Last second, Phil was able to get off work for the 24th so we made a quick change of plans. We drove back home to Portland for a quick impromptu Christmas in our apartment.

At the beginning of 2020, our holiday plans involved the possibility of heading back to Ohio. Kelsey's mom's new house was scheduled to be finished and we were still planning on being nomads relocating from rental to rental.

· Related: Ohio Travel Ideas and Destinations ·

Of course, this year had other plans. Several things kind of threw a wrench making everything up in the air.

• The crazy job market made planning around the holidays difficult
• We were already in Ohio for three months during the summer
• We moved to Portland and got an apartment
• The new house needs a bit more time before completion
• WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC

So here we were in December of 2020 with chilling in a hotel as the only plan for Christmas. But the stars aligned and with the extra-long weekend, the 8-hour drive to Portland seemed more than worth it.

The problem is we weren't planning on going home so we had nothing ready. But we're always up for a challenge and in the end, we had a perfect impromptu Christmas.

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Holiday Decorations

We just moved into an empty apartment and the last thing on our minds was holiday decorations. By the time we knew our plans, it was the 23rd so that makes decking out our home even more difficult.

Since we're minimalists it's not like we wanted tons of stuff but we want it to be at least a little special. Just something that says IT'S CHRISTMAS.

Spoiler alert...we were not able to get a tree in time. Phil is a real tree kinda guy and everything nearby closed by mid-day on the 23rd.

We could have got a fake tree but the selection was slim and why buy something you don't really want? But have no fear we actually pulled something off.

It's All About the Lights

From work, Phil got a $50 gift card to a nearby hardware store. We went real quick before leaving town and the selection was scarce.

We figured to get the biggest bang for our buck let's just get whatever lights they had left. Luckily, we ended up finding some LED lights and some bigger bulbs to put around.

That's when we discovered that it turns out all you really need is some lights. Just four boxes of lights turned our apartment from meh to MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Holiday Activities

Even though we had little to no plans for our last second Christmas celebration we did make sure to plan a few holiday activities. Just simple things to help put us in the Christmas spirit.

Finding the Plastic Santas

A couple of days before Christmas, Phil saw on the news that every year in Portland a guy sets up a bunch of plastic Santas. He gives a hint on where to find them to add to the fun.

This year with everything going on he made it extra easy to find them so on Christmas eve morning we drove over to check them out. They were all set up in an open studio and even had little masks on.

It turned out even more adorable than we expected. If you go when it's dark out they are all lit up but we preferred to go when no one else would be around.

Making Christmas Treats

We love making some sweet Christmas treats during the holiday season. You get to enjoy the time making the treats but then have an even better time eating them.

We decided to make chocolate covered pretzels and Christmas cookies. Decorating Christmas cookies is one of Kelsey's favorite holiday activities and Phil loves anything sweet.

We put on some holiday music and many so many yummy treats our stomachs may explode later. In case you were curious...everything was delicious.

Christmas Morning Walk

The weather in Portland on Christmas morning was a perfect 40 degrees making it just right for a chilly walk around the city. Since we knew we would be spending most of the weekend relaxing inside we wanted to start the day with some light but enjoyable exercise.

Kelsey filled up her travel mug with hot coffee and we walked four miles along the river. We got back home just in time for it to rain making for an even more perfect day.

Holiday Movies

The easiest holiday activity anyone can do is to sit down and watch a Christmas movie. We bundled up with warm blankets on the couch, drank hot cocoa, and watched Let It Snow on Netflix.

As far as movies go we would give it a 10/10. It had humor, romance, and of course plenty of Christmas references.

Holiday Meals

We went shopping early in the morning on Christmas Eve which might sound like a disaster but it wasn't bad at all. We shopped at Fred Meyer (Kroger but on the West Coast) and they were ready for the holiday rush.

Before heading into the store we made a list of one main but easy meal to make on Christmas day and any other little things that could add to the holiday spirit. We were in and out in under 20 minutes then were able to relax for the rest of the time.

Easy but Fancy Pasta

Pasta might not sound fancy but we decided to spice it up by getting the higher end items we always pass on. We also bought bread from the bakery to turn into cheesy garlic bread.

It ended up being the perfect meal because it was easy but filling. We also tossed in a bag of salad mix because you can't forget your vegetables.

Hot Cocoa

Hot cocoa is one of those things that is so simple but makes for the coziest winter drink perfect for Christmas. We had this on our shopping list but Kelsey's mom beat us to it.

We had a package waiting for us filled with different types of vegan hot cocoa and bags of vegan marshmallows. Phil's favorite was the mint hot chocolate but Kelsey likes the caramel dark hot chocolate.

Cookies

The goal is to go all out one year with homemade everything but for a last-second Christmas celebration, we opted for a giant tube of sugar cookie dough. We bought some green sprinkles and we were good to go.

Since we wanted it to be a little bit homemade we used an easy powder sugar icing recipe. All we needed was powder sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.

Wine

Not even sure if you can count having wine as a super special Christmas holiday drink but hey it's not something you want to forget. Phil doesn't drink but Kelsey wanted a glass or two while winding down.

We bought a cheap but delicious brand called Dark Horse and were ready to go. It was only 7 bucks and lasted the entire long weekend.

Gifts

We can't end a post involving Christmas without one quick mention of gifts. It might seem weird but we do not exchange gifts on Christmas.

Our typical Christmas gift-giving involves us buying something together that we wanted for a while but always put off. This year with everything going on there wasn't anything we felt was worth it.

Even though we didn't exchange gifts our parents sent some things in the mail and gave us some gift cards for a post-Christmas shopping spree. The cats really had a field day thanks to receiving about a million toys.

We loved how our Christmas turned out even if it was planned last second. Since we live a simplicity lifestyle maybe an impromptu Christmas was what we needed all along.

How was your 2020 Christmas? Probably not what you expected but we hope it turned out surprisingly well just like ours.

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