Holiday Traditions: F*R*I*E*N*D*S and Christmas Movies

      I love this time of year and am grateful that I am filled with love and excitement. While, I know I am a little late in posting my favorites for Thanksgiving - I still want to share. The day before Thanksgiving always gets me excited, typically we host and I love planning this meal. As I whip up delicious dishes the evening before I watch my favorite episodes of F*R*I*E*N*D*S.

• Season 1: The One Where Underdog Gets Away 
• Season 3: The One with the Football 
• Season 4: The One with Chandler in a Box 
• Season 5: The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks
• Season 6: The One Where Ross Got High (this is by far my favorite of them all!)  
• Season 7: The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs
• Season 8: The One with the Rumor
• Season 9: The One with Rachel's Other Sister 
• Season 10: The One with the Late Thanksgiving

      Then the day after Thanksgiving is always (always) decorating for Christmas. I love putting up the tree as early as I can. I love the golden lights, my favorite ornaments and my electronic Santa stuck in the chimney always makes me smile. 
      The Christmas movie viewing begins at this time too. When my husband and I started dating we created a tradition of purchasing a Christmas movie each year. This year I was impassioned to find the made-for-tv movie from 1986 staring Dolly Parton: A Smoky Mountain Christmas. And as if Santa came early, the movie came in the mail on Friday (what luck). 
      Here's a list of my favorite Christmas movies - enjoy!

•  Elf (2003)
• When I saw this movie in 2003, I was grateful. There had been several years where I didn't enjoy the holidays and felt they were more work than joyous. This movie helped me fall back in-love with Christmas and the holiday spirit. 
• A Smoky Mountain Christmas (TV 1986)
• A heartfelt and lovely holiday tale staring Dolly Parton. Music memories and a family of orphans finding love and a home with Dolly - love it! 
•  Santa Claus (1985)
• This was one of the treasures we found a few years ago. I remember watching it on a VHS tape we borrowed from a family friend. When we were searching for it, I could only remember the little orphan boy drinking a Coke-Cola and the reindeer eating the sparkly hay that made them fly. 
• Home Alone (1990) 
• A light hearted and humorous classic with great lines, like "When I grow up and get married, I'm living alone!"
• White Christmas (1954) 
• Dancing, singing - it's a musical holiday! Oh and when the general walks in the hall - it gets me every time.
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 
• Probably one of my all-time favorites. The tears flow every time and sets my heart a light. 
• Christmas Vacation (1989) 
•  When you need a good laugh, pop in this movie and enjoy great lines like "You couldn't hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant."
• Mixed Nuts (1994)
• It's quirky and makes me laugh. 
• A Christmas Story (1983) 
• This was always on the television growing up, but I didn't get it or even like it. Plus, I always seemed to catch the movie in the middle. In July of 2003 a friend and I were looking for movies to watch and we ran across this movie. I rolled me eyes and she convinced me to give it a try. It made all the difference watching it with someone who loved it and now it lives as on my favorites. We even have a mini-leg lamp in the front window!
• Love Actually (2003)
• Another movie my friend and I watched in July 2003 - I fell in love with it. I always love movies where the characters end up crossing paths. 
• Surviving Christmas (2004)
• I love Ben Affleck in this movie. 
• Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009)  
• By far, my favorite version of A Christmas Carol.
• The Polar Express (2004) 
• The first time we saw this was in the IMAX theature in 3D - it was amazing and continues to be a favorite.
• Original Television Christmas Classics (1969) 
• Includes: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town / Frosty the Snowman / Frosty Returns / The Little Drummer Boy. Who doesn't remember watching these clay-mations on TV?  
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
• The original and cartoon version - timeless. 
• A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008) 
• After last year's The Muppets (2011) came out, we just needed to add a Christmas Muppet movie!
• Noel (2004)
• Another movie about connections. Where you meet characters and by the end of the movie, they have crossed paths and found miracles. This one makes the tears fall, but well worth it.
• Bad Santa (2003)
• This one falls under the "I'm not sure why I like this movie" category. Maybe it's the hope that even when your life doesn't seem like it will ever turn around (ever!) - it will.  
• Miracle on 34th Street (1994) 
• Sweet version of the classic - I love this Santa.
• Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
• While the entire movie is not all about Christmas, it reaches to the heart of family. Plus Judy Garland's performance of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' is lovely.