INDIANAPOLIS — Twelve days from Christmas is when some of us start our Christmas countdowns. But if you can't afford five golden rings, as the song says, Cherie Lowe, the Queen of Free, has plenty of ideas to build excitement without blowing your budget.
"You don’t need a fancy advent calendar or expensive extras," she said in her blog. "You can build the excitement for Christmas this year (and years to come) with your own specialized traditions!"
Her list of ideas includes watching a Christmas movie each day leading up to Christmas, counting down with practical gifts like toiletries, or cooking special meals or desserts for the days leading up to Christmas.
Or, you could try giving your time for gifts of service, or playing a different game on each night before Christmas.
Watch more of the ideas Cherie shared on 13Sunrise in the video player above.