I was telling a friend yesterday how my tinsel had been dragging a bit this holiday season. Much like her, I felt like I was showing up a little later to the holiday spirit than was my normal style. While growing up, it was a holiday tradition to bug the #@!% out of my parents on Thanksgiving night and drive them to madness until they retrieved all Christmas paraphernalia from the attic. This was a great game, but it seems that parenting karma has caught up with me via my own daughter who has also mastered the skill. The turkey isn’t even off my plate before she begins the campaign. Oh Christmas Past - you have a sly sense of humor. It’s kind of like how getting mail used to be so exciting, but now it’s just another thing to go through.
How Grinchy did that sound??? To be clear, I LOVE LOVE LOVE CHRISTMAS and the whole holiday season. It is my absolute favorite time of year. Perhaps I just felt off because of the 80 degree winter we have going on (welcome to Texas). Maybe it was the somewhat daunting mile high pile of boxes that looked like I was trying to maintain the stock price for Hobby Lobby. I don’t know, but I decided it was time to shake it off.
Soooo I popped in the best holiday movie of all time – “A Christmas Story”. Now I must say that I basically love every holiday movie ever made (with a few notable exceptions to remain unnamed) and force my family to watch them repeatedly throughout November and December. However nothing can compare to the level of awesome one-liners in “A Christmas Story.” To put it mildly, it’s freaking hysterical.
The holiday spirit can’t stay amiss for long when you watch this one. And after that, I decorated the tree with my daughter (the same tree that had been sitting with lights only in our living room for the past week). I then popped in “It’s A Wonderful Life” and the whole family made gingerbread houses and gingerbread Christmas trees. Perhaps it is a bit of a stretch to say they were gingerbread houses. They are more like gingerbread tenements. Am I the only person who feels like the pictures on those boxed sets are slightly (completely and totally) false advertising??? Or are we just Christmas craft losers?? Regardless we made a huge mess and it was quite fun. I am confident that the holiday spirit will live on via the white and green icing that now covers my table and kitchen.
So if you, too, have been feeling a little under-spirited this holiday season, give the movie a whirl. It’s not like you will shoot your eye out if you do! 
“Some men are Baptists, others Catholics. My father was an Oldsmobile man.” – Ralphie in “A Christmas Story”
Second- oh I so love all Christmas movies. This year I started my Christmas movie marathon already in the middle of October.
The especially early start was due to discovering one TV channel that had already started showing all sorts of Christmas movies that I hadn’t seen before.
Tomorrow I’m starting my gingerbread making madness aaaand I’m going to the woods to get THE Tree. (Probably another Charlie Brown one.)
Christmas is the best!
Love ya!!! xoxo
Did you get the right tree this time??? LOL!
Well, it’s the right kind this time, but it still looks like a Charlie Brown one.
I did it again – went to the woods in the dark. The tree seemed absolutely beautiful there, but when I got home, I started noticing that many branches had already gone quite bare (lost their needles). Got quite a laugh out of this situation again.
So I’m thinking of making it my very own special Christmas tradition now – I intentionally go to the woods in the dark and see, what I happen to bring home….maybe I should amp this plan up even more and start wearing a blindfold while going to the woods, so I could stumble around there and “feel” my way to the “right” tree.
Oh I love Christmas and all the fun traditions that we get to create!
That is hilarious! I can’t wait for the year when you tell me about the animal you couldn’t see living in the tree in the dark!
Haahaaa
I hope it will be a friendly bear, then I could keep him too. 
LOL!
This is delightful!
Our son-in-law always gets a stocking suffer from the movie. Last year it was a “Leg Lamp” night light; this year it’s a key chain, which he won’t be able to carry his keys on at work (he’s a cop).
I think every policeman should be armed with a piece and a trusty leg lamp key chain.
Blessings to him and to you lovebug. And please tell him thank you for his bravery and for keeping us all safe.
Yup I know the feeling, it’s been DRAGGING with me as well. Not sure why is so hard to dust off. Not in the mood for anything at all, and that is not me. I love Christmas, yet I feel it’s passing by so fast. You go to stores and all the Christmas trims, decorations are already 60%, I’m like for GOD-SAKE, it’s not even the middle of the Holiday! To me it’s sad and I guess it’s not changing. Consumers just keep ripping the Holidays away from peoples soul, people no longer sit together for Thanksgiving just because theirs a deal that starts at 8pm! How shallow have we gotten! Those old holidays with families are just memories. People forget the true meaning of Christmas and turn it into a shopping spree, cause they need to buy materialistic things that are 70% off. How much stuff do you need in life? Honestly, I just don’t get it. I hope to look into some movies that help me set my mood back to the Holidays, until then, it’s just another December!..
Great post!!!!
You’ll find the spirit! You would think it would be easier as they start playing music in October nowadays! Maybe go take some pretty holiday themed shots?? I would LOVE to see what you come up with!
. Big hugs!!!
I love this post!! Who cannot be happy when watching Ralphie’s antics. Or his mother’s and father’s. One day I will own that lamp!! I want it for my living room! Love that you are now in the Christmas Spirit:)
I have said the same thing for years. I should have bought one just to go out for Xmas decorations. I may have to get one for my office…
I ordered a mini version last night. It’s like joy has been bundled into the most unsightly home accent ever – brilliant!
I love this season too…and was hoping to have our tree and decorations up but my husband has been sick and now I’ve caught it from him..so I guess it’ll be a few more days yet….And I love the Christmas movies too…I’m late in getting my Christmas cards started too…oh dear….Diane
Christmas cards….hmmm….those will be a bit late from us, too. If they make it in the same year, I feel ok.
And I hope you feel better very soon honey!
It’s been eons since I’ve seen this movie so I want to watch it again. I doubt it will make me like Christmas though. ;-p Like the new layout!
Oh I take that as a challenge! Christmas is so likeable (likable??)!
Haha, no one has ever been able to make me like Christmas. ;-p
I wish you were here. We keep it fun.
None of this “Christmas is for kids” nonsense. Don’t get me wrong. The kids clean up. But we make it fun for everyone. You would love it.
Okay, I do have to admit that does sound fun.
It’s the best movie, period!
I second that!
I enjoyed your article and must admit I am like you – I love every Christmas movie ever made, with a few exceptions, but very few! I realized why I was having trouble getting in the mood to decorate. For the past few years I dragged my feet and never rekindled the joy of putting up the tree. My husband is now retired! Don’t get me wrong, he is helpful, always stays out of my way as I go from room to room decorating and is always supportive in his own way. But now he is home, I do not listen to Christmas music while I decorate like I had for 30 years. We get everything up during the weekend (my old job I would have Mondays off so that would be decorating day since the kids had off school for Hunting season. Hubby would be back to work. He watches football so I don’t play my music. He has been retired for a few years now and I just realized it. Now that I know the problem, I will have to put on my headset and listen and sing off key again while decorating next year!! ha ha .I love reading about everyone’s traditions. Now this is silly but it is a tradition just the same, we watch the Christmas Story on TBS Christmas while opening presents, we have it on VCR, DVD and I think the kids now have it on Blue Ray, but we still turn on TBS to watch our favorite movie! We love our pink nightmare!! LOL Advent blessings
We love TBS on Christmas Day, too!! I am cracking up that you also have the movie but still watch cable. That’s what we do as well. Aren’t quirky family traditions the best?? And I am so so excited about your headset off key Christmas song singin’ plan! Sounds absolutely perfect.
. Love love love to you sweet girl!! Jo
Gods love right back to you!! Now I know we are not the only silly family around!! LOL
Amen to that!
“Or are we just Christmas craft losers??” HAHHAHAHHAHHA I have no idea, I have never attempted them. Are you supposed to eat them?
Did you know they are coming out with a Christmas Story 2? I was almost heartbroken and part of me wants to rent it just to rip it to pieces. I am not going to be worried about a 19 year old saying the words “Oh Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttt.” When all the blots go flying out of the pan, or hubcap, is that what it was?
I am sure I would laugh my ass off if a 19 year old came out in a pink bunny suit that his Aunt keeps sending to him every year like he’s never got older. In a crazy twist of fate Ralphie should have to work as Santa every year to pay for his family’s Christmas gifts, and to every child he should say “You’ll shoot your eye out!”
“Ok… you have had your time with Senile Santa, take a candy cane and go.”
“But I wanted a Poly-Pocket, how will I shoot my eye out?!”
Then the elves shove the child down the slide.
No this number 2 is not going to be interesting at all! Why can’t the classics just stay classics? What’s next Miracle on 34th street 2; this time… it’s even more miraculous? (Holy crap I just looked it up to make sure I had the right street (I did), I had no idea they made a remake of it!!! I legit believe the original is the best, the guy looks like Santa, he has a real beard (if it isn’t real don’t kill the dream)… it’s in black and white, almost as old (seeming) as Christmas itself. UGH sorry Matlida (Mara Wilson) I am not watching that movie ever).
just dropping a comment to let you know that although i have been feeling quite down for a few months, this past weekend we got out our Major Award and lit it whilst watching A Christmas Story and then put up our tree. it did help the attitude for sure! i love my leg lamp and really enjoy lighting it up and watching people’s reactions!
I love it and hope you are doing better honey. It’s true that those major awards can make such the difference. Maybe next time you will win the bowling alley.
(*now I just need some pink bunny jammies!*)
Lol!