Christmas Music

                   

Onto a new subject, Christmas music. This subject is very opinionated and there are a lot of views on this subject. Some people think that Christmas music is wonderful, and gets you into the Christmas spirit, when others think that too much Christmas music is just annoying. I personally could go either way on this topic, because some days I am in to mood to listen to Christmas music, and it gets me really excited for Christmas when other days I have heard the same song four times, and I am just done with Christmas music for the time being.

I can understand when people say that they don't like Christmas music because it is to happy and perky, because some days you are not in the mood to listen to that type of music, and would rather listen to something that you can relate to better. But on the other hand Christmas music is there to make you happy, and excited for Christmas, not to bring you down and make you feel bad about yourself. Because Christmas is a holiday of being happy and giving to others. I think that a lot of people don’t like Christmas music because people are already ready for Christmas and have heard these same songs over and over, so they are tired of listening to the same music so they would rather listen to new music that they actually like.

This brings me to a new subject, what is with every singer writing new versions of Christmas songs every year for their “Christmas Album”. All of the popular artists have at least one Christmas album, and all these albums always sound all the same. I get that they are trying to make a new version of the song but really all of these new versions all sound the same. Such as all the country Christmas music sounds the same, the pop Christmas music sounds the same, and so on. I like some of these new versions, but a lot of the music is just trying too hard to be the next great Christmas song that everyone listens to at Christmas time like Jingle Bells.

Some Christmas songs I really do like and I will sing to where ever I am at during the day like song like Jingle Bells, Rudolf the Red nose reindeer, Santa Clause is coming to town, and so many more.

Moreover you really need to be in the Christmas mood to be able to listen to Christmas music, and many people have many opinions on this topic, so feel free to leave any comments you have on the controversial topic about Christmas music.

Duck the Halls

                  

With only six days until Christmas, I am really feeling the anticipation, and I’m sure a lot of you are too! To take your mind off the excitement I suggest watching the Duck Dynasty Christmas special. If you are a Duck Dynasty fan like me, it will be a real treat and get to laughing so you are no longer thinking about what you will be getting for Christmas in only six short days.

The Duck Dynasty special premiered last Wednesday. Of course however I was busy the night that it came out so I had to watch it last Friday, but it was definitely worth the wait! The episode takes place in the Robertson’s home town where Willie’s wife Kori volunteers to have the Robertson family put on the annual Christmas nativity play at their church. As you guessed this doesn’t go down well for the manly Robertson men. Between the practices, most of them being failed practices, the Robertson’s are able to pull off a great show for their church. A “major” problem arises with the youngest Robertson brother, Jep, let’s just say he isn’t cut out for the theatrical type of life style. Jep had many problems with his only line in the entire play, “there is no room for you here”. As always the others laugh and make fun of Jep’s mistakes, which makes the audience laugh and the show more fun to watch. In the end Jep is able to say his line correctly and is very excited.

The other reason I love Duck dynasty is not only for the humor and the funny stuff that the Robertson men do but the whole family aspect about the show. The Robertson’s are very close to their families and you can tell even with the stardom that has definitely arisen, that the family is still as close as ever. (At least this is what I see when watching the show.) You can tell that even if the family member may pick on you sometimes, that if you really needed something then they would always be there for you.

Another great aspect of the Duck Dynasty Christmas special was that since it was the Christmas special, you get to see how the Robertson’s celebrate Christmas. Since the family, especially Phil and Kay, are so religious and serious about their faith, you can see all of the Christmas traditions that show throughout the episode. You can truly tell that family and faith really do take a bigger place in the Robertson’s heart then money or stardom does.

                     

Top Ten Christmas Movies for 2013

Many people enjoy watching Christmas movies around the holidays because it gets them into the Christmas spirit, I am one of those people and plan to help you find all the best Christmas movies to last you the entire holiday season! Many great Christmas movies include, in no specific order, A Christmas Story, National Lapoon’s Christmas Vacation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express, The Santa Clause movies, Frosty the Snowman, Elf, Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. All of these movies are classics and are worth taking your time to watch and enjoy.

All of these movies have great story lines involving Christmas and are sure to get you into the Christmas spirit. I have seen all of these just this year, and watch them all at least once throughout the Christmas season every year. I enjoy watching these movies with my family and the movies truly draw me closer to my family as we all gather around the television to watch whatever Christmas movie is currently showing. I am the type of person where the Christmas season is not complete until every Christmas movie is watched at least one time.

Some of my personal favorite, and probably some of yours to are Christmas Vacation, which is about Clark Griswald and his family trying to make Christmas the best that it can be, with many problems that occur, from family, to that large Christmas bonus that was supposed to be on the way, Clark remains able to make this Christmas one of the best for him and his family. I love this movie because you are constantly laughing throughout the movie because of the things Clark says and does. From chopping down a Christmas tree, to sledding, to dealing with the annoying family, everything is a laughing matter. This movie will stay one of my favorite movie for years to come, and is a hard movie to beat.

My all time favorite childrens movie is the Polar Express. The first time I watched it was in 2nd grade with my class, and I was a great experience. Seeing the movie for the first time was amazing and all the scenes and pictures were so magical. This is partially why I watch the Polar Express at least once every holiday season.

If you get the chance cherish these absolute amazing Christmas movies and spend some family time with your family and friends around the holiday season watching Christmas movies.

Are books a good Christmas present?

                                                  
                   

With Christmas in our reach, and less and less time to buy that perfect present, maybe a good book or movie is something that would interest someone in your family. Are books and movies good Christmas presents, or is there something better to give that special someone? Maybe this blog post will change your mind about giving or receiving books and movies as gifts.

          

 Most people think that getting a book for Christmas is just a lousy and lazy present to give someone, but maybe a book just shows how much they really care about you. Receiving a book that you really like could actually be a really great present, because it just shows how much that person really knows and cares about you. If you think about it, these days’ teens don’t spend a lot of the time saying “read any good books lately”, so when you do talk about books, you know that that person was really listening to you, if you receive that book you had been so excited about a month ago. There are many other reasons why receiving a book for Christmas could be a good idea, if your friends and family really know you they will know what types of books you like to read, whether it be romance, thriller, action, or nonfiction, your friends and family should know you well enough to be able to pick out a good book for you to read! If this is the case you should be absolutely honored that you have those kinds of people in your life, because really Christmas isn’t even about getting presents, but really about being thankful for what you have, your friends, your family, and most Jesus!

          

  Now in the modern day everything is about technology and keeping up with the best technology. If you still aren’t convinced by my whole “GO BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS” argument, then maybe this will change your mind. There is a thing called a Nook, Tablet, and many other mechanical reading devises out there. If you know someone who is a book worm and won’t put that beaten up old book down, maybe its time to buy a technological book. This is a great gift because you can buy the tablet, Nook, or other device, and they can load it up with all the books they are into. This is a great way to conceal the fact that you know absolutely nothing about them! ;)

           

 Books are a great gift for any type of person if they like to read, the ability to just download a book right there in your lap in absolutely priceless. Not literally though, because really the books are like twenty dollars;)! Or if your family member or friend really just likes the feeling of a real book, then truly get to know them and buy them the best book that they could ever read!

                                           
                                      

Elf Christmas Movie Review

                                           
   

One of the best things about the holiday season is Christmas movies! There are so many Christmas movies that you wouldn’t even be able to count them all, from movies about Santa, to romance movies, to comedies about the craziness of the holiday season, to children’s movies. All these movies are worth watching, but one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies is Elf.

            Elf is a classic Christmas movie that most everyone adores, and I always hear so much about how this is their favorite Christmas movie. Elf was made in 2003 starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Bob Newhart. Elf is about Buddy the Elf who was raised in the North Pole as an elf, but when he finds out that he truly isn’t an elf, he goes on an adventure to New York City to find out who he really is.

            Elf is a hilarious story that everyone has fallen in love with! I love how the movie is so upbeat and happy most of the time, but still has a plot and a climax. Elf is downright fun to watch, and you can watch it a thousand times, but could watch it a thousand more. The movie never gets old, and it shows, because Americans still believe it is one of the top Christmas movies. The scenery in the movie is absolutely breath taking, and really gets you into the Christmas spirit. The things that Buddy the elf builds throughout the film, are things that every person dreams of making, but doesn’t have the skills to ever accomplish. 

             My personal favorite part of the movie was right after Michael, Buddy’s “brother” gets mad at Buddy for being a part of his life to that they get caught up in a snowball fight against so kids in New York City. Michael and Buddy team up to take down the snowball bully’s. This part is both meaningful and funny. It’s funny because Buddy is able to make so many snowballs while Michael is only able to make one. Then Buddy starts firing them off taking down all of the bullies. This part is also so meaningful, because this is really when Michael begins treating Buddy like a brother and they really are getting along now. This scene is just one of the many funny scenes in Elf. So if you too are looking to laugh a lot at an amazing Christmas movie, I would strongly recommend Elf.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS

      

Immediately when Sara Shepard came out with her first book Pretty Little Liars, this new book series was the rave, gradually intriguing more and more people every month. A few years later and about 20 more hit books to add to the series, Pretty Little Liars is still going strong.

Pretty Little Liars is a teen thriller about 5 of the most popular friends is Rosewood. These girls have everything from clothes, to the biggest houses, to the most secrets. Everything is perfect until one day one of the five friends Ali is mysteriously murdered. Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna, think that a year later the worst is behind them but when the girls begin getting messages threatening to tell all of their pretty little secrets, they begin to wonder you this “A” is signing all the notes. Could it be Ali’s murderer, or worse, Ali herself? Every book tells a new story of how the girls end up in trouble because of the things they have done in the past, and unfortunately the secrets they are trying to conceal right now.

I really liked this book series for the longest time because it had a lot of drama and a hint of mystery without being to scary. The book is written where each chapter is about one of the four girls perspectives so you really get to know each of the girls personalities, while all of the individual stories are intertwined into one main story plot. Most of the time you don’t even notice the parts switching throughout the book, because it is so well written the story just flows. However after a while the continuous drama got really boring from stretching out the story so much. I believe that there are currently over 20 books in the series so you can imagine that Sara Shepard started to run out of ideas, the dirty little secrets get dumber and dumber.

The Pretty Little Liars television series on ABC Family, does the same thing as the books do, where at first it was very intriguing , but then as the books ran out of ideas so did the show. I have to say however the television show is actually really good because it sticks mostly to what the books say and the show is so action packed. After every episode you are left wondering what is going to happen next. I liked this aspect of the show, and I think is the number one factor in making a great television series, that viewers get really addicted to watching the show because you really want to figure out what happens next. Pretty Little Liars is premiering their 4^th season at the beginning of the New Year, so tune into ABC Family to catch a glimpse of Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Hanna’s pretty little secrets. 

                                                                                                                               -A

                                       

ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas

        

With Christmas on its way the best way to get into the Christmas spirit is to watch all of your favorite holiday movies with your family. The best place for all these beloved movies all in one easy place is ABC Family’s 25 days of Christmas. ABC Family features a different Christmas movie everyday up until Christmas. With all of the favorites including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The polar Express, Scrooge, and Frosty the Snowman. With other new ABC Family made movies such as Holidaze, Holiday in Handcuffs, and Deck the Halls.

I and a lot of other Americans love the 25 Days of Christmas on ABC Family because it really gets you in the Christmas spirit and excited for Christmas. I personally love how ABC Family shows a different movie every day, so I have something to look forward to every night until Christmas. I almost like the days leading up to Christmas better than the actual day because of all the Christmas spirit everywhere! I love seeing all of the Christmas trees and lights everywhere because I just like the feeling of family being around and little kids, including myself, excited for Christmas. I love the family aspect of Christmas, putting up the tree, lights, stockings, making Christmas cookies, and just being with your family. This is why ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas is so important; it brings the family together all in one room to watch Christmas movies together as a family.

Every year ABC Family features new ABC Family made movies, this year the movies included; Holidaze, and Christmas Bounty. Holidaze is about a successful business woman, Melody, who returns home for the holidays. While there she gets in an accident and wakes up in a different reality were she never left home and married her childhood crush, Carter. I haven’t seen this movie yet but since it is premiering tonight I plan to watch it and report back with my opinions on the movie.

Usually these movies are okay, but usually pretty cheesy since they are made by ABC Family themselves. Usually the stories are predictable and you can guess the ending, however that is what a lot of movies are like these days. But the ABC Family movies are usually cheaply done with not well known actors, which lose the viewer’s attention a lot of the time while watching the movies because it is hard to relate to someone you don’t know a lot about. Overall however the movies get you into the Christmas spirit, but the movie are just very cheesy. 

Schedule for ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas