The holidays are a bustling time of year, whether we’re heading to gatherings, hosting our own, hitting the streets caroling, or attending a holiday play. But this month’s challenge is to celebrate together, and that means inviting your neighbors into your life and into that busyness!
(Miss the background on what the Love Your Hood Challenge is all about? Check it out here.)
Celebrate Together
Invite them in.
Have neighbors over for cookies and hot chocolate. Welcome a family to come sledding with your kids. Host a present-wrapping party and provide the supplies. Are they missing family? Invite them to your holiday dinner!
Progressive meals.
Looking for a way to change up your next dinner party? Split it! A progressive meal is where different courses are served at different homes. Start at one neighbor’s home for the drinks and/or appetizers, head down the street for the main course, and finish up at another home for dessert! It’s a great way to share the hosting responsibilities and further get to know your neighbors on a personal level. For an added twist, choose courses from the same cookbook or food blogger (Half-Baked Harvest is a Colorado-based favorite).
Random get-togethers.
Planning and schedule-swapping during the holidays can get overwhelming. Sometimes the best gatherings happen spontaneously! If you find yourself with a free evening, reach out to your neighbors for a simple get-together without the major coordination. The simplicity of playing some board games, throwing on the game or catching up over a bottle of wine can turn into memorable nights of connection.
Bonus Challenge
Just joining the challenge or looking to get your mind in the game? Read a book or listen to a podcast about neighboring to see what others have to say. A few ideas to pique your interest:
- The Everyday Hospitality podcast by Cole Lescher
- The Simplest Way to Change the World book by Dustin Willis
- Loving Our Neighbors Through Hospitality podcast by First Presbyterian Church of Santa Rosa
