I love Christmas. My love for it runs so deep I’m almost convinced it’s written into my DNA.

Christmas trees, lights, decor, books, movies (yes, even Hallmark), music — give me all of it. For years now, I’ve started listening to Christmas music on Nov. 1. I’ve long argued that there is too much beautiful Christmas music to restrict it to basically one month. There’s too much to fit in and enjoy. I reserve a few special songs specifically for after Thanksgiving, but others I begin listening to a little early. Speaking of Thanksgiving—I don’t skip over it. It gets plenty of love, too. But let’s be real: Thanksgiving music isn’t really a thing.

More than a decade ago, I started hosting a “Christmas in July” party at some point in the month of July. I was single at the time and would invite over friends to share some Christmasy treats and watch a Christmas movie. It was so much fun. I quickly learned a July party has its benefits. Realistically, December is usually jam-packed full of social obligations, so it allowed me to host a Christmas party without the schedule chaos of the actual holidays. Added perk: When the heat index is over 100 degrees and you break into a sweat almost as soon as you walk out the door, it’s kind of fun to dream of chilly winter nights and snow (not that seeing any around Christmas is a regular occurrence in Tennessee).

I continued that tradition with my husband after we started dating and married, but after my daughter was born, holding a party and inviting people over for an evening of fun just didn’t work. Putting babies or toddlers to bed and then trying to watch a Christmas movie just doesn’t mix well when you have a smaller house. However, as my kids grew, I came up with another idea that’s proven to be a simple, yet magical way to enjoy some family fun: Christmas in July Day!

My kids think it’s an actual holiday and I’m not eager to correct them. The premise is simple and that’s why I’m sharing it here. If you’re looking for a fun summer activity to do indoors on a hot or rainy day that doesn’t require much work, this fits the bill.

I keep our Christmas books, movies, and toys packed away outside of the holiday season. I realized a few years ago it really wouldn’t be much trouble at all to bring those back out for a day or two, then put them away again. You don’t even have to get all of them out, just a few will do. (We have a lot of books. Getting all of them out isn’t necessary. We’re not going to read them all, nor are we going to watch all the movies.) The kids haven’t seen them in months and they’re excited to play with them again. It doesn’t diminish the joy they feel in November when they come out for the season. It’s a delightful little sneak peek.

If you don’t have a holiday book or DVD stash or don’t want to dig them out, check out some books from your local library! It’s a great opportunity to snag some of those books that are always checked out with a deep waiting list in December. Most movie streaming sites usually have some Christmas movies available in July, too.

I do not bring out any of our actual decor (no Christmas tree) and the kids do not receive any presents. This is all for fun and intended to be simple!

In the morning, I bring out the toys and books and let them start playing. At some point during the day, we make cookies. I have some of the indoor snowballs (basically giant white pom-poms) and we have an indoor snowball fight. (Last year we attacked my husband with them when he walked through the door from work.) We watch a short movie after the kids’ rest time as they’re getting awake. One of our family traditions is to eat waffles for breakfast on Christmas Eve, so we reverse that a little and eat them for dinner on Christmas in July Day. Afterwards, everyone gets an early bath, we put on pajamas, and watch a short Christmas movie together. (The original How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a favorite and fits the bill perfectly.) Some years we’ve had hot cocoa, some years we haven’t.

Even though I only label one day as “Christmas in July Day,” I usually allow the toys and books to stay out for a couple of days before putting them back into the closet until November. The kids can continue to read or play a little bit longer, but I leave all the themed activities to the first day.

“Christmas in July Day” is an easy win for my family. It might be for yours, too! I think it’s also a great way to remind our children that the incarnation isn’t something we should think about and celebrate only in December — we should be grateful for the birth of Christ every day.

If you decide to try a Christmas in July Day, please let me know in the comments and tell me how it went! I would love to know what you included in your day and what your family thought about it. Merry Christmas in July!