A guest post by Chantal Gadoury.
In celebration of my “Christmas” fairytale, “WinterDream” – I thought I would share my top 5 Christmas Movies with all of you! It’s just the right time to start talking and planning the holiday, and all the special things we can do with our loved ones! I don’t know about you, but I love sitting down on the sofa with my family and watching these holiday classics. Here are 5 that I’m most definitely going to be watching this year.
- Meet Me in St. Louis
This has become a recent top favorite of mine within just the last five years or so. When I discovered that Judy Garland sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” in it – I had to watch it. I’m really glad that I did. There’s not a moment since first seeing the film that I haven’t cried when she sings this song. It’s one of the sweetest, funniest, and entertaining films – and it’s on my “Must Watch during Christmas” lists.
2. Elf
If anyone says they hate this movie, they “sit on a throne of lies.” It’s hard for me to personally dislike this movie. It’s funny, and brings out that inner child we all have. There’s something magical about “Elf” and his crazy adventure in New York as he tries to first – meet his dad, but second – connect with his family, and the people around him. Plus – who hasn’t screamed “SANTA” the way he does? (No one? Really?)
3. The Polar Express
I can remember going to see this movie in the theaters with my parents, and we were amazed by how “real” the animation looked. And it’s sort of crazy to go back and watch it again and again since that time, and see how different animation has changed – just within that short time span. (Because – guys, I’m not that old.) It’s a little hard to watch this movie now, after a very large loss in my life – but when I can bear it, I can enjoy the sense of nostalgia it brings.
4. The Nutcracker Prince
I remember when I first discovered this movie. I was about nine or ten, and I was watching the Disney Channel quietly one morning. I think must have woken up fairly early, because that’s when all the “unknown” movies played back-in-the-day. (All the good stuff, really.) And I remember watching the ending scene, where the Prince and Clara are dancing, and then the Mouse King appears. I was REALLY upset that I had missed the ENTIRE movie on something around “The Nutcracker.” And like – this was before the time of getting onto Google and just finding something on Youtube. You had to wait to see if the channel showed the movie again – and you had to check the TV Guide – IN THE NEWSPAPER- to see what was going to play. (Again, I’m not that old, but I’m starting to feel that way.) Anyway, long story short – I found out it was this movie called “The Nutcracker Prince,” and I spent the next 15 years of my life trying to find it. Last year I finally bought it on DVD and now, my life is golden.
5. Home Alone (1 and 2)
This is one of my top holiday favorites. Christmas doesn’t seem like Christmas without having watched Kevin get left home, not once – but twice! I have a really sweet memory of going to Walmart with my Dad to buy “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” back when I was a kid. It was a movie that we always watched every year, and has unofficially become a tradition of mine. The movies make me weepy – as many of these movies do for sentimental reasons, but I love watching them and thinking of my Dad.
6. BONUS: TV Specials: Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, and A Charlie Brown Christmas
These are just a given for me. I can’t not watch these shows during the Christmas season. Once again, they’re linked to my Dad. We had Frosty and Rudolph on VHS when I was a kid, and we’d watch them all the time. (Frosty is a HUGE favorite of mine.) Just like Home Alone, I have really fond memories of watching these with my family – my Dad – and when I re-watch them now, they make me nostalgic for my childhood Christmases. There’s nothing like watching one of these holiday specials with hot chocolate next to the warm glow of a beautiful Christmas tree.
When Ivy reluctantly takes a new part-time job, it’s a means to an end. Doing this favor for her pain-in-the-neck roommate means Ivy can have her apartment to herself again much sooner. The last thing she expects is Hugh—the hot Scot who just happens to be her new boss—asking her out on a date. And then another. And another.
Touching, heartfelt, and passionate, UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES is a must-read for hopeful romantics, devoted daughters, and the moms they cherish.
Touching, heartfelt, and passionate, UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES is a must-read for hopeful romantics, devoted daughters, and the moms they cherish.
As Soul Seekers flourishes and Peyton continues her streak of sobriety, she and Olivia are called to a small independent cinema, The Starlight. At first, she thinks the manager’s a little kooky, but once she views a chilling documentary, she realizes the true danger that The Starlight and all of its patrons—including her—are in.
A double-date on a short weekend away… What could go wrong?
