16 Ideas For New Things To Try On Christmas Eve

The most frequently used emoji in 2021, how to freshen your jeans without washing them, and more. December 22, 2021 [View Online]( Good morning! Some family traditions go back so far that it’s hard to imagine life without them, but every tradition started somewhere. And since variety is the spice of life, think of the 16 Christmas Eve ideas in Today’s Good Thing as pre-traditions just waiting to be established. Also in today’s newsletter, I’ve got a new Quiz Corner for you about the expressive symbols that say so much on our behalf: emoji. Think you know which emoji was used the most this year? Read on to find out. Jillee DAYS UNTIL 🎄 Christmas: 3 🎊 New Year's Day: 10 TODAY'S GOOD THING 16 Ideas For New Things To Try On Christmas Eve [Photos of various Christmas Eve ideas.]( When observing your time-honored Christmas Eve traditions, why not try a few new ones too? Our family's current slate of Christmas Eve traditions, which includes a screening of Elf and a dinner of Scandinavian meatballs, doesn’t look anything like it did back when our kids were little. I remember the first time I realized our traditions were changing, because it was the day we had “the talk” with our youngest son Sten. No, not that talk—the one where we confirmed his growing suspicions about Santa Claus. And I was as disappointed as Sten was, because I realized our family would be entering a new phase of our Christmas celebrations, one without Santa-related traditions like leaving out cookies for him and carrots for his reindeer. Since then, I’ve made peace with the fact that change is a constant in life, and that includes things like Christmas Eve traditions. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because for every tradition your family grows out of, you make room to create new memories and traditions. So in the spirit of being open to new things, I challenged myself to brainstorm a list of ideas for new things you can try with your family on Christmas Eve. I ended up with 16 fun, creative, family-friendly, service-oriented, and treat-centric Christmas Eve ideas, any of which could be a new tradition in the making. Find the list below! [16 Christmas Eve Ideas To Try ➜]( Related • [This Is The Smartest Thing You Can Do Before Christmas Eve]( • [21 Hilarious Christmas Party Games To Liven Up Your Holiday!]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • For those really, really last-minute gifts, all 20 of these gift ideas will be easy to find at your nearest grocery store. [Read more ➜]( • If there’s one skill you’ll thank yourself for learning, it’s how to make poached eggs (and it’s easier than you think). [Read more ➜]( • From treating minor wounds to soothing symptoms from a cough or cold, these 9 natural remedies go a long way. [Read more ➜]( QUIZ CORNER Emoji Of The Year Which emoji was used most frequently in 2021? (Scroll down to see the correct answer.) A. ❤️ B. 😍 C. 🤣 D. 😂 E. 😊 WASH IT WEDNESDAY Freeze Your Jeans To Freshen Them [A photo of jeans in a canvas bag inside a freezer.]( Your washing machine isn’t your only appliance that can freshen up your favorite pair of jeans. It takes time and patience to break in a pair of jeans, and once they get to that perfectly worn state, the thought of putting them through your washer and dryer can fill you with dread. Having your jeans go from “perfectly worn and comfortable” to “fresh-out-of-the-dryer stiff” is a tragedy, but luckily for us, it’s also an avoidable one. Instead of tossing your broken-in jeans in your washing machine when they’re in need of freshening up, pop them in your freezer instead. While the temperature in your freezer isn’t quite low enough to kill odor-causing bacteria, it will put it into a dormant state and buy you a few days of fresher-smelling jeans. Fortunately, if the thought of putting off laundering your jeans grosses you out, consider [this study from the University of Alberta]( which found that a pair of jeans that had been worn for 15 months without being washed didn't harbor any harmful bacteria. BEAUTY Be The Highlight Of Your Holiday Gatherings [A photo of Maybelline Facestudio Master Chrome Highlighter.]( For a festive holiday look that’s perfect for parties and gatherings, reach for your favorite highlighter. Aesthetically speaking, the holiday season is all about shimmer and shine, and incorporating some shimmer into your makeup for a party or gathering can be a fun (and easy!) way to add a hint of holiday glamour to your look. Personally, my favorite way to add some shimmer to my makeup for special occasions is using highlighter. The two most popular types of highlighter are creams and powders. Experts say cream highlighter is best for dry skin, but in my experience, it tends to melt fairly quickly. I’ve also found that the cream likes to settle into the lines and creases on my face, which are definitely not the features I want to highlight. So I prefer powder, which has a high concentration of shimmer and gives you more control over how much or little you want to use. Use a highlighting brush to apply a powder highlighter (I like the [Maybelline Facestudio Master Chrome Highlighter]( to any of these areas for a radiant glow that's perfect for a holiday gathering: • Apples of your cheeks • Below your eyebrows • Inner corners of your eyes • Bridge of your nose • Lower chin • Cupid's bow (center of your upper lip) JILLEE'S PICK Living Vicariously Through Ina’s Instagram Feed [An image of two phones displaying different parts of Ina Garten's Instagram account.]( Ina Garten is one of my cooking and lifestyle idols and has been for decades, and I never miss an opportunity to experience her life vicariously through her TV shows and other projects. I’m sure I’m not the only one who daydreams about being invited to one of the Barefoot Contessa's fabulous brunches or garden parties! If you too have an elaborate fantasy of living in the Hamptons and being part of Ina’s inner circle, then you should definitely be following her on Instagram ([@inagarten](. It's a treasure trove of images that capture Ina’s brand of elegance—a flourishing dahlia bush here, and a box of juicy Cara Cara oranges there. What makes Ina Garten the “hostess with the mostess” in my eyes is her emphasis on hospitality. She may have more money to put into throwing a party than the rest of us, but everything she does is in the name of making her guests feel welcome and at ease, and that’s something we can all emulate in our own way at home. A FEW MORE THINGS... Here Come The Cookies: It’s National Cookie Exchange Day, ideally situated in the pre-Christmas period when you can still show up on your neighbor’s porch with an offering of cookies without worrying if you're interrupting family time. Celebrate the occasion by giving someone cookies today—whether you made them yourself or not, it’s the thought that counts! On This Day: In 1808, Ludwig van Beethoven [performed and conducted a 4-hour concert]( inside the bitterly cold Theater an der Wien in Vienna. Those who braved the long, frigid concert witnessed the premiere of several of Beethoven's new compositions, including his famous [Symphony No. 5](. ([Dun dun dun dunnnnn…]( ANSWER D. In 2021, 😂 (Face with Tears of Joy) accounted for over 5% of all emoji use. The second most used emoji this year was ❤️ (Red Heart), followed by 🤣👍😭🙏😘🥰😍😊 in order from third to tenth. This is [according to the Unicode Consortium]( the organization responsible for creating the Unicode Standard. This standard makes it possible for our devices to share and exchange text in any written language, as well as in symbols like emoji. What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. 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