It’s almost that special time of year again – Christmas time – and while the holiday season has a tendency to sneak up on me, there are a few things I watch, do, and listen to that help me get in the holiday spirit. So let’s jump into my Holiday Starter Pack.
Think of this post as a sort of one-stop for all things that will help get you in the Christmas mood. Let’s start with some of my must-see Christmas movie recommendations.
The Holiday
This is one of my absolute favorite Christmas movies because it has everything you need for a cozy night in – a lovely English Christmas cottage, a friends-to-lovers trope, and a sweater-clad Jude Law. In case you’ve never seen it, this movie is about two women who are very unlucky in love who decide to switch houses for Christmas. Iris goes to LA and Amanda sets off for England. While there, they meet people who not only change the way they see themselves, but the way they see their lives. This is the perfect movie to curl up on the couch with.
Klaus
This film caught me by surprise because although it’s an animated movie, it has a lot of heart. It follows a lazy, self-centered postman who gets assigned to the terrible town of Smeerensburg by his father, the Royal Postmaster. The postman has one job – post 6,000 letters in one year and then he can go home. But once there, he realizes that the people of the town are at war with each other and haven’t posted letters in a very long time. When he comes across a mysterious man named Klaus who lives in the woods, he and Klaus team up to deliver presents to the children of Smeerensburg – ultimately changing the town forever. This movie is really cute but it will totally touch your heart by the end of it so have a tissue handy.
Miracle on 34th Street (1994 Edition)
This next movie is a Christmas staple for me. It’s actually my favorite Christmas movie and while I do like the 1947 original, the 1994 one gives me all the nostalgic 90s vibes. The movie follows a little girl named Susan who doesn’t believe in Santa. She and her mother are very practical people and don’t see the need for believing in fairytales – that is until they meet a man claiming to be Kris Kringle. Kris begins working at the department store Susan’s mom works for, and he begins to show them that a little Christmas spirit and a little faith can go an incredibly long way.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
It wouldn’t be Christmas if we didn’t watch Christmas Vacation. This is my husband’s favorite Christmas movie and for good reason. It’s about the Griswold family and how the husband, Clark, wants nothing more than an old fashioned, traditional, perfect Christmas. This is the only problem – perfection doesn’t exist. And his Christmas vision goes even further down the drain when his hick cousin and his family stop by for the holidays. This movie will have you laughing out loud and is more relatable than more Christmas movies.
Silver Skates
Ok, so this movie has subtitles because it’s in Russian, but it’s absolutely stunning. The cinematography is top-notch and the story will hook you in. Plus the lead guy kind of looks like a Russian Tom Holland. This movie is about a petty thief who falls in love with an aristocrat’s daughter and begins to realize that maybe life can offer him more than thieving. This movie is on Netflix and I highly recommend it because even though it’s the average poor boy-falls-for-rich girl trope, it’s soooo good and it actually has a happy ending. Perfect holiday watching.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 Cartoon & Jim Carey Movie)
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without the Grinch. Every year, Denis and I watch the 1966 version and the Jim Carey version to help get us ready for Christmas. I think almost everyone knows the story of the Grinch, but just in case you’ve never seen it, both films are about the surly Grinch who hates all things Christmas. In an attempt to stop all the noise and bustle of the holidays, the Grinch decides to steal it from the Whos of Whoville. The cartoon is the best but no one can beat Jim Carey as the Grinch.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
The last film is another favorite of Denis’. Every Christmas Eve, we get in our coziest pajamas and curl up and watch Mickey’s Christmas Carol. It’s quintessentially Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol but with Disney characters. Scrooge is just as surly in this movie but after he meets the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, he realizes that Christmas is so much more than making money. This is the perfect Christmas film to watch if you’re looking for some wholesome entertainment.
Here’s a list of activity ideas that are sure to get you in the holiday mood.
- Watch Zoe Sugg’s Christmas Vlogmases on YouTube
- Take a Saturday and bake all the Christmas cookies you love
- Decorate your house for the holidays
- Get a chocolate advent calendar and enjoy a piece of chocolate each day until Christmas Day
- Read Christmas-themed books (click here to see some of my holiday book recommendations)
- Go to a Christmas tree farm
- Wear festive colors or red tartan plaid
- Try a new hot chocolate recipe
- Get a festive manicure and pedicure
- Attend a Christmas program at a local church or school
- Browse at a Christmas market
- Wear your favorite Christmas pajamas and have a Hallmark Christmas movie marathon
- Drive around & look at Christmas lights
- Buy a Lush Christmas bath bomb and have a holiday themed bath night
- Build a gingerbread house
These are my absolute favorite Christmas songs and trust me, if you listen to this playlist it will have you up and dancing around your kitchen in no time.
- “All I Want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey
- “Shake Up Christmas” by Train
- “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams
- “There’s No Place like Home for the Holidays” by Perry Como
- “Merry Christmas, Baby” by Otis Redding
- “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms
- “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland
- “What Christmas Means to Me” by Stevie Wonder
- “Winter Wonderland” by Darlene Love
- “Deck the Halls” by Nat King Cole
- “Sleigh Bells” by the Ronettes
- “Please Come for Christmas” by the Eagles
- “Last Christmas” by Wham!
- “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole
- “This Christmas” by Donny Hathway
- “Cozy Little Christmas” by Katy Perry
- “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande
- “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” by the Jackson 5
- “Angels (Singing Gloria)” by Matt Redman & Chris Tomlin
- “Do You Hear What I Hear” by Carrie Underwood
- “Louisiana Christmas Day” by Aaron Neville
- “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Thurl Ravenscroft
- “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” by Gayle Peevey
- “Run Rudolph Run” by Chuck Berry
- “Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child” by Mariah Carey
- “Joy to the World” by Whitney Houston
- “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson
- “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano
- “O Come, All Ye Faithful” by Pentatonix
- “Circle of Love” by Dolly Parton
- “Christmas Cookies” by George Strait
- “Let There be Peace” by Carrie Underwood
- “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” by Kathryn Jones
- “Oh Santa!” by Mariah Carey
- “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Buble
What’s some of your go-to holiday movies, songs, and activities? Let me know in the comments.
Verse of the Day: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14
