Christmas Online - Christmas Songs, Games, Cards, Carols, Gift Ideas and Much More! » Featured

My Husband’s Favorite Christmas Movie – Scrooged

Christine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:54:10 +0000

Bill Murray in Scrooged!

I love Bill Murray – he is all time comedic genius and makes me crack up just looking at him. When I married my husband he introduced me to his favorite Christmas movie, Scrooged.

Scrooged is a 1988 American comedy film, a modernization of Charles Dickens’ novella, A Christmas Carol. The film was produced and directed by Richard Donner, and the cinematography was by Michael Chapman. The screenplay was written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue. The original music score was composed by Danny Elfman.

The cast includes: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Bobcat Goldthwait, John Forsythe, Carol Kane, David Johansen, John Houseman, and Robert Mitchum. Murray’s real-life brothers, Brian, John, and Joel also appear in the film, which is a fun little fact! I just found this out by researching the movie and cannot wait to tell my husband.

The film was marketed with references to the film Ghostbusters which had been a great success four years earlier. In the USA, the tagline for Scrooged was, “Bill Murray is back among the ghosts, only this time, it’s three against one.” I also find it funny, that the music in the trailer is the same music from The Goonies. Oh, how I truly miss the 80′s!

My Mother’s Favorite Christmas Movie – Bridget Jones’s Diary Every Christmas I have to watch Bridget Jones’s Diary. It...
My Top Five Favorite Christmas Movies! Okay so Christmas is upon us and I have to...
Some of My Favorite Christmas Traditions! I think everyone who loves Christmas has their own set...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Outdoor décor essentials for creating a winter wonderland

Christine — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:03:53 +0000

Outdoor décor essentials for creating a winter wonderland

(NC)—While holiday decorating often begins with the Christmas tree, it doesn’t have to end there. As the importance of outdoor living space has increased, so too has the variety of holiday décor options.

Lights

Outdoor lights will help make your home the most festive house on the block.

Insider Tip:A good rule of thumb is 100 lights for every foot and a half of tree or shrub you want to cover. Of course, if you love lights, add more.

After you know how many lights you need, your biggest decision is the type of bulbs to use:

LED lights are the newer option for outdoor decorating. They give off brilliant white light and remain cool to the touch, even after hours of use. Thanks to unbreakable plastic bulb covers in various shapes and colours, you’re sure to find a light that suits your style and needs. LEDs are up to 80 percent more energy efficient and last thousands of hours longer than comparable incandescent bulbs, saving you money.

Specialty lights are good for decorating certain areas of the house:

Shooting icicle lights or snowflake lights give the front of the house a magical look. Stand-alone shapes such as Lowe’s LED gumdrop tree and other mini trees, in addition to holiday-themed signs and figures, can be great additions to open spots in garden beds, lawns and porches.

Yard Art

For those wanting more than traditional lights, the options are endless. Let your personality shine through with the many inflatable and animated characters such as, the tinsel dog or velvet gecko available at Lowe’s. For a more sophisticated look, try tree or snowflake pathway markers that help illuminate walkways and create a welcoming ambience.

Insider Tip: The more multifunctional, the better. Go for larger sizes, lights, sounds, movement. The intent of inflatables is to provide grand entertainment.

Natural Beauty

Live potted evergreen trees flanking the front entrance are inviting and a great way to add a different look to the exterior of your home. Tie the look together with a live wreath adorning the front door and draping the railing with fresh greenery. Add personal touches to the greenery by incorporating pinecones, berries, ribbon or burlap.

Insider Tip: Natural and rustic decorating themes are popular, creating a holiday garden feel. Natural elements add earthy elegance: think natural greenery from rosemary or Norfolk pine, with a pop of colour by red poinsettia plants and amaryllis flowers.

www.newscanada.com

Simple ways to personalize your holiday decor (ARA) – What do the holidays mean to you? It’s...
Make your home ready for the holidays with easy, affordable decor updates (ARA) – Welcoming friends and family into your home is...
Seasonal sense: Using scent, sight and sound to stimulate holiday spirits (ARA) – From baking cookies with loved ones to caroling...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Jingle Cats Silent Night!

Christine — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:31:09 +0000

Jingle Cats!

This is a super silly and fun little video for all you Christmas & cat-loving people out there. I know my sister, who is a total cat-lover is going to crack up watching this one! By the way, my Shih Tzu, Bella, got very upset with me for watching this one! The video must use real cat meows, as she was quite curious about this one!

Jingle shells: How PEI mussels feed the holiday crowd (ARA) – The holidays are upon us once more...
Christmas Lights Gone Wild Video Ok, this person takes getting in the Christmas spirit very...
The Food That Ruined Christmas – Food Network Found this cute video today about “The Food That Ruined...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

“You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out”

Christine — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:11:15 +0000

A Christmas Story

When you hear “you’ll shoot your eye out” doesn’t it just scream CHRISTMAS TIME. I cannot think of a more iconic Christmas movie then A Christmas Story! Ralphie, bullies, Ovaltine, a Christmas tree, a cuss word, a duck, and a whole lot of fun make this movie so memorable.

Having grown up, well at least my formative years, in the 80′s, I remember watching this movie via a repeating marathon on the TNT station. It started to play on Christmas eve and repeated over and over all the way through Christmas.

In case you have been living under a rock somewhere and never experienced the joy of A Christmas Story, here is a clip to get your Christmas spirit going! Happy Holidays!

My Top Five Favorite Christmas Movies! Okay so Christmas is upon us and I have to...
Funny Trailer for One Magic Christmas! One Magic Christmas is my all time favorite Christmas movie....
My Mother’s Favorite Christmas Movie – Bridget Jones’s Diary Every Christmas I have to watch Bridget Jones’s Diary. It...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Nigella Lawson Makes a Chocolate Cherry Trifle

Christine — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:17:02 +0000

Nigella Lawson

I have to say I have a girl crush on Nigella Lawson. She is amazing. She loves food and the way she describes it is so luscious. The quick video is another one on how to make a Christmas trifle. I love the combination of chocolate and cherry, and more specifically Black Forest. I think this Christmas I’m going to make a Black Forest trifle. Watch this video and drool all over the place!

Christmas Trifle Recipe & Video Oh my goodness, how my heart sighs with joy when...
Christmas Lights Gone Wild Video Ok, this person takes getting in the Christmas spirit very...
Holiday Appetizer Recipes – Easy Christmas Appetizers! This video is so great. I love how it is...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Deck the halls … carefully please

Christine — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:52:51 +0000

Deck the halls ... carefully please

(ARA) – Each year, 420 home fires occur during the holiday season, claiming the lives of 21 people and injuring 43, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Protection 1, the nation’s second-largest security provider, is offering 12 tips for a safer holiday to help reduce the chance of becoming a holiday fire casualty:

1. Maintain your holiday lights – Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting approved by a verified testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories.

2. Don’t overload electrical outlets – Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe, or you can risk putting too much strain on the power source. For additional protection, connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires – they should not be warm to the touch.

3. Water that tree – Christmas trees account for 250 fires annually, resulting in 14 deaths, 26 injuries and more than $13.8 million in property damage according to the U.S. Fire Association. Typically, tree fires are started by shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches. Dry and neglected trees can increase your risk, while well-watered trees help to reduce the chance of any issues.

4. Avoid using lit candles – Open flames create many opportunities for harm particularly when kids and pets are in the house. However, if you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning and never go near a Christmas tree with an open flame from candles, lighters or matches.

5. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period, turn off the stove.

6. Keep your mitts off – Keep anything that can catch fire – potholders, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels or curtains – away from your stovetop.

7. Watch the oven – In case of an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the oven door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing.

8. Use turkey fryers outdoors, a safe distance from buildings and any other combustible materials.

9. Use only nonflammable decorations and ensure they are placed away from heat vents. If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

10. Quickly discard gift wrap and packaging from your opened gifts as wrapping paper is very flammable. Never burn gift wrap in the fireplace or wood stove. It can ignite suddenly and cause a flash fire.

11. Throw it out – Never put tree branches in a fireplace or wood-burning stove as these items may ignite quickly, starting flash fires. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

12. Have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home, test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times. Or, consider installing a monitored alarm system like those provided by Protection 1. The company can alert authorities automatically of smoke or carbon monoxide dangers – even if you’re away from home.

No matter how you celebrate, following these 12 tips to a safer holiday can help ensure you, as well as your friends and family, enjoy a safe, joyful holiday season.

Holiday hazards to avoid to help keep pets safe (ARA) – The holiday season is filled with a frenzy...
Tips to keep the holidays happy and healthy for asthma and allergy sufferers (ARA) – For millions of allergy sufferers, “allergy season” doesn’t...
Five tips to avoid being an identity theft victim while on vacation (ARA) – Whether you are planning a trip over the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Some of My Favorite Christmas Traditions!

Christine — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:32:23 +0000

Christmas Traditions

I think everyone who loves Christmas has their own set of unique Christmas traditions that make the day the best day of the year. Here are my traditions – some old, some new – that make Christmas so special in my household:

It all starts on Thanksgiving weekend. Time to put up the tree and stockings! I love having a full month of looking at the pretty tree before Christmas rolls around.
Starting around December 5th, we start watching Christmas movies. My husband and I own at least 10 – 15 Christmas movies. Early December we break them out and start watching them. My favorites are: Christmas Story, One Magic Christmas, Home Alone & National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Drive around and look at Christmas lights. This is a special one my husband and I created. We like to go to Rhema church and look at the lights or drive around well to do neighborhoods. It is fun and always a favorite night of ours to spend together.
Next is at least one to two sessions of baking cookies with the husband. He is quite the baker, and we love to make: snowballs, chocolate chunk, peppermint canes, haystacks, and peanut butter cookies.
I get to open one present on Christmas eve. Only one. It all started with my grandparents when I was a child. I got a Christmas card from them every year, with cash in it, and would get to open it on Christmas eve. Now I typically get to open one small gift from my husband.
Since I married my husband, we have made a tradition of having special seafood on Christmas Eve. Typically we have champagne with scallops, shrimp and sometimes crab legs. It is heavenly!
Always start with the stocking Christmas morning. That was the first stop on Christmas morning. It was so wonderful to open the stuffing stuffed with candy and trinkets and never knowing what I would find in there.
After stockings comes the presents! My husband and I like to take turns opening our gifts, and also take our time.
After presents is a big brunch of pancakes, bacon, eggs, mimosas and whatever else our little hearts desire!
Later in the day is meet with the family for a delicious ham dinner!

What an amazing time of year. I feel so blessed! What are your traditions?

Tips for creating meaningful new holiday traditions (ARA) – Holidays are a great time to celebrate traditions...
Creative ways to preserve family recipes and traditions (ARA) – Whether families are around the corner or across...
My Top Five Favorite Christmas Movies! Okay so Christmas is upon us and I have to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

How you can help children of incarcerated parents during the holidays

Christine — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:00:46 +0000

How you can help children of incarcerated parents during the holidays

(ARA) – Drug abuse. Divorce. Homelessness. Imprisonment. Little Forrest has witnessed them all. With his father in prison and his mom lost in a haze of drug abuse, Forrest’s maternal grandparents took custody of him when he was just 2 years old. For Forrest, his dad’s prison sentence seemed like a punishment for him, too.

Due to his difficult start in life, Forrest had many behavioral issues, so his grandparents worked hard every day to provide him with love and stability he needed. But as Christmas neared, Forrest’s grandmother Bonnie began to worry. If Forrest’s mom didn’t visit, or his dad didn’t call, Forrest’s behavior would regress.

Forrest’s struggles are not uncommon. One in three prisoners is a parent, and about 75 percent of women in prison are mothers. One in every 43 children has a parent in prison, which means more than 1.7 million children will spend Christmas separated from their incarcerated mom or dad.

“Every time a parent goes to prison, their sentence is also a form of punishment for their children. These kids don’t necessarily understand why their parents are not with them for the holidays. They only want to be with their parents, and to feel their parents’ love, just as any other child would during this special time of year,” says Jim Liske, CEO of Prison Fellowship, a nonprofit organization that helps inmate rehabilitation.

Children whose parents are serving time struggle every day with feelings of anger, abandonment, loneliness and despair. But a simple Christmas gift from their incarcerated parent can show a hurting child that they are still loved, and that the parent-child connection can survive the separation of imprisonment.

Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree is a unique program that works by connecting parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts. At such a critical time in Forrest’s journey, Angel Tree connected him with his father – helping to make sure that he stayed on a path toward healing and stability.

“We got a call that Forrest’s dad was sending Christmas gifts through Angel Tree,” Bonnie says. “It was just so nice to have people supporting us.”

Today, Forrest’s mother is working on turning her life around and restoring her relationship with her son. Forrest’s dad will be released from prison soon. He, too, has vowed to turn his life around and be a faithful father.

Support Angel Tree by “liking” Angel Tree on Facebook. You can even give a secure gift through the charity’s official website at www.angeltree.org. Just $12.58 will help deliver a Christmas present to not one, but two lonely children thanks to a matching grant.

Your generosity makes it possible for children like Forrest to feel remembered and loved this holiday season. Make a difference in the life of a child by giving them an unforgettable Christmas filled with joy and hope.

Teach children about the holiday spirit “What would you like for Christmas?” This question, whether it...
A different holiday perspective: It’s the little things that matter most (ARA) – The “magic” of the holiday season across the...
A Merry Gretzky Christmas (NC)—For generations, Canadians have been celebrating the holidays with family...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Gingerbread Houses!

Christine — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:31:36 +0000

Gingerbread House

Christmas is coming and so is the time to make gingerbread houses! To get us all in the mood here is a short video with a collection of some seriously good gingerbread houses.

Get ready for the holidays with easy tips for around the house (ARA) – ‘Tis the season for gathering and celebrating. If...
Christmas Lights Gone Wild Video Ok, this person takes getting in the Christmas spirit very...
Trapp Candles Limited Edition Seasonal Collection! I’m looking forward to trying the new Holiday Collection from...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Easing the stress of hosting guests during the holiday season

Christine — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:23:48 +0000

Easing the stress of hosting guests during the holiday season

(ARA) – Whether it’s for the holidays or another big occasion, hosting people in your home can be both gratifying and stressful. It can be especially tricky when you’re entertaining out of town guests for days at a time. By planning ahead, you can avoid some of the common pitfalls that can cause a gathering to go south in a hurry and ensure that both you and your guests have such a great time that everyone will be looking forward to the next get-together once it’s all over.

Here are some common challenges of hosting guests at your home and solutions for getting around them:

Problem: Overcrowding. Sharing space – particularly bathrooms and bedrooms – can cause conflict.
Solution: Organize the chaos by setting out towels and mini bathroom toiletries in guests’ rooms. You can develop a bathroom schedule for the morning so everyone has time to get ready for the day and no one ends up going without a shower.

Don’t be ashamed to admit that you don’t have the space to host overnight guests in your own home. Your guests will thank you for pointing them in the direction of a comfortable hotel that feels like a home away from home, so they can spread out and have their own space. Consider an all-suites hotel brand like Embassy Suites Hotels, where guests get two-room suites with separate living and sleeping areas, free cooked-to-order breakfast and a free, nightly Manager’s Reception.

Problem: Cabin fever. Guests become bored or restless at your home.
Solution: No matter how much you love your friends and family, being crammed together in one house can make everyone a little stir crazy. If your guests are in town for a few days, consider a planned activity like bowling or visiting a local museum. These activities will offer some variety, as well as promote interaction and conversation among guests. It’s also a good idea to allow your guests some time to explore on their own. Providing maps and brochures on local attractions is a nice touch.

Problem: Meals. Feeding multiple mouths can be a challenge.
Solution: Don’t feel obliged to provide every meal while your guests are in town. It’s a good idea to have easy snacks, beverages and fixings for sandwiches on hand should your guests want something simple and easy. Check with guests in advance to determine if anyone has a food allergy or alternately, a favorite snack you can stock up on.

Holiday travel and shopping season prompt increased concern for home safety (ARA) – We all fondly remember it – young Macaulay...
Greet holiday guests with a warm, stylish, sensible home (ARA) – Twinkling lights, fragrant wreaths and freshly baked cookies...
Ten holiday tips on gifting, entertaining and celebrating without the stress (ARA) – The holidays are about seasonal traditions and making...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.