All Things Christmas!

Happy Monday Friends!!

I can't really take for serious that Christmas will actually be here next week!!  Eeeeekkk...I'm so excited!!!  Not that I'm not ready, I totally am, it's just crazy how fast this year has gone!!

Since I'm in full on Christmas mode, I'm joining The Blended Blog for the All Things Christmas Link-up.  Later this week I'll be sharing my Christmas Decor, so today it's all about the Christmas Entertainment...movies, music and books!  (I think I added the books but I'm a fan of Christmas books sooo....)


I am totally THAT GIRL that's been watching ALL THE HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIES since the day they began airing on October 26th!!  It really has been that long!!
I know they are super cheesy and uber predictable but I just can't help myself!! This year there are more than ever!! My all-time favorite Hallmark Christmas movie they never replay enough.  It was called Finding Christmas and the leading man, JT Hodges, is a country music singer in the movie and in real life!!

Hallmark

Also, something of note....not only is there one Channel for  Christmas Movies, there's two!!  Hallmark Movies and Mysteries has some great movies, too!  Check out Hearts of Christmas....it's  my fave HMM movie!!

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries

Finding Christmas is very much like one of my most favorite Christmas movies, The Holiday.  I just love Jack Black and Jude Law in that one!!  And how cute is Arthur?!? I've seen The Holiday so many times and I could never tire of it.

Another favorite Christmas movie is Love Actually.  Actually, it's one of my all-time top 5 favorite movies! I have a Christmas morning tradition of wrapping all my gifts while watching Love Actually and drinking mimosas!  #solitarylifeatitsfinest

As you can probably tell, I'm more of a TV watcher this time of year! So in my house it's more TV then music during the holidays, but I do have a bunch of Christmas songs I love.  When I was a classroom teacher, every year for Christmas, I'd give my class a homemade Christmas CD of songs that I burned as a gift.  It was always a hit with my students and their families.  I like mixing the traditional with the more modern.  To hear some of my favorites and ones I included on my CD, head to my Christmas Playlist on You Tube here!!

Over the years, I've gotten into reading Christmas books. A co-worker gave me a Christmas book as a gift one year and I've loved it so much, I started reading that author's books.  Anything by Richard Paul Evans reads like a favorite Hallmark movie.   One of my favorite Christmas books ever is entitled The 13th Gift.  I read it years ago as an Advanced Readers Copy and just saw it on a fellow bloggers list, so I'm thinking I'll pull it our again this year myself.  It's based on a true story!
I blogged a little bit about it here!

Over the weekend  I finished reading One Day in December by Josie Silver.  I really enjoyed it.  It was maybe a bit longer than it needed to be but overall a good read!  Recommend!!


What are you reading, listening to or watching that I may be missing??  Let me know in the comments below!!


Have a great week!  See you back here for a Christmas Home Tour Tomorrow!!

Merry and Bright!

Wednesday!!  Whoop! Whoop!!  Luckily this week seems to be flying by!  With so many holiday things on the horizon, it's all coming quick!  Decided to jump on with my TBB Besties today and share a fashion post.  Today's prompt is all things Merry and Bright- to share an outfit that makes you happy and brings you joy!  Do pajamas count?  Just kidding!  I'll be sharing those next week!

Today's look has been on repeat ever since I got this hat.  I get lots of reactions to this hat and got the biggest reaction to this outfit as a whole, not too long ago!  And that just made me really giddy (and still does!) so this outfit just makes me happy.  It's not holiday-ish but that's ok!

I was hesitant about this hat at first, but now I wear it all the time and love it...haters be damned!!


Sharing this sweater too, just because...my students really liked it!  HA!  I've totally become that teacher that dresses for the holidays!  Eeeekkkk!!  But the kids love it and notice!!  This look was a hit with them.  And that made me happy.  These days it's been increasingly hard to find the happy in what I do quite honestly...so I'm gonna take it and run with it!   I have a holiday gingerbread making event to go to on Thursday and I think I may wear this!! And this sweater was like a $3.99 bargain at LOFT after Christmas last year!! So if that isn't a testament to save some of your money for those after Christmas sales...I don't know what is!!

Hope you are wearing something today that makes you smile too!  Have a Happy Wednesday!!

TBB Asks!

December already!  What?!?  As much as I am sad to see this year coming to an end, I am excited for all the Christmas festivities I have on tap.  Joining my TBB Girls for the first of the month fun, TBB Asks!  This month, it's got a holiday twist!  Obvi!!  So much fun!  Join us!!

1. Candy Canes?  I can take 'em or leave 'em really!!

2.  Christmas Morning early riser or sleep in?  I am old...I no longer sleep in, EVER!!

3.  Black Friday Shopping?   YES...but only online.  I am not a fan or crowds.  My sister and I shopped in our pjs all day, drinking persecco and eating leftovers!

4. Christmas tree up in November?  YES!  My mom and I have our tradition of putting up my tree together.  For the past few years we've done it the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

5. A Pinterest Christmas?  NAH!

6. Christmas Glam or Ugly Sweater?  There is a time and place for it ALL!!

7.  Stucking Stuffers...Wrapped or Unwrapped?  Well my mama's the only one who still gives me stocking stuffers these days and for as long as I've lived, she been wrapping them!  I like it!

8.  Traditional or Modern Christmas Songs?  I like a mix of both!  Love  Frank Sinatra singing about those J-I-N-G-L-E Bells??  My FAVE!  And who doesn't love a lil *NSYNC Merry Christmas Happy Holidays or Britney's My Only Wish this Year?!?  LOL

9.  Fruitcake?  Actually I've never had it...and don't ever intend to.

10.  Is your Christmas Shopping done?  For the most part, YES.  The only gift I have to get is my Secret Santa.  But we haven't put together our lists yet.  I do a Secret Santa with my sisters and brother-in-laws.  We pick names then put together a list with three gifts we want and send it to everyone. Then our secret santa can choose what to get us.  So it's something we want but still a surprise because we don't know what they'll choose!

11. Snow in December?  There can be.  We've actually had our first heavy snowfall on November 15th, so I'm fairly certain that there will be more snow this month.

12.  Classic Show: Charlie Brown or Rudolph?  As a child we watched all the Christmas Shows.  These days, give me ALL THE HALLMARK CHRISTMAS  MOVIES!!  (I'm actually really liking the ones on Lifetime too this year...LOL)

Heading over to The Blended Blog to link up my TBB Asks now, you should too!! Or let me know your answers to the questions in the comments below!!

Ho-Ho-Happy Holidays!!