All I Want For Christmas

It's the most wonderful time of the year! And truly, the holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year. It's a time of celebration, spending time with loved ones and showering them with presents. It's a time of preparation, bidding the year we're about to leave a loving goodbye and getting ready for the year that lies ahead. It's a time of honoring traditions, religious or familial or others. There's just something particularly lovely about the festivities of this season, and it always puts me in the best mood. Merry Christmas, and happy holidays, darling friends! Today, Rachel of Hello, Chelly and I are teaming up to share our Christmas favorites - books, songs and films. 

FAVORITE SONGS

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by NSYNC • The instant December 1 hits, NSYNC's Christmas album goes into regular rotation for me. I've been listening to the album for many years now, and I never get tired of it! It just feels like the holiday season to me, and I don't think that's something that'll ever change. I had to share one of my favorites off of that album!

That's Christmas to Me by Pentatonix • There's just something about this Pentatonix tune that really speaks to me on an emotional level. It gives me the festive Christmas feeling I love about this season, but it also reminds me about the sentimentality of this time too. Christmas has always been the time to gather with my loved ones, and this song is a great reminder of the way that feels.

Joy to the World • If you asked me what my favorite Christmas Carol was, this would be my answer. I love how bright and festive and happy it sounds, and I truly feel like my chest is swelling with happiness every time I sing it. There is a reason to celebrate, a reason to rejoice, and this song is the perfect accompaniment for the season.

FAVORITE MOVIES

Love Actually • This is my favorite film with an ensemble cast, because it's just superbly done. While I do find certain stories to be more interesting than others, I really just adore it in its entirety. The celebration of love, the different relationships, the different plots - it all really comes together into something that's ultimately wonderful.

Serendipity • Oh, to be in love! Oh, to believe in fate! As a fan of romantic films, this one tops my list because it's swoony and it happens during the holidays. Who doesn't want to believe that destiny or something similar might help us along, particularly when it comes to our love lives? This film just makes me heart happy every single time I see it.

Home Alone • If I want something that'll make me laugh during the holiday season, I immediately gravitate towards this movie. It's a slapstick comedy, which always guarantees a laugh from me. Even though the events are far-fetched, it's still pretty damn fun, and I think it's a story that everyone in the family can enjoy.

FAVORITE BOOKS

The Nutcracker • I honestly cannot remember which version of this tale I read as a kid, though I think it's closer to the Dumas version. But I do remember reading it before I performed in the ballet for the first time ever! It's such a whimsical, imaginative little tale, and I just loved all of the magical elements in it. (I got to see the ballet for the first time in ages, and it was glorious.)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens • This one is certainly a classic! It's a simple enough story about how Ebenezer Scrooge goes from being a miserly, bitter old man transforms into a kinder, generous gentleman after being visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet to come.

A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas • A historical romance set at Christmastime featuring cameos from some of my favorite heroes and heroines ever? Sign. Me. Up. No, really, it's a delight to be back among the Wallflowers in this novel, and to watch Rafe Bowman's love story unfold.

And that's it for this post, friends! Hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse at some of my Christmas favorites. If you feel so inclined, do tell me your favorite holiday songs, films and books in the comments section below. Happy holidays!