherings and events, even if you’re feeling a bit reluctant to socialize this year—but also opting out without shame if it’s an annual tradition that consistently brings you misery (and the wisdom to know the difference).”
Amrita Vijayaraghavan is a writer (Emergency Contacts newsletter), podcaster, artistic hustler, and baby-food entrepreneur (?!) in Brooklyn.
Let Go of Some Responsibilities and Embrace a Slower Pace
38. “This year, instead of a holiday to-do list, I’m starting a ‘don’t list’ of stuff I won’t do this holiday season. It helps remind me that there are so many things you can ‘add’ that can make this stressful, which I’ve fallen into in the past. On the don’t list so far is: Christmas cards, Elf on the Shelf, Advent calendars, and Chanukah gifts (it starts Christmas day this year). Having a don’t list lets me focus on activities everyone in our family enjoys without getting stretched too thin. Those activities include selecting and decorating a Christmas tree, playing dreidel, and attending our dear friends’ seven fishes Christmas Eve dinner. ‘Less is more’ is my motto this year!”
Katherine Goldstein is a journalist and mom of three who writes The Double Shiftnewsletter. She’s working on a book that teaches people how to build community.
39. “I’m obsessed with the book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, by Katherine May. I feel like everyone talks about life in terms of ‘seasons’ nowadays, and it can get a little cheesy, but Wintering is such a powerful exploration of the value and importance of darker, shorter, colder days—both literal and metaphorical. It’s so comforting if you feel like you aren’t in a blossoming, thriving moment of life and helps you see the actual season of winter differently, too. I read it for the first time in 2021, and now I reread it every winter, always getting something new out of it. It actually makes me look forward to this season and look for the possibility of beauty and magic within it.”
40. “I’m leaning into my annual urge to hibernate when the days are cold and short by getting into bed with a good book as early as I want—even if it’s 7:30 p.m., and my kids won’t go to bed for hours. Snuggling into my flannel sheets, leaving bedtime duty to my husband, and immersing myself in a great story feels like a delicious treat!”
Amelia Wilson is the author of Some Happy Scribbles, a weekly newsletter packed with genius ideas and wise advice for infusing more joy, delight, and fun into everyday life.
41. And if all else fails—hell, we’re all human, and the holidays are hard—just take a page from the amazing Cat Popper and shake your Christmas butt ’til your cranky goes away.
And you made it to the end! Happy holidays! Thank you for being such amazing readers! ❤️
Please share in the comments how you like to celebrate!
I’ve never felt so nostalgic as when I read the phrase “eat Superdawg in the car”
My husband found an Advent calendar for Cats at Costco. Each day, a different toy. We make him open the little doors with his paws and shriek in delight while he gives us his best “I’m too cool for this” look. And then he goes beserk!