These are MY Holiday favorites! I’ve included several lists, from movies and music to traditions and gifts. These lists were harder to make than I had expected, because there are so many wonderful things about this time of the year. Look over each one and see if there is something you would have added to one of the lists. Happy Holidays!!!

Top 25 Christmas Movies:

Snuggling on the couch to watch Christmas movies is something I look forward to every year. The following list includes my personal favorite Christmas movies. The first 10 are my VERY favorites!

• Elf
• National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
• Home Alone (all of them)
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• The Christmas Story
• Babes in Toyland
• The Grinch
• Miracle on 34^th Street
• A Christmas Carol (2009 or Mickeys)
• Polar Express
• The Santa Clause
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• The Family Man
• The Family Stone
• Happy Christmas
• Scrooged
• Four Christmases
• Jack Frost
• Prancer
• Unaccompanied Minors
• Charlie Brown Christmas
• Frosty the Snowman
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Fred Klaus
• Bad Santa

25 Holiday Traditions:

Every family has their own Christmas traditions. For some, their cultural or religious beliefs play a huge part in how they celebrate, and others continue traditions that were passed down by their family. A lot of people mix it up and create new traditions with their own family. And, there are always traditions that started unintentionally, but we’re glad they did! They just show our own family dynamics and individual personalities or interests. Regardless of what the tradition is, we all enjoy celebrating and making memories with our loved ones. The list I have created for this category is a mix of personal experiences, past and present, and some I have seen or heard of others doing. Warning, this list may cause you to feel jolly and full of cheer!

• Read about the TRUE meaning of Christmas from the Bible.
• Go to a “Lighting” or “Lights On” around town
• Watch Christmas movies as a family (Hallmark Channel is always good for this one)
• Good Deeds (John 3:16 dinner with older kids and Angel Tree shopping as a family)
• Bake and decorate while listening to holiday music
• Drive around looking at Christmas lights, drinking hot cocoa or cider
• Decorate the tree with Christmas music playing
• Buy a new tree ornament that represents the year
• Elf on the Shelf
• Leaving cookies and milk for Santa
• Christmas Eve Night with the extended family, exchanging gifts and playing games.
• Watching football on Christmas Day (Ravens vs Steelers @3:30 & Broncos vs Chiefs @7:30)
• Build a gingerbread house
• Family Photos for Christmas Cards
• Advent Calendars
• Visit Santa
• Making a gift list
• Go Christmas caroling
• Donate food to your local food bank
• Write letters to Santa.
• Attend Christmas Play, Ballet, or Concert (Like The Nutcracker)
• Attend Midnight Service or Christmas Day service at church.
• Attend Christmas parties (school, neighborhood, church, etc.)
• Buy, Wrap, and exchange gifts
• Make holiday keepsakes (handprint ornament are great for small kids and babies)

Favorite Holiday Music

For this section, I broke it down by top songs and albums. There are so many great holiday songs and even more great singers that sang them. To keep the lists from being too long, I only did 10 songs per category.

Top 10 Modern Christmas Songs:

1. All I Want for Christmas is You, Mariah Carey
2. Last Christmas, Wham
3. Baby, Its Cold Outside, Garth and Trisha
4. Mistletoe, Justin Bieber
5. 12 Days of Christmas, Straight No Chaser (The remake is great too! 12 Crazy Days of Christmas)
6. Feliz Navidad, Jose Feliciano
7. Santa Baby, Taylor Swift
8. Rocking Around Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee
9. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause, Jackson 5 & The Ronettes
10. Hard Candy Christmas, Dolly Parton

*Honorable Mention: My Only Wish this Year (Christmas Song), Britney Spears

Top 10 Traditional Christmas Songs:

• White Christmas, Bing Crosby
• Blue Christmas, Elvis
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Frank Sinatra or Christina Aguilera
• Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Andy Williams
• Christmas, Please Come Home, Darlene Love
• Where Are You Christmas, Faith Hill
• It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas, Johnny Mathis
• I'll be Home for Christmas, Lady Antebellum
• Walking in a Winter Wonderland, Louis Armstrong
• Oh Christmas Tree, Aretha Franklin or Nat King Cole

Top 10 Christian Christmas Songs:

• The First Noel, Carrie Underwood
• Joy to the World, Whitney Houston
• O’ Come All Ye Faithful, Carrie Underwood
• Holy Night, John Legend and Jennifer Nettles
• Christmas Shoes, Newsong
• Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Chris Tomlin)
• Away in a Manger, Casting Crowns
• Angels We Have Heard on High, Third Day
• Do You Hear What I Hear, Carrie Underwood
• Deck the Halls, Tenth Avenue North

Top 10 Children Christmas Songs:

• Frosty the Snowman, The Ronettes
• Jingle Bells, Johnny Cash
• Santa Got Ran Over By a Reindeer, Elmo and Patsy
• Let it Snow, Dean Martin
• I Wanna Hippopotamus for Christmas, Gayla Peevey (Also cute, Got a Cold in the Node for Christmas)
• The Grinch, Bristol Karloff
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Gene Autry
• Do You Wanna Build a Snowman, Frozen Soundtrack
• Holly Jolly Christmas, Burlington Ives
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Bruce Springsteen

Top 20 Christmas Albums:

• Christmas Together, Garth and Trisha
• The Glee Christmas Album
• A Very She & Him Christmas, Zoey Dechanel & M. Ward
• Christmas with the Chipmunks
• Once Upon a Christmas, Kenny and Dolly
• A Penatonix Christmas
• Noel, Josh Groban
• Christmas Album, Michael Bublé
• Elvis Christmas Album
• A Motown Christmas
• Home for Christmas, Amy Grant
• Christmas with Weezer
• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• The Greatest of All, Rascal Flatts
• A Very Kasey Christmas, Kasey Musgraves
• Under the Mistletoe, Justin Beiber
• What a Night, Harry Connick Jr.
• Cheers, Its Christmas, Blake Shelton
• Don’t Waste Your Wishes, The Killers
• Christmas is for Kids, Nat King Cole

Top 10 Favorite Holiday Seasons Smells:

• Apple Cider
• Wood Burning Fireplace
• Apple Pie Baking
• Turkey or Ham Cooking
• Fresh Christmas Trees
• Gingerbread
• Christmas Potpourri (Cranberry-ish)
• Fresh Snow/Cold Weather Smell
• Mint (Peppermint Bark…yummm)
• Freshly Baked Cookies

Top 10 Holiday Foods:

• Turkey and Stuffing
• Pineapple Ham
• Fresh Baked Rolls
• Potatoes (regular or sweet)
• Green Bean Casserole
• Decorated Sugar Cookies
• Peppermint Bark
• Chocolate Pie
• Homemade Christmas Candy (esp. anything chocolate)
• Trifles (Amaretto Trifle is the best)

Top 10 Holiday Drinks:

• Egg Nog
• Apple Cider
• Hot Cocoa
• Hot Spiced Wine
• Peppermint Mocha aka Candy Cane Cocoa (Thank You Starbucks!)
• Hot Buttered Rum Punch
• Holiday Mimosa or Poinsettias (one has a splash of cranberry)
• Holiday Punch (with rum)
• Cranberry Wassil
• Rudolf-tini (vodka cocktail with cinnamon and a cherry)

**You can find most of these recipes at www.allrecipes.com