The 12 Dates of Christmas 2008

Click here for a complete listing of the 12 Dates of Christmas.

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Tacky bowling

Date 12: Visit your local Salvation Army to buy the perfect tacky Christmas sweaters (eBay is also a great option). Deck yourself in holiday ugliness and go bowling.

What you'll love: Nothing feels better than wool/polyester-blend fibers against your chilled skin (on second thought, layers are HIGHLY recommended). Who doesn't love showing their holiday spirit on their sleeves? You're guaranteed to bowl better. (Or maybe you'll just look crazier).

Cost: $$$
(Sweaters will be $5-$20 each; bowling is about $25)

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Winter photo shoot

Date 11: Bundle up in your warmest gloves and mittens and go on a wintry photo shoot. Take turns being the photographer and the subject, using props, settings and movement to evoke a specific mood.

What you'll love: With the sole purpose of taking cool and interesting pictures, you'll get in touch with your inner top model and photo director. Experiment with lighting, shooting from different angles and capturing parts of the face or body. You'll love (and maybe hate) seeing yourself through the lens of your loved one. When you're finished, comb through the pictures for your favorites, make prints and add them to a special place in your house.

Cost: FREE!
(Optional prints will be a few dollars).

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Cold night in

Date 10: Buy a gallon of limited edition peppermint ice cream, rent your favorite Christmas flick (recommended: White Christmas or Meet Me in St. Louis) and have a romantic night in.

What you'll love: Don't feel guilty as you polish off the entire container of ice cream (no dishes allowed). Sit back and let yourself be filled with the movie-induced warm Christmas fuzzies mingled with a sugar high. Bonus: It might (read: will) get chilly, guess you'll have to snuggle!

Cost: $
(About $7, including movie rental).

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Get your vintage craft on!

Date 9: Visit an antique district and search for vintage Christmas decorations. (For the best shops in D.C., click here). Find a few gems to add to your collection. If you're feeling crafty, make your own vintage-inspired pushpin ornaments (see above). All you need is an array of foam balls, ribbons, pins, sequins and beads!

What you'll love: Searching through shelves of crap for the diamonds in the rough will keep you laughing (and you're sure to try on fun costume jewelry and smoking jackets as you go). If you're crafting, you can channel your inner granny to create a few sparkly additions to the Christmas tree.

Cost: $$-$$$
($20-$40, depending on whether you're homemaking or antiquing).

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Breakfast of champions

Date 8: Tie on your aprons and whip up a breakfast of homemade donuts. Pick all of your favorite toppings --chocolate ganache, maple frosting, holiday sprinkles or classic cinnamon and sugar -- and start your day on a sugar high.

What you'll love: Don't be intimidated by the cooking. This recipe is super simple, employing pre-made pizza dough. Have a contest to see who can shape the most perfect donut. Then feed each other the deliciousness. (Don't forget to taste the chocolate ganache -- by licking it off a finger?)

Cost: $
(About $10 for ingredients).

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- La la la la la

Date 7: Employ everyone's friend Google to find a free holiday sing-along in your neighborhood. Go and sing your heart out.

What you'll love: Whether it's a performance of Handle's masterpiece Messiah or a medley of Jingle Bells, you'll both enjoy the uplifting sounds of the season. Or you can just giggle together about how off-key you sound.

Cost: FREE!

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Twenty good things

Date 6: Withdraw $20 in $1 bills from your checking account and spread some Christmas cheer to strangers. Whether it's the homeless man near the Metro, an unsuspecting customer at the gas station, the car behind you at a drive-through or the bell ringer by the Salvation Army bucket, this surprise gift will make someone's day. Just present the money, and offer a genuine smile and a "Merry Christmas!"

What you'll love: Christmas should be a time of reflection, gratitude and generosity. What better way to celebrate your love together than by doing something selfless and kind?

Cost: $20
(Or more, if you're feeling generous).

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Go with the glow!

Date 6: You saw how the Joneses (and Smiths and Warlinskis) are rolling this Christmas -- time to visit the big leagues. Go see a professional Christmas light display in your city. Whether you're in DC, SLC or NYC (or somewhere not ending in "C"), the professional lights are sure to brighten your date. (If you're desperate, lazy or desperate/lazy, visit this site for a tour of the best/tackiest houses in my neck of the woods -- no driving or warm jacket required -- thanks for the tip, Kara).

What you'll love: You'll be awed by the thousands of twinkling lights and grateful that your job merely requires you to sit behind a desk and click your mouse once in a while (no dangerous ladders involved). Besides, who doesn't look attractive admist the glow of rainbow-colored twinkling lights? Bonus: brisk temperatures requiring close bodily proximity.

Cost: FREE!

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Glitter, spice...whatever you think is nice!

Date 5: Start your own homemade Christmas tradition -- gum drop wreaths, hand-crafted (yet simple) gifts, personalized Christmas decorations, baked goods -- whatever you decide, it should be made with love. Work together to figure out the perfect homespun creation; ours is candy cane fudge. We mail loads of packages across the U.S. (and Canada) to our friends and family every Christmas.

What you'll love: Traditions are romantic, trust me. Okay, maybe not exactly romantic, but it is fun to stretch your creative muscles with the one you love. Find a project that utilizes both of your talents (in the case of our fudge, Chris is the technician, I'm the master packager; we're both the tasters). Regardless of the project, you'll both feel super festive (and frisky?) after whipping up your holiday delight. And you'll look forward to the event every December.

Cost: $$$
(Mailing fudge is rewarding yet pricey, but this date can be done on the cheap.)

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Music and stamps

Date 4: Snuggle up on the couch by the glow of the Christmas tree lights, turn on your favorite musical and address Christmas cards. I chose The Sound of Music. (Why this movie makes me think of Christmas is inexplicable. Maybe I'm inspired by the DIY drapes as play clothes?)

What you'll love: Christmas card addressing will be 100 percent less boring when you're singing at the top of your lungs. You'll turn a mundane have-to-do task into auditory bliss. And even if you're not a fan of Christmas cards or musicals, you can occupy yourself with at least two hours of eye rolling.

Cost: FREE!
(except for the Christmas cards, but we're only calculating the cost of the date).

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Ice Skating

Date 3: Ice skating at the National Sculpture Garden outdoor rink. Don't live by the sculpture garden? That's why God invented planes. Or you can improvise by visiting a local ice (or roller) skating rink and then walking past a sculpture on your way home. Same difference.

What you'll love: Depending on your skill level, you'll love laughing at your partner's incessant spills. Or maybe you'll love playing the damsel in distress, necessitating much hand-holding and "saving" from falls. The best part will likely be the warm, soothing bath at the end of your date.

Cost: $$
($20, including rentals)

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Technicolor Melodies

Date 2: Download a playlist of recommended "Jingle Jams" from NPR, bundle up in puffy jackets and go for a stroll through your neighborhood to see the Christmas lights. If it's really cold outside, burn the songs onto a CD, pack into your car and enjoy the lights in heated comfort. Don't forget your minty gum for all of the festive smooching that may ensue.

What you'll love: Sharing earbuds could be the funnest part (especially if you suffer a large height discrepancy like the Mr. and me). The Christmas spirit will be bubbling in your veins as you hum happy holiday melodies and judge your neighbors' levels of Christmas spirit and decorating prowess. You could even take a small pad of paper to rate the tackiness, comparing notes at the end of the night.

Cost: FREE!

Promise me one thing -- your playlist MUST include It's Christmas Eve in Washington. It's only fun if we suffer together.

(If you live in the neighborhood next to this house, I'm so jealous! Unless those lights are keeping you up at night, in which case I'm sorry.)

Please note my suggested 12 Dates of Christmas are meant to be economical, fun, off beat and celebrations of the love that should abound during the season (as opposed to the stress I tend to embrace.) You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a memorable holiday!

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The 12 Dates of Christmas -- Chocolate Guffaws

Let's pretend for a second that my hot husband didn't have three gigantic papers due in a week. Let's also pretend my apartment was already decorated to the nines (or 10s? 11s?), fudge and cards were in the mail, and I had wads of cash to spoil my loved ones and acquaintances with everything on their Christmas lists.

But Heidi is right -- "Law school is a jealous mistress." And my apartment looks like a tsunami swept through, leaving Christmas jumbled on every visible surface (not in a good way).

As for the gifts, you know I can't give away Santa's secrets.

But I will divulge my original plan for a meaningful Christmas with hot husband:

The 12 Dates of Christmas

Date 1: Visit Murky Coffee (660 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, or 3211 Wilson Blvd., Arlington) for the famous "$5 Hot Chocolate," settle into a cozy corner and read David Sedaris' "Holidays on Ice" aloud.

What you'll love: straight-forward, legendary hot cocoa (only available in 12-ounce servings with NO whipped cream), hip indie ambiance and stories to remind you that you're family could be crazier. Think of all the Christmas flirting you can do while reading, giggling and coyly stirring your hot cocoa.

Cost: $
(All you need is love and about $10.)

Stay tuned for more dates!

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