With no snow on the ground it’s hard to get into the “night in candyland” spirit. Here are five things to help you get in the mood to travel through the candy cane forest and land of swirly twirly gumdrops.

Christmas photo-booth
It looks more like fall outside, so bring the winter in without the cold. Decorate a doorway with paper snowflakes on fishing wire, string up some ornaments or put up a dollar store candy cane tablecloth for a backdrop to those goofy dance pictures.

Laid back dinner and a movie
Nothing says you have to do something fancy before every dance. Sometimes the best option is ordering pizza and watching a movie.

Christmas baking
There isn’t anything wrong with getting a little dirty before getting all dressed up. Even if that dirty is flour and frosting. Put on your holiday playlist and grab the oven mitt. Indulge before you head out to your awaiting gut bomb at the dance.

Hot cocoa party
Maybe full on baking isn’t your thing but who doesn’t like hot cocoa? There are plenty of twists to the classic cocoa. Gather all of your mugs and try a few of them out.

Pre-dance dance party
What better to get you in mood for a dance, than to dance? Either blare your own music and freestyle it or dust off that Just Dance disk you haven’t seen in ages and see just how well you remember the “Cotton Eyed Joe”.