The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: Barbie In The Nutcracker

The other day we were playing a Christmas Trivia game & the question came up: What did the Nutcracker turn into after he killed the mouse king? And Zach, my 20 year old Nature boy knew the answer. He got teased for knowing The Nutcracker trivia, and I said you know why he knows that? Because when he was younger, his little sisters favorite movie was none other than . . .

Barbie in The Nutcracker! And so this entire family, including their big brothers watched it over & over & over again!

And I must say it is done really well. It really is a good movie! Even the pre-teen boys liked it back in the day! (And obviously still remember it to this day!)

There were other Barbie movies to follow, The Princess and The Pauper among them, and they all were really good. Now the newer Barbie movies with Fairies & Mermaids, I don't know about, since my girls are older now. But we have several Barbie movies that are really good!

After seeing how much my girls loved Barbie in The Nutcracker, I took them to see the actual Ballet. We went to a performance done for Toys for Tots & admission was a donation new toy. It was so good! We all loved it.

That year, after seeing the Ballet, Santa left Nutcrackers in the kids' stockings. :) A friend gave my Boys some really cool Nutcrackers one year, Zach's is playing a Guitar & Kyle's is a Pirate Nutcracker! :) You will enjoy this Movie. And the Ballet, if you ever get the chance to go, do. Oh, and here's a hint at the answer of the trivia question that sparked this Blog post . . .

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: Frosty The Snowman

Merry Christmas!

I had to choose Today's 12 Days Of Christmas Movies, because it's Christmas Day, & since today is also My Birthday . . .

"Happy Birthday!"

That's right, it is none other than Frosty The Snowman! Such a good Movie! And his first words when he comes to life are of course "Happy Birthday!" :)

Boy: But you can't take that hat back! It brought Frosty to life.
Karen: You saw it happen!
Professor Hinkle: I saw nothing of the kind.

You silly children believe everything you see.
Wen you grow up, you'll realize that snowmen can't come to life.
Silly, silly, silly!

And today, of course, there is another Birthday today that is even a bigger deal than mine! :) "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)

Karen: You've got to excuse him, sir.
You see, he just came to life, and he doesn't know much about such things.
Traffic Cop: Oh, well okay. If he just came to life.
Move along!
hat silly snowman. Once they come to life, they don't know nothin'.
Come to life?!

Whew! Stay i hear much longer and Ill really make a splash in the world.

May you and yours have a Wonder-filled and a Wonder-full Christmas!

Santa: Don't cry, Karen, Frosty's not gone for good.
You see, he was made out of Christmas snow
& Christmas snow can never disappear completely.
It sometimes goes away for almost a year at a time
& takes the form of spring and summer rain.
But you can bet your boots that when a good, jolly December wind kisses it,
it will turn into Christmas snow all over again.

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: On Strike For Christmas

This next Movie in The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies, is On Strike For Christmas! It was made for Lifetime last year, and we found it at Blockbuster for rent! But my love affair with On Strike For Christmas started long before I saw the Movie.

I just make my list!
And get her done!

You see it is a Book. A really good Book. John bought this book for me as part of an Anniversary gift, knowing that I love to read & I LOVE all things Christmas! Right away I liked the way the Author wrote.

The Holidays are not about all the entrapment's!

The Movie is good, but the Book is better! :)

If I don't do it, it doesn't get done!
I don't know if I can make Christmas happen if I don't get some help soon!

We're gonna get our side of the story out there
and turn the tide on this strike!

I Tweeted about how much I liked the Book as I was reading it, and the Author, Sheila Roberts saw my Tweets & Tweeted me back! (You know how excited I get when an Author Tweets me!) Then when I was running a Book Club I chose another one of her Books, called Bikini Season for the Club to read. Sheila (over Twitter) offered to call my Book Club when we were going to discuss her Book. Can you imagine getting the opportunity to discus a Book with the person who actually wrote it?! I was beyond excited! She quickly became one of my all time favorite Authors!

Christmas doesn't have to be done my way to be perfect.

I've also read a second Christmas Book she's written called The Snow Globe. And she has another new one out this year as well called The Nine Lives Of Christmas, I haven't read that one yet, but I'm sure I will! :)

What makes Christmas perfect isn't what we do.

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: Christmas With The Kranks

Yes, we are going from the Griswolds to the Kranks! :)

The Movie Christmas With The Kranks is based on the Book Skipping Christmas by: John Grisham. Not Grisham's usual fare, but a good book none the less. And the Movie sticks really close to the Book. Probably closer than any other Book turned Movie I know of!

Luther & Nora's only Daughter joins the Peace Core, I think it is. And since she won't be home for Christmas they decide to take a Cruise to a tropical destination & skip Christmas all together.

Spike: You're skipping Christmas!
Isn't that against the Law?

The towns people try everything in their power, from sympathy to threats, to change their minds, to no avail.

Blair: I'm bringing home Enrique'!
Luther: What's a Reeke'?

But then a change of plans leads to all kinds of Chaos! Last minuet Party planning, decorating and shopping lends to a lot of Laughter!

Luther: What happened to the hickory honey ham?
Nora: Don't EVER say hickory honey ham again!

I have thought I'd like to just skip Christmas this year myself. Get right to the New Year & new season of our life. But Christmas isn't just about the amount of money you can spend or how many gifts you can give (or get!) But about celebrating another year together. It's about being with the ones you love. And that too is what the Kranks have to learn.

Luther: Skipping Christmas, what a stupid Idea!
Nora: Maybe next year.

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: Christmas Vacation

Well, you knew I'd have to get there sooner or latter, right?! And I'm sorry to say that that day has finally arrived.

That's right, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. If you like stupid humor, this movie is for you. But, this year I'm feeling more and more like the Griswold's!

Clark: We're kicking off our fun old fashion family Christmas
by heading out into the country in the old front wheel drive sleigh
to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape
and select that most important of Christmas symbols.
Audrey: We're not coming all the way out here
to get one of those stupid ties with Santa Clauses on it are we?
Clark: No, I have one of those at home.

We're gonna have the hap hap happiest Christmas
since Bing Crosby tap danced with Danny freaking Kay.

Ruby Sue: Uncle Clark, are you sure you ain't Santa Clause?
Clark: I'm sure . . . I can't even afford to be an elf.

With John & I both working retail this Christmas season, we don't have much time for much of anything else. So, we are doing things a little bit differently this year. We got our tree up, and that was about it. Just the tree. Then the next day we managed to add the lights & the pearls. Then on another day came all the rest of the ornaments!

I give you the Griswold family Christmas tree.
Lotta sap in here!
Mmmmm . . . looks great!
Little full, lotta sap.

Ellen: Welcome to our home - what's left of it.

Uncle Lewis: Hey, Grizz, Bethany and I figured out the perfect gift for you!
Clark: Aw, you didn't have to get me anything.
Uncle Lewis: Dang it, Bethany, he guessed it.

John & the boys put up our outside lights while I was at work one day. I came home to a nice surprise!

Bethany: Is your house on fire, Clark?
Clark: No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights.

My Family always gets together to bake our Christmas Cookies together! It's always a huge mess and a lot of fun. But unfortunately this year we have to work & can't join in. But I still want my kids to have the experience & of course, we want the cookies, so we're going about it in a different & much easier way . . . ready made cookie dough & frosting! Don't tell! :)

Clark: Since this is Aunt Bethany's 80th Christmas,
I think she should lead us in the saying of Grace.
Aunt Bethany: What, dear?
Nora: Grace!
Aunt Bethany: Grace? She passed away thirty years ago.
Uncle Lewis: They want you to say Grace.
The Blessing!
Aunt Bethany: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands.
One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Clark: Amen.

And to top it all off, I'm not sending out Christmas cards this year. I LOVE Christmas cards. Picking them out (or in my case designing them with my husband!) Writing my world famous Christmas letter. (though now that I'm Blogging, do I really need to send out a letter?) It's just too costly & time consuming for us this year. So, this will have to do:

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: The Polar Express

The Polar Express came out in 2004. My girls had just turned 7 years old. It was Thanksgiving weekend, my sister in law, Debbie & I took her daughter Rachel, & my girls to see it. The theater was crowded and we found seats where Debbie & I could sit in the row right in front of the three girls. I fell in love with this Movie. At one point in the movie I turned around to look at the girls, and found all three of them staring up at the screen just in awe! It truly is visually stunning. We had to go out & get the Book as well, and of course the Bell from Santa's sleigh now hangs on our Christmas tree every year! Because we Believe!

The things about trains . . . it doesn't matter where they're going.
What matters is deciding to get on.

On Christmas Eve many years ago I laid quietly i my bed.
I did not rustle the sheets, I breathed slowly and silently.
I was listening for a sound I was afraid I'd never hear:
the sound of Santa's sleigh bells.

The Conductor: Well, ya comin?
The Boy: Where?
The Conductor: To the North Pole, of course!
This is the Polar Express!

The Boy: I'm looking for a girl.
Hobo: (burst out laughing) Well aren't we all?

There's no greater gift than friendship.

This bell is a wonderful symbol of the spirit of Christmas - as am I.
Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.

At one time most of my friends could hear the bell,
but as years passed it fell silent for all of them.
Even Sarah found one Christmas
that she could no longer hear its sweet sound.
Though I've grown old the bell still rings for me,
as it does for all who truly believe.

Seeing is believing,
But sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: The Holiday

The next Movie on The 12 Days Of Christmas list is The Holiday. A fun, sweet Romantic Comedy in which two women, one from L.A. & one form England, do a house swap in order to take a break from their real lives for the Holidays. We follow them on their adventures in self discovery.

Hannah: I've just noticed how pathetic you are.
Iris: Really? I'm SO aware of it.

I would love to stay in either of these two houses. If you could get away for the Holidays, where would you want to go? For me, It's New York City! I heart NY! I want to Ice skate in Central Park & see the shop windows all decorated for Christmas. I've also always wanted to visit Disneyland at Christmas time. It's magical even in the summer time, just imagine it at Christmas, all decorated & lit up.

I like corny. I'm looking for corny in my life.


I need some peace and quiet . . . or whatever it is people go away for.

There are touching moments & great characters in this film. There is a sweet side story involving a neighbor at one of the houses. It's another really good movie to watch this time of year.

Arthur: In the movies we have Leading Ladies and we have the best friend.
You, I can tell, are a Leading Lady,
but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.
Iris: You're so right,
You're supposed to be the Leading Lady in your own life!
I've been going to a therapist for 3 years,
and she's never explained anything to me that well.
That was Brilliant. Brutal but Brilliant.