The Christmas season is now officially here! Make the most of this holiday season by spending time with your friends and family making memories! Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Bake cookies - Christmas cookies are a must this time of year. Break out a cookbook, or google, and some red and green sprinkles. Don't forget to save a couple for Santa!

2. Christmas movie nights - This one should be a no-brainer. Free Form, formerly known as ABC Family, is packed with all of the best holiday movies. Go to their website and check out which movies you want to see and plan movie nights around them! There's just something special about Christmas movies that gets everyone into the Christmas spirit.

3. Rock out to Christmas music in your car - You rock out to music in your car every day anyway, so why not bite the bullet and switch it to a Christmas station. If you're lucky you'll find Frank Sinatra or Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers serenading you with classics. Follow their lead and serenade your steering wheel or your passenger.

4. Drive around and look at Christmas lights - Ok, seriously, who doesn't love Christmas lights? Delight the little kid left in you, waste a tank of gas, and try to find the most magical light display out this year.

5. Drink hot chocolate - For real, no explanation needed. Add some cool whip and cinnamon instead of marshmallows. I dare you. It's life changing. You're welcome.

6. Have a Christmas party - You're going to see all of your family, so throw a bash with your friends! Everyone can be in charge of one aspect of the party and just have a fun night in laughing and playing secret Santa. Go ahead and bring some of those Christmas cookies and hot chocolate. Don't forget to bust out the ugly Christmas sweaters for an ugly Christmas sweater contest!

7. Volunteer and/or donate - There is so much help needed this time of year in every corner of our world. Go pitch in. If you can't pitch in then donate to one of the millions of food or toy drives in your area. Just make a selfless act. You'll feel good and in turn someone else will feel good from your efforts.

8. Make Christmas candy - This one is similar to the cookie thing. Making Christmas candy is always fun to do with a friend or sibling or child, and it isn't the same as cookies. Make peppermint patties or chocolate dipped pretzel sticks rolled in crushed peppermints or peanut balls or fudge or anything your Christmas spirited heart desires! Go candy crazy! And then package them up and give them as homemade gifts to coworkers, family members, and friends!

9. Enjoy hot chocolate on a crisp walk outside - Back to the hot chocolate again. It really is a holiday staple. Plus, on a crisp walk around town see how the weather is changing the scenery, hot chocolate can keep your hands warm. Take your significant other with you. This is an A+ bonding opportunity. Share memories you have at different places you pass.

10. Go window shopping - We're not made of money, but we do like to wonder what we would buy if we were. Stores display all their bests at Christmas. Go take a peek! And maybe splurge a little to tell yourself Merry Christmas.