We're So Xmas: Recent Episodes
We're So Xmas
Cliff and Heather drop all of the Christmas trivia they know. Thanks so much for spending the holidays with us again!
Heather wants to make sure you stretch before doing any wrapping today and what are your thoughts on themed vs. more "traditional" trees?
If you are heading to a Christmas party and need a holiday-themed pickup line, we've got you covered!
Check out the complete list here: https://parade.com/living/christmas-pick-up-lines
Heather and Cliff want to reassure you that it's fine to say no at Christmastime (or anytime really). And when it comes to Christmas socks (or stockings if you prefer) what are your traditions?
Have you ever snuck around trying to find your presents before Christmas? And if you are craving cookies, you definitely should have a cookie exchange!
Do you know where Santa is from? Heather's got the answer. And if you are looking for amazing chocolate, Cliff has got a tip for you!
Heather has some great tips for flying this holiday season and are you still playing Whamageddon?
Pacemakers might not be the first thing you think of when you think of Christmas, but Heather makes a pretty good argument that they make the perfect gift for the right person! If you are looking to get outside this Christmas season, maybe you can count some birds while you are there: https://gis.audubon.org/christmasbirdcount/
Heather wants everyone to support local artists (and we wonder about where caricature artists go in the winter). Also, the Unique Christmas Traditions for every state are here: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/most-unique-christmas-tradition-every-143425662.html
Heather gives us her review of Christmas As Usual and if you get on a plane right now you can celebrate A Christmas Story in Indiana with Ralphie (https://www.abc57.com/news/the-cast-of-a-christmas-story-is-reuniting-in-hammond-this-holiday-season)!
Heather has a list of the worst Christmas candy and neither Cliff or Heather agreed with any of them (oddly possum candy cane's didn't make the list!) Cliff tells you about the best way to store your Christmas decorations after the holiday.
Heather has some crazy statistics about being in a relationship and the best Christmas cities in every state are right here: https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/travel/best-small-towns-to-visit-this-christmas-pictures
Heather's got a great hack if you are trying to save money this Christmas and (in a weird switch) Cliff thinks you should get this for your dog: https://www.westpaw.com/products/the-dogs-best-friend-game%E2%84%A2?avad=220733_f357e7065
If you hurry, you can still (maybe!) book an amazing festive Airbnb. Check out this list for inspiration: https://www.elitedaily.com/lifestyle/festive-christmas-airbnb-cabins-around-the-world. Does it feel like you are paying more for your Christmas tree this year? If you care about the environment, it's probably worth it.
Heather has a great custom Christmas idea for your bathroom and Cliff wants to make sure you ride Livin' with the Land if you are going to WDW for Christmas!
Custom Magic 8 Balls make an amazing Christmas gift! Get one with all of your favorite restaurants and never decide what to eat for dinner ever again: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1358285218/custom-magic-8-ball20-answers-eight
Also, find out what to add to your tree's water to make it last the longest!
Hurry and enter to win $2,500 by creating a meal only an elf could love: https://www.onlinecasinos.com/buddy-the-elf-contest/. We also start our campaign to get Brenda Lee on the podcast (and we talk a bunch about Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree!)
Heather and Cliff discover there might be a wage gap problem with the 12 Days of Christmas. Also, you have no idea how tall a poinsettia will get if you plant it.
There is at least one good reason to have a fake Christmas tree and what do you think about giving "used" gifts?
Head to West Palm Beach, FL and check out Sandi the giant sand pile "Christmas Tree". Also, would you eat a mac & cheese candy cane?
Heather has some amazing gift ideas! And if you don't have amazing gift ideas, have you thought of using AI to get some?
Also, follow Heather on Instagram, it's all she wants for Christmas! https://www.instagram.com/heatherleemd
A fear of Christmas trees is called Christougenniatiko dentrophobia and if your Christmas Tree Syndrome is bad enough, you might just have it!
Heather says if you are going to get a fake Christmas Tree, why not get a pink one? And then Cliff for some reason brings up football and Taylor Swift?
Heather finds out the real reason you can't fit in your pants from high school and Chrysanthemum Cliff talks about Your Christmas or Mine (1 & 2)!
Heather tells us about the most adorable treat for Santa and Chrysanthemum Cliff wants Fairytale of New York to hit number one in the UK this year.
Heather's one Christmas wish is that you go follow her on Instagram (and maybe follow We're So Xmas while you are there)! Cliff's Christmas wish is that you turn on TBS or TNT right now and watch A Christmas Story!
Heather has found the perfect dog hoodies and Cliff has a list of last-minute gifts that would work even on Christmas morning!
Mayor Gabe Carroll of Creston, Iowa went full monty (plus a chicken) for a calendar raising funds for the town's Christmas Basket Fund. If you are lucky, you might still be able to order one, hit up Hot Air Brewing on Facebook and ask! And if that isn't adult enough for you, we list out the best rated R Christmas movies!
Heather found the coolest shirts since Hypercolor! And if with a bit of work, you probably could hook up a solar-powered tree just like they have in Italy.
If you aren't paying attention to what is happening in Iran, the holiday season is a great time to think of others (and get involved if you can!)
Heather had the best work secret Santa this year and Cliff may have fallen in love with Julmust.
If you want to go really, really big this year for Christmas, Heather has a great idea! And so you have something to watch while you are waiting for it to be delivered, we run down the top 10 highest-grossing Christmas movies!
Not to be all clickbaity, but you are not going to believe what these candles smell like. You also might not believe how snowglobes got started, but honestly, it is slightly less surprising!
Heather is a blood donor and thinks it's an amazing gift you can give this holiday season as well!
Heather found the most amazing custom socks you can imagine, while Cliff found your new side hustle!
More and more people are asking for the gift of experiences, from movie passes to vacations! And when you are on vacation (or at home) when do you put up your tree?
Heather found a list of the most common Holiday themed names and it's...something. Cliff talks about the new Apple TV movie Spirited!
Cliff and Bright and Merry Brooke are talking about eggnog and... mayonnaise? I wish that was a typo.
Heather talks about the most popular candy in every state and Cliff let's you know the odds that you'll have a white Christmas!
Heather counts down the most Underrated Gifts on Reddit and Cliff talks about The Christmas House and The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls!
Heather has an amazing idea for a really unique Christmas gift and the We're So Xmas team has voted and officially declared The Christmas Shoes as the worst Christmas song of all time.
Ozzy Osborne and Christmas? It makes way more sense than you would think! Also, where are you keeping all of your Christmas stuff?
Heather comes up with an amazingly whimsical idea for your name twin and Cliff review the new Lindsay Lohan movie Falling for Christmas!
Today's episode is all about gifts! Heather thinks The Floof is this season's gift to give while Chrysanthemum Cliff is going a bit nerdier with Make Me Jedi!
Chrysanthemum Cliff is back (mostly)! Today we are talking about adorable chocolate bar snowmen that would make the perfect gift and the Cookie Stroll at Disney World!
If you are looking for the perfect gift for the cookie lover in your life, have you thought about a customized Oreo? Find out more here: https://www.oreo.com/
Heather's new favorite Christmas movie is A Boy Called Christmas which you can watch right now on Netflix! She also would appreciate it if you could go review it on the IMDB and get the rating up a bit (since it's a solid 10).
If like Bing Crosby you'll only be home for Christmas in your dreams, the perfect gift might be something that reminds your loved ones that you are thinking about them. Circle and Luck Long Distance Love Bracelets (https://www.circleandluck.com/) come in a set of two. When one person touches their bracelet, the other lights up, no matter how far away it is!
Chrysanthemum Cliff is a bit under the weather so Heather is handling everything this week!
If you are looking for an easy (and cheap!) gift for that one person that has everything, check out the Boxbollen at https://boxbollen.com.
Happy 150th episode of We're So Xmas and Merry Christmas!
All Heather wants for Christmas this year is for you to listen to her other podcast, Heather & Wickett! And Cliff is going to spend the day "hiking" at Disney World (and eating a bunch of good food!)
If you are still looking for a last-minute gift, Heather recommends a personalized talking pet/baby/ex-boyfriend using the My Talking Pet app! And if you just can't get enough Christmas music, check out the FaLaLaLaLa GREAT BIG Christmas Variety Shuffle List on Spotify (it's 8 Days long!!!)
Brooke gives you the history of Christmas stockings (or is it socks?) and St. Nicholas Day and while Cliff is talking about "festive" firelogs!
Bright and Merry Brooke is on the podcast today talking about the best way to give gift cards so they are more fun than just a bit of plastic. And if you don't have your holiday treats yet, you better act fast!
Heather's sick so Cliff called in his brother to talk about the Star Wars Holiday Special!
Heather has some advice to help you out when you've heard "The Little Drummer Boy" just one too many times and Cliff has a way to protect your ornaments from kids...but probably not Heather cat.
Heather has found some gorgeous desk gifts for the desked people in your life and Santa eats a LOT of cookies!
Heather says that putting a Christmas tree in your bedroom might spice up your love live and Cliff talks about the new Netflix movie Love Hard.
Heather is a huge fan of electric longboards and thinks that everyone should get one for Christmas and Cliff brings some interesting facts about cookies!
Heather found these amazing corner bookmarks that would make awesome gifts and Cliff really wants you to watch Dash & Lily (so it can get a second season) and A Boy Named Christmas.
Know somebody who gets enough snow that shoveling sucks but a full-blown snowblower is too much? Get them an electric snow shovel! And if you are heading to Walt Disney World for Christmas, you are definitely going to want to check out the Candlelight Processional at Epcot!
Heather announces the return of one of Cliff's favorite Christmas treats and we talk about The Princess Switch 3!
Heather tempts Cliff with a Cheese of the month club and Cliff figures out how to turn off his outdoor lighting with Alexa.
Heater is still raving about the Eggnog Bread Pudding she had at her work Christmas Party and Cliff talks about why the English say Happy Christmas!
Today's episode is just full of links! First, listen to the episode. Then, go visit Tipsy Elves and watch When Harry Met Santa!
Heather encourages you to go to the store, buy a homemade Twinkie kit and make some new traditions. Cliff, on the other hand, gives you the history of another tradition - why we send Christmas cards!
It's all about music this episode! Heathe brings us Dave Grohl's Hanukkah sessions (where Grohl covers a different Jewish artist every day) and Cliff brings us The Beatles Christmas Records!
Heather found the most adorable angel tree topper for your Christmas tree (that hopefully, you are decorating while watching the Michael Buble Christmas Special!)
Heather has not one, but two ways to keep your dog clean and relatively shed-free this Christmas and Cliff talks about Christmas hitmaker Paul McCartney!
Heather has recently indulged in new hair products and think they would be the perfect gift for the long-haired folks in your life and Cliff will tell you how to hide those gifts and find them again come Christmas time.
Heather has the perfect thing to buy so you can make awesome treats for all the dogs in your neighborhood and Chrysanthemum Cliff brings holiday tunes to your doorbell.
I know we say this a lot, but Heather has literally found the perfect gift for the person that has everything. Following up on December 1st, Cliff's brother bought a rainbow Christmas tree, is that a good or a bad Christmas time decision?
Heather has an amazing idea for the perfect gift for your favorite pet owner and Chrysanthemum Cliff gives us a Christmas-themed central Florida history lesson!
It's been far to long! But Heather and Chrysanthemum Cliff are back, bringing you everything you need to know about buying a Christmas tree in 2021 and the perfect gift for your favorite pet lover!
Heather is embracing the true spirit of Christmas by buying a snowblower! Cliff is starting to embrace the idea of just leaving his tree up all year and decorating it for different holidays and Heather has an invite to the new and exclusive social media app Clubhouse!
To cap off our 25 Days of Christmas Podcasts, we did a live episode on Boxing Day! You can listen to the audio version, or head over to our Facebook page and watch the video!
On this wonderful, wonderful holiday, Heather and Chrysanthemum Cliff reflect on gifts of Christmas past.
Ok, it's Christmas Eve and you have that ONE last gift to buy. You aren't going to the store because between the crowds and the COVID it's just not worth it. You've already spent 8 hours on Amazon and come up with NOTHING. Don't worry, We're So Xmas has got your back.
Heather swears this is an Irish tradition passed down in her family, but Cliff is going to have to do some more research.
Heather tells us about the delightful - but expensive - Nitro Coffee from Starbucks and we decide that Heather definitely would date Santa Claus' kid.
Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift? Heather recommends a gift card to a local restaurant or shop! Not only is it a great gift, but also helps out your struggling local businesses. Cliff also wants you to know a dirty secret and that is that nobody gets anything done between Christmas and New Years, which is why everyone should get that week off. Honestly, we deserve it.
Ok, stop doing what you are doing right now (even if that means that you are going to have to put a pause on listening to this episode). Go on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram and as your friends and followers to list their favorite Christmas traditions. We guarantee it will make you smile.
Do you have any friends that might be experiencing their first "real winter" in a while? Heather has the perfect gift idea for them. Chrysanthemum Cliff spun the random wheel of Christmas movies and ended up with A Dogwalker's Christmas Tale! It's a pretty great Christmas movie that's only real failing is not being called A Dogwalker's Christmas Tail.
Content Warning: If you are a mother of anyone involved in this podcast (or the spouse of anyone involved in this podcast) you might want to skip this episode. If you think you might be offended even if you aren't one of our moms, you might want to skip it too.
But honestly, it's also probably not that huge of a deal and you might pick up an idea for an easy stocking stuffer you can pick up at Target.
Have an audio nerd on your Christmas list? Check out Premoplugz on Etsy (Heather's a huge fan!) Cliff talks about the latest Disney Sing-Along and admits that he knows nothing about pop music.
Heather delves into the world of last-minute Christmas gifts while Cliff drags up some little known facts about one of your favorite Christmas TV shows.
Depending on your sensibilities, this one might be slightly NSFW. But maybe not, who knows what work even is any more?
Heather has some recommendations on a gift for that special person in your life that needs some help trimming their tree. Or their ornaments? I dunno, just assume there is a lot of innuendo and we'll leave it at that. Also, if you haven't bought your Christmas tree yet get on it stat!
You have to act quickly, but tomorrow morning (if you live in New York) you can book a nights stay at FAO Schwarz! Slightly less quickly, but still on a schedule, get ready to see the Christmas Star a week from today!
Heather has a great idea for how you can make someone's holiday brighter via their vet. Cliff admits his fascination with the Cinderella trope and Disney Channel Original Movies with a review of "A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish"
Heather and Cliff say "underpants" way more in this episode that Cliff is comfortable with. We also talk about the new Netflix TV-MA rated Holidate!
Never forget, Edible Arrangments are the gift that keeps on giving! Also, if you are out at the grocery store picking up ingredients for cookies or holiday meals, why not grab some flowers for someone you love? In movie news, We're So Xmas is strongly in the "Die Hard is a Christmas movie" camp, but what about American Psycho?
Did you know there is an actual National Weather Service approved definition of what a White Christmas is? Did you know that the movie Elf almost didn't get made? You can listen to the podcast to find out about the first one and watch The Holiday Movies That Made Us to find out about the second!
Looking for the perfect gift for your perfect best friend that doesn't live next door? Or something to remind the other half of your long-distance relationship that you are thinking about them? How about a Friendship Lamp? Once you get that locked down, check out an owl so cute it made Heather cry (and hear how it ended up in New York City!)
Heather thinks the Oura ring might be a great gift for the fitness buff in your life (or yourself!) Chrysanthemum Cliff isn't going to cut down his own Christmas tree, but 100% wants everyone else to know that it's a super-economical way to get a great tree, especially if you are looking for something tall!
Hang out (virtually) on Thursday, Dec. 10th with Heather at the Nurse of the Year Awards. Right now nurses are working so hard to keep people healthy during the pandemic and could absolutely use some recognition. And if you are looking for somewhere to make a last-minute donation too, the March of Dimes is always a fantastic candidate.
You wouldn't think this would be related, but if you are in the mood for some not-so-light reading over the holidays, Heather's friend Sean has a book published on Amazon right now that you should check out.
And finally, Cliff watched Dash and Lily on Netflix and highly suggests that you watch it on a Saturday or Sunday, so you can just binge all eight episodes in a row!
Heather has found some awesome floating speakers that would make great gifts (although Cliff thinks they look like little floating Death Stars from Star Wars). Cliff talks about a Christmas tradition that started over 100 years ago and is now being handled by the Coast Guard. Give this episode a listen to learn more about the Christmas Tree Ship.
Heather found a perfect Christmas mask for that special person in your lift. When you see it, you'll know exactly the person it will be perfect for. :)
Chrysanthemum Cliff watched The Christmas Switch and The Christmas Switch: Switched Again and loved both of them!
Christmas is the perfect time for COOKIES and Cliff has two fantastic options for you! If you want to try the brown butter cookies, head to the Brown Butter Cookie Company. If you want to try the corn cookies, head over to the Milk Bar.
Heather has been getting some very good targeted Facebook ads from Bed, Bath and Beyond lately and some of them would make pretty great gifts! First up, the perfect game to play on Christmas afternoon, Pug-opoly. Second, this rocking chair with an attached bassinet would be perfect for new parents (or someone who really loves their dog!) Finally, if you are looking for a great white elephant gift, lean hard into the Beyond part of the name and pick up a TravelJane Disposable Urinals for Women. You should also really question what Heather is doing on the internet to get that last ad targeted to her...
Cliff checked out a new Netflix Christmas movie called Midnight at the Magnolia, which he's pretty sure every person he used to work with in radio will LOVE!
Heather has the most amazing cat headphones and thinks they would make the perfect stocking stuffers for someone who needs just a bit more whimsy in their lives! Chrysanthemum Cliff watched the new Kristen Stewart Christmas movie Happiest Season and even though it has some issues, he liked it quite a bit overall!
Heather and Chrysanthemum Cliff are back, talking about a terrific DIY Advent Calendar you could make for your friends and family (really, this idea is great!) We also give you our thoughts on The Christmas Chronicles 2 (with a little bit of Bruce Springsteen thrown in for color).
There is only one month until Christmas, but the We're So Xmas team is still in a bit of transition! We give a short update for November, but get ready for 16 days of episodes starting Dec 1!
So Heather and Chrysanthemum Cliff recorded an episode in September and then...forgot to post it. But we found it, dusted it off and now November is TWICE as merry!
- Holiday Ring Doorbell Faceplates
- Christmas Pop Sockets
- Christmas Masks
It's the hottest month of the year, but that doesn't mean we aren't still thinking about crisp winter mornings! You know what I'm talking about, the kinda morning where a fresh blanket of snow covers everything outside your window and all you want to do is snuggle under your blanket with a warm cup of coffee flavored with your favorite creamer. Maybe pop open your laptop and work on your Christmas bucket list for next year while your kids play on the new Xbox that you had the forethought to pre-purchase and buy them for Christmas.
Honestly, if that sounds like you August's podcast is going to be PERFECT.
First off, we know the audio is a but rough this week, the internet Gods were not kind to us. August will be roughly 8000x better.
Anyway, it's not quite lions and tigers and bears, but Heather is sharing her house with some...shall we say interesting...critters. Hear all about that, plus her cross-country driving adventure with two dogs!
We bring it back to Christmas with news that the Hallmark Channel is actively working on improving the diversity of their movies, and are specifically on LBGTQ representation, which is great news!
Between the pandemic and everything else that is going on it's hard to believe that it's only six months until Christmas and at the same time, Christmas could be tomorrow! Time is mysterious that way these days!
In this episode we start off by talking about all the great Christmas (and other holiday) TV shows and movies that are available on Hulu that you might not have noticed. In fact, they have an entire section dedicated to them that you can check out here: https://www.hulu.com/genre/holiday-cd0399d6-66b4-42b5-b9e4-1cde90cbc36e (See, I told you it was long and scary.)
Heather takes us shopping at One Thirty First, a black-owned business that would be the perfect place for holiday shopping. Their designs are timely, powerful and unique. Honestly, they probably say it best: "OTF was designed to highlight the ideas, personalities and in some cases, the plight of those in urban communities. Through puns and pop culture references, we use our designs to help our customers express their realities."
Finally, we wrap up the episode with a feel-good story about a woman you got a mom for Christmas (with a little bit of help from an online DNA test!)
Normally we talk about Christmas on this podcast, but in light of the recent events that have swept through our country in the last few days, we felt that we had to say something, even if it had nothing to do with the holidays. If that isn't for you, please feel free to skip this episode and join us on June 25th for an episode full of holiday cheer.
If you do decide to listen, first off, neither of us has all the answers and we are in no way perfect. We welcome constructive feedback, especially from the black community that has lived experiences that we don't have. Please feel free to message us via Facebook or Twitter, our DMs are open.
As mentioned in the episode, here is a list of resources that we think can be helpful:
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
- Ways You Can Help
- White Guyde To The Galaxy (for men) and Save the Tears: White Woman's Guide (for women)
- If you are going to a protest, here's how to do it as safely as possible
- Antiracist Allyship Starter Pack
Finally, if you are a black-owned business with a bit of holiday flair, we 100% want to talk to you, please reach out on social media or email us.
Heather and Cliff talk about life in VR, Football at Christmas, Tom Hanks and HBO's new "adult" Christmas show!
Follow Us!
http://weresoxmas.com/ https://www.facebook.com/weresoxmas https://twitter.com/weresoxmas https://www.instagram.com/weresoxmas/
Heather and Chrysanthemum Cliff are finally back in the same place! Things are just a tiny bit in flux, which means they had to record in Cliff's dining room, but everything came together!
Heather and Cliff voted and came to the conclusion that any time you mention Betty White's name it should be in the form "Betty Which is doing fantastic and...". With that in mind, Betty White is doing fantastic and will be starring in a Christmas movie this holiday season on Lifetime! There aren't any details yet, but honestly, we don't care if it's just Betty White doing a Zoom meeting at this point.
In central Texas, Jacqueline Smith is getting in the holiday spirit early! She put up a delightfully pink Christmas tree on her sidewalk and stocked it with hand-made face masks to help keep her community safe!
Finally, if you are looking to spread a little bit of Christmas cheer early, Heather reminds up that helping stock a tiny pantry in your neighborhood is a great way to help out folks that need just a little bit extra right now.
Follow Us!
http://weresoxmas.com/ https://www.facebook.com/weresoxmashttps://twitter.com/weresoxmashttps://www.instagram.com/weresoxmas/
Heather and Chrysanthemum Cliff decided to try something a little different this month and recorded their podcast via Zoom since they are still socially distanced. That means a few things:
1) If you head to facebook.com/weresoxmas or weresoxmas.com you can actually watch this podcast!
2) There might be a few things we talk about that work better on the video since you won't be able to see them.
This month we talked about what to do if we are still having to socially distance during the holidays? Christmas might be a little bit different if you can't just head over to Grandma's house like usual, but luckily Heather made found a few ways to bring everyone closer together on her latest trip to...Lowes?
Cliff is a bit worried that we might not have any new Hallmark movies to watch this holiday if they aren't able to start filming them pretty quickly. Again, Heather saves Christmas by coming up with a holiday movie that can be filmed almost entirely via Zoom!
Finally, we'd like to give a big We're So Xmas shout out to Christmas By Krebs in New Mexico. These folks usually are making Christmas decorations this time of year, but in the face of a pandemic managed to shift their production lines to make 10,000 face shields for medical professionals every day!
Heather and Chrysanthemum Cliff are both "Elf Quarantined" so following proper social distancing guidelines they are recording this podcast from their respective houses (which may or may not be festively decorated cabins deep in some winter wonderland, we'll leave that up to our dear listeners to decide!)
Heather ran across "A Bad Mom's Christmas" on Netflix and absolutely loved it! This holiday-themed sequel to "Bad Moms" stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn as over-burdened moms who rebel against the challenges and expectations of Christmas, only to have their MOMS show up! Check it out at https://www.netflix.com/title/80177872.
Heather also enjoyed "Blue Jay", which according to her is "the greatest thing she's ever seen". It's the perfect movie to watch during the quarantine while you wonder whether or not you should be texting your ex. Catch it on Netflix at https://www.netflix.com/watch/80117746.
Cliff is encouraging everyone to turn on their Christmas lights or put their Christmas tree back up if it helps to make their days a little bit brighter. It's all based on a Tweet sports broadcaster Lane Grindle who said, “What if we all put our Christmas lights back up? Then we could get in the car and drive around and look at them. That seems like a fair social distancing activity.” It seems like a great idea to us!
Finally, if you are missing seeing movies in the theater "Frozen 2" and "Onward" are available on Disney Plus now! And soon you will be able to watch "The Hunt", "Emma", "The Invisible Man", "Birds of Prey", "The Gentlemen", "The Way Back" and "Bloodshot" on VOD soon for about $20 each.
Chrysanthemum Cliff is all about movies this month!
If you weren't able to catch Last Christmas in the theater this holiday, it's now available for purchase (either on Bluray/DVD or digital)! This cute Christmas themed romantic comedy stars Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as a cynical 20-something that works year-round as an elf at a Christmas store. Her world view is changed when she meets Tom (Henry Golding, Crazy Rich Asians) who challenges her to look at things in a different way. Co-written by Emma Thompson and set to an incredible George Micheal soundtrack, this is definitely a Christmas movie that you'll be watching for years to come.
Chrysanthemum Cliff and Merry & Bright Brooke got a fantastic movie for Christmas from a Brooke's best friend (who also listens to the podcast, hi Jaymie!) called The Man Who Invented Christmas. It wasn't a movie they'd heard of, but it's definitely going to go into the yearly Christmas movie rotation going forward. The movie stars Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast) as Charles Dickens and shows how his creation of "A Christmas Carol" went on to define a ton of the Christmas traditions that we still celebrate today. Although the story itself is a fictional retelling of Dicken's life, the movie itself is pretty historically accurate.
Finally, if you are looking for something a little bit...offbeat...try Santa with Muscles, starring Hulk Hogan!
Heather is all about Self Care this month and, let's be honest, it's about the best gift you can give yourself! Heather tried out two different treatments, a HydraFacial and Keratin Treatment.
According to their website, a HydraFacial "...uses a unique, patented Vortex-Fusion delivery system to exfoliate, extract and hydrate skin, and, the spiral design delivers painless extractions." The end result? Heather LOVED the treatment and her skin was literally glowing days later. If...
Are you having Christmas movie withdrawals but looking for something that's not too Christmasy? Maybe something more along the lines of "Die Hard is a Christmas movie because it takes place at Christmas" and less Hallmark? Then El Camino Christmas on Netflix might be for you (Cliff gives El Camino Christmas 7 Elves on the Shelf!)
It's about "...a young man who seeks out a father he has never met and, through no fault of his own, ends up barricaded in a liquor store with five other people on Christmas Eve." It somehow slipped under people's radar even though it has a lot of star power, including Dax Shepard, Tim Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Vincent D'Onofrio and Jessica Alba. Check out the trailer on YouTube .
Love Disney and need a spectacular Valentine's gift (or maybe you need to make up for a not-so-great Christmas gift?) Then you need to check out the amazing Disney flower from Roseshire! Each set of roses comes in a beautifully designed gift box themed around your favorite Disney movie, from Snow White to the Disney Villians.
Still have your Christmas tree up? We're not judging (and by that, we mean that Cliff still has his up too.) In fact, there are MANY ways to donate it! Lots of local zoos and animal rescue organizations will take your tree to spruce up their animal enclosures, a lot of areas on the coast are using them to rebuild coastlines and marshes and one veteran in Texas is even using them to make canes for other veterans!
You didn't really think that we'd stop on Christmas Day and not give you just a little bit EXTRA did you!
Happy Boxing Day! We talk about the origin story of Boxing Day and how do we (and by we, we mean mostly people outside of the US) observe it today?
Also, based on our Boxing Day discussions, we have decided that 2020 means new titles for some of our favorite sporting actives.
Merry Christmas and welcome to the last day of 25 Days of We're So Xmas! We're so happy that you joined us for this wonderful celebration of Christmas and hope you'll continue to listen on the 25th of every month in 2020.
Today we are focusing on our favorite Christmas traditions and stories, which seem to focus a lot on fish. Like Lutefisk and Pickled Herring. Which may 100% be your thing. But if it's not, how about pancakes? Swedish Pancakes to be specific.
The take away from Heather's Christmas story? Spay & Neuter your pets as young as 2 months or as light as 2 pounds!
To wrap things up(!) here are a couple gifts for you. First off, a video on how to put on chains from Heather. Watch it before you need it, you'll be happy you did.
And from Cliff, The Johnson Family Swedish Pancake Recipe:
3 Eggs 2 cups Milk 1 cup Flour 2 Tbs Sugar Dash of Salt 1/4 cup Melted Butter
Mix all ingrediants in a blender until smooth and well mixed. Pre heat a 10" non-stick pan until the pan is hot (if you pancakes stick, you may need to add butter or cooking spray in between each pancake). Pour roughly a 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan...
Seattle, it's possible (although unlikely) that we may get snow today or tomorrow and see a white Christmas! For the rest of the US, odds are about 50/50, unless you happen to live in the general area of the Rocky Mountains, which ups the chances of you seeing show this (and almost every other) year.
It all started in a group for loves of cats of the...chonky variety. A girl in Chicago commented on a boy and his cat in the UK and "Chonky Cat: A LOVE Story For The Ages" was born. If Netflix doesn't snap this up and make it into a Christmas movie there is something wrong with the world.
Santa's reindeer are female all female. Apparently, if they'd been male they would NOT have had antlers (males lose their antlers during the winter).
Previous to the 1823 publishing of "A Visit From Saint Nicolas" Santa's reindeer did NOT fly. We NOW know the poem as, "Twas The Night Before Christmas" and it changed a ton about what we know about Santa and his reindeer. The relevant flying bits:
“Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN! On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
Bam! Flying reindeer.
Do you miss getting to say goodbye to your family or welcome them back at the airport (like you could pre-9/11?) Seattle and Pittsburgh airports are NOW allowing up to 100 people per day to accompany flyers to their gates. You can apply for a guest pass in advance of travel and greet your Christmas guests at the airport!
Hanukkah, Chanukah AND ?anukah are all correct spellings (according to Wikipedia).
It's important to Cliff & Heather to wish you a Happy/Merry WHATEVER holiday you observe and we hope you are having a great first day of Hanukkah if you are celebrating!
Don't know a ton about Hanukkah? Get up to speed with a quick Hanukkah 101 guide .
Holiday Tips For Pet Parents (thanks Innovet! ):
- Locate your nearest 24/7 Emergency Vet and get the phone number into every family member's cell phones.
- Make sure pets are micro-chipped and those chips are registered to you with UTD info.
- Pet-Proof your tree and watch for dogs ingesting needles.
- Dogs don't have a concept of size. Keep extra treat portions small.
- Make sure dog-friendly foods are free of sauces.
- Immediately clean up ribbons and bows after opening gifts. If you notice ribbon hanging out your pets rear end, DO NOT PULL. Call your vet.
- Post a list of poisonous foods on your fridge to make it easy for guests who may not know what is unsafe for dogs. Items to include:
- Chocolate
- Nuts (Peanuts OK)
- Garlic
- Onion
- Grapes
- Raisins
- Currents
- Rhubarb leaves
- Peach pits, Cherry Pits, Apricot Pits, Apple and Pear seeds
- Alcohol
- Coffee
- Tea
- Mushrooms
- Avocados
- Mustard seeds
- GREEN Tomato parts (leaves and stems)
- Xylotol (In sweet treats, Candy Canes, Chewing Gum & Peanut Butter)
- Yeast dough
Also, pet people need to stick together. If you see a pet who may be lost as long as it's safe your you to do so, please help them!
SUPER SATURDAY 12/21/19 is the 2nd biggest shopping day of the year (behind black Friday.) We recommend you stay home and listen to your favorite Christmas podcast while sipping hot cocoa and shopping online. Perhaps for these fancy PJs worn by Millie Bobby Brown (and you may as well pick up some heels to wear with them, since they are definitely not for JUST sleeping in).
Now that you are doing shopping for yourself, it's time to start shopping for your favorite furry (or scaley or feathery) friend. But how much do YOU love your pet?
-
Do they get more gifts than your partner?
-
Do they have Christmas attire?
-
Are they on your Christmas Cards?
-
Do they have advent calendars?
Finally, dear Legendary Donuts: Please sponsor us. Thank YOU.
Less is More unLESS you're talking about ALEXA. Chrysanthemum Cliff & Bright and Merry Brooke have six! If you can't decide what to gift, a smart speaker is a great option! (Even if the recipient already has one or more).
The price of Christmas Trees has Gone UP! And the reason why goes back at least a decade (and Christmas tree sales this year could affect Christmas tree sales in 2029!)
Original Movie Plots! 2020 is the year of We're So Xmas: Short Films. Prepare your hearts to be melted. It's going to be incredible.
Welcome back Bright & Merry Brooke!
So you probably have a top ten list of favorite Christmas songs in your head, right? And I would guess that they overlap a lot with everyone else's favorite Christmas songs as well.
But what you might not know is that people in the UK have a very different list of Christmas music in their heads, except for one very special Christmas song .
Is your state full of Christmas cheer (or is it full of Grinches)? You might be surprised which states have the most holiday spirit (unless you live in Nevada, sorry Nevada). This was also the podcast were we found out that Chrysanthemum Cliff isn't great at geography...
If you'd like to add a little holiday cheer to your state regardless of how much it currently contains, you might want to see if there is a Giving Machine in your city. These are giant vending machines that let you donate directly to charity from a vending machine. From 100 meals for the hungry to sheep in another country, this is definitely a way to get on Santa's good list.
Did you know that for the low price of only $525 you can go to the oldest Santa School in the US in beautiful Midland, Michigan? You learn the history of Santa Claus, how to handle live reindeer, professional wig and beard application (and a trip to Frankenmuth for their world famous chicken dinner!)
Unfortunately, if you are thinking of becoming a Mrs. Claus, it's a rough road. You make less money and have a hard time getting gigs, which is why We're So Xmas is championing the diversification of Santa and Mrs. Claus!
Welcome Merry & Bright Brooke!
There are a lot of things to love about our local airport in Seattle (the Seattle Tacoma International Airport, or Seatac for short). If you are flying in or out of Seattle, watch for carolers, get a massage or even check a book out from the library!
That being said, you are going to want to be careful at the airport this holiday. Yes, you still need to show up three hours early, but what you really want to be careful about is what you wear, because it's easier than you think to get kicked off an airplane because your clothes aren't quite up to the airlines dress code. And not to get all Buzzfeed on you, but one thing on the list might surprise you...
Meowingtons.com is the best site for gifting the cat people in your life! We 100% aren't getting paid to say that or anything, we are just in love with the amazing gift potential of their site for both your favorite cat or your favorite cat parents!
It's important to us to let you know that you're not alone.
If you're struggling, we know that it's hard to reach out for help.
Please, know that there are people waiting to talk to you or text with you 24/7.
There are resources to support you.
There is no shame in asking for help.
There is no level of sadness too small to ask for help.
Your feelings are valid.
If you feel less than good, things that used to bring you joy aren't or you simply notice you have a "shorter fuse" than normal...Please take a step towards help.
Text START to 741 741
Call 1-800-273-8255
LGBT National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564
https://www.glbthotline.org/
If you have spoken to the hotlines or used the texts and it's not enough: Call 911 or go to a hospital if you feel overwhelmed or are in crisis.
We love you. Sincerely. Think of it this way: The love that WE feel for those we've lost needs a home...and we chose to send it to you.
Every year, a huge amount of people all over the world go out and chop down a Christmas tree, take it home and decorate it. Ok, to be honest, you probably go to a Christmas tree lot and someone slices off the bottom inch with a chainsaw. But have you ever wondered when the tradition started?
Apparently it started forever ago...FUR-EVERGREEN ago, get it? LOL!
It's taken three whole years, but the king and queen of Aldovia are having a baby! But will the baby be cursed if the missing treaty can't be found?!? Of course we are talking about the just-released-on-Netflix "A Christmas Prince 3: The Royal Baby"! We LOVE this trilogy.
Cliff was a little bit worried when he realized that he didn't know whether or not Chrysanthemums were actually a traditional Christmas flower or not. Luckily, they actually are, in both German and Japanese cultures!
We also get the lowdown behind other Christmas flowers including poinsettias, holly, yew, mistletoe and Christmas cactus.
Everyone knows you can get a Christmas tree pretty easily this time of year, but what if you are looking for something a little more long term? Seattle has a program where residents can get up to four trees a year for free! It's a great idea because not only do you make your yard more green, but it also gives you a place to hang your Christmas lights! If you think it's a cool program, definitely check if your city does something similar (or maybe see if you can start something!)
Would YOU like to quit smoking? Is Your New Year's Resolution to Eat Better? Check out the Pavlok Bracelet. Our only real suggestion is that if you are going to buy it for someone else for Christmas that you get the two pack and keep one yourself. Nobody wants to get a shock bracelet for Christmas unless their best friend or spouse is getting shocked too.
We all know that guy (or girl!) that breaks up with their significant other right before Christmas just because they don't want to buy a gift right? The only real way to get back at that kinda person is to name a salmon after them and watch a bear eat it . That's exactly what the Wildlife Images Rehabilitation & Education Center in Oregon did for Valentine's Day and we need to figure out a way to make this happen again for Christmas. I mean, there are at least three zoos in Seattle...
Have you ever wondered why we leave cookies out for Santa? It turns out that it goes all the way back to ancient Norse mythology! Kids would leave treats out for Odin's 8 legged horse Sleipnir in hopes that Odin would leave gifts them.
Taylor Swift AND Katy Perry both have new Christmas songs out this year and they are both terrific! According to Taylor Swift's Instagram she “...actually did grow up on a Christmas tree farm. In a gingerbread house, deep within the yummy gummy gumdrop forest.” Her new song "Christmas Tree Farm" seems to back that up, and the video is full of adorable home movie footage from her childhood.
Katy Perry's new song "Cozy Little Christmas " also has a video, but where Taylor Swift went for Christmas nostalgia, Katy Perry definitely went for Christmas glitz!
Both songs are terrific additions to our Christmas music catalog and we're pretty sure they'll be playing on repeat for a lot of holidays to come!
Noelle isn't Disney's first Christmas movie (as we discussed in Episode 5 ), but it is the first Christmas movie created specifically for Disney's new Disney+ streaming service. Noelle stars Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader as the son and daughter of Santa Claus. Nick Kringle (Hader) has been training his entire life to take over the family business but everyone's plans are interupted when he disapears. It's up to his sister Noelle (Kendrick) to find him and save Christmas! Cliff watched Noelle (because of course he did) and really enjoyed it and highly recommends it if you have Disney+ (and also recommends subscribing to Disney+ if you haven't!)
It's Christmas time and that means it's time for Christmas presents! You probably have gifts planned for your family, but what about the people that make your life better the rest of the year? Do you give your barista, dog walker or pharmacist a gift or holiday tip? Heather and Cliff run through the list and talk about what the "appropriate" tips are and whether or not they make sense.
Plus, how to run for PTA President without really trying.
Heather was incredibly angry (and betrayed!) to find out that...SNOW IS NOT WHITE!
Even more disturbing: Polar Bears aren't WHITE they are actually BLACK with clear fur! Cliff was pretty sure about this one, but we verified it because we want our podcast to always reflect the utmost in accuracy!
Also, in case a polar bear commits a crime in your area, apparently polar bear's DNA can be extracted from their footprints, so the folks from CSI will be able to track it down.
Polar Bears are 10x the man your ex will EVER be (and Heather and I are going to write the Hallmark Movie to prove it!)
So we said that we were going to talk about "A Knight For Christmas", but apparently it's actually called "The Knight Before Christmas". Whoops! Regardless of the title, it's on Netflix, stars Vanessa Hudgens and is very, very good!
Heather is fresh off announcing the Jingle Bell Run and Cliff is just happy he didn't have to run.
Looking for a way to relax this afternoon with a new Christmas movie? Skip the Hallmark Channel for now, fire up Netflix and watch Klaus ! Cliff thinks this might be his favorite new movie of the year and he desperately wants you to watch it. He gives it 9 out of 10 Elves on a Shelf and it only misses a ten because it's not a "Christmas Classic"...yet.
Have old cookie cutters in your drawer (or looking for a reason to make a Goodwill run?) Heather is going to tell you how to can take your old, less then perfect cookie cutters and turn them into amazing ornaments! It's the perfect activity for a holiday crafternoon.
Finally, you usually think of hot chocolate when you think of the holidays, but sometimes what you really need to make it through the day is coffee. And if you are like Heather, you sometimes need to literally breathe it in. First person to invent a combination Kuerig/sauna is going to make a FORTUNE.
Christy with PacMed shares her holiday recipes and HACKS to keep your meals both healthy and delicious! Learn holiday shopping strategies, ways that you can increase the amount of healthy veggies in your holiday meals and healthy substitutions that will make make that side dish you take to the holiday potluck both delicious and nutritious!
Here are some of Christy's favorite recipes that you are definitely going to want to try!
- Vegan and Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies
- Vegan Mushroom Gravy
- Golden Beet Veggie Balls with Almond Sage Cranberry Crema
- 24k Gold Vanilla Turmeric Latte
You can learn more about Christy and the Living Well Alliance at http://livingwellalliance.org/ and more about PacMed at https://www.pacificmedicalcenters.org/.
Cleaning your house for the holidays isn't fun. And honestly, if you are going to visit someone else over the holidays they aren't going to enjoy cleaning their house either. And this is all made significantly worse because we all have mile long todo lists right before Christmas, full of shopping and decorating and planning and so much more.
So why not give yourself (or the people you are staying with) the gift of a clean house! Getting to cross "Clean the house" off of your list will make everyone happier and it might be cheaper than you think. We gave a shout out to Tidy because we liked that you could do the entire process, from choosing how many hours of cleaning you need, to getting a local estimate, entirely online.
Ok, now that you have your house cleaning scheduled, it's the perfect time to put out your holiday village (because you are going to get someone else to dust it!) But if for some reason you don't already own a Christmas Village, now might be the perfect time to buy one, because Department 56 has released a National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation village! You can buy everything from Clark's overly decorated house, to his new swimming pool, to Cousin Eddie's RV and they are all incredible!
The one that gets weird.
Good weird.
Honestly, you can really only do a Christmas podcast every day for so long before one of them goes off the rails a bit (and we promise, it's in a very, very good way!)
First off, we talk about all of the best Christmas movies that are playing on Disney Plus right now. And then somehow we ended up talking a bunch about Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkin. To be honest, we probably know more about Macaulay Culkin than is healthy.
Heather doesn't want her two front teeth for Christmas. And all she wants for Christmas isn't you. What she really, really wants is tickets to the 25th anniversary "Jagged Little Pill Tour" featuring Alanis Morrissette, Liz Phair and Garbage. She's excited for this concert. Like excited enough that she knows the dates and locations for the first 8 or 10 stops on the West Coast.
So this is going to take a lot of convincing for a lot of people, but believe it or not, spiders in your Christmas tree might actually be good luck, at least according to Ukrainian traditions. Let's be frank, worst case scenario you end up with a few less bugs in your house over Christmas. Best case scenario? The spider webs turn into gold and silver.
Now if you and your new spider friends want to want a Christmas movie together, try this description on for size: "A broke puppeteer returns home for the holidays and gets caught up in a treasure hunt." That is only the first half of the synopsis for Holly Star on Netflix , and we promise the second half is actually stranger. But even though it sounds really odd, it's actually a pretty solid Christmas movie!
Looking to help fight hunger this holiday season? We're So Xmas is helping raise money for Home Team Harvest , a charity in Seattle that helps feed the hungry! If you'd like to donate, please text HOMETEAM (one word) to 41444 for details on how YOU can help fight hunger in WA.
I'll admit it, when we first heard that you could buy custom ornaments that look like your house on Etsy , we were skeptical. Like that seemed just like such an odd niche that nobody would actually be interested in. But the more you think about it, the more it makes sense! Want to keep track of all the places you've made holiday memories? House ornament. Do you move around a lot and want to keep track of all the cool places you've lived? House ornament. Do you remember how much you loved spending Christmas time at your grandparents house when you were a kid? House ornament. Do you have a wonderful pet that you want to immortalize forever? Dog ornament. Oh yeah, she makes those too.
Speaking of dogs, did you know you can take home a Foster Pet for the Holidays? Check with your local shelter for volunteer options over the Christmas holidays. Often, you can "Foster" for a BOTH long and short periods of time. Want to take a dog out for an afternoon adventure or home for the night or weekend? It's possible with many rescue programs and organizations! What a great Christmas present for our furry friends that are still looking for their forever homes!
Do you not just like Christmas, but LOVE Christmas? And specifically, do you love Hallmark Christmas movies? Then do we have the job for you!
Apply right now and get your DREAM job, the one that pays you to sit at home in your pjs and watch Hallmark movies all day. If you get hired, you'll watch 24 Hallmark movies in 12 days and make $1,000 (plus a bunch of cool gifts and swag!) If you apply, we are definitely going to want to see your video submission. But hurry, you only have until Dec. 6th to apply!
Visit https://www.centurylinkquote.com/get-paid-to-watch-hallmark-christmas-movies for details.
Now that you have an extra $1,000, what are you going to do with it? Our suggestion? Go to Goodwill (or your local charity retailer of choice) and buy all of the fur coats that folks have dontated and send them to Snuggle Coats!
Snuggle Coats is a cool charity based out of Australia that takes donated furs and then donates them to animal welfare groups. They groups then use them to rehabilitate animals in their care in a far more natural environment.
You can find out more about Snuggle Coats here: https://www.snugglecoats.org/
If you'd prefer to send your fur to somewhere more local (and not have to deal with import restrictions in Australia) Snuggle Coats recommends these groups in the US:
- ?www.cuddlecoats.com
- www.bornfreeusa.org
- www.coatsforcubs.org
By now you've probably seen the terrible fires that are ravenging parts of Australia and having a particularly bad impact on koalas, who were already in danger before the fires started. Learn more about koala sniffing dogs, if a koala could fit an Xbox in its pocket and, most importantly, how you can help:
https://www.ifaw.org/about https://www.friendsofthekoala.org/ http://vettechswithoutborders.org/
Do YOU know the history of the 12 Days of Christmas? From when the first day of Christmas is (and when it ends), how it ties into the three wise men and most importantly how much all of those gifts would cost!
OMG we're Christmas influencers! The wonderful folks at the Food Network sent us a beautiful set of serving bowls and asked us to review their new Food Network App that gives you access to all your fav shows and recipes! Cliff LOVES it and was especially impressed by the way they organize their recipes within the app. It's definitely worth checking out for the free content, but you also might want to give the subscription a free trial if you love to cook.
Netflix is definitely upping it's Xmas game this year with offerings like "Let It Snow" and "Holiday In The Wild". We have different thoughts on "Let it Snow" (although mostly around what high school kids are getting up to these days). But both of us agreed that it was worth a watch and were really impressed by the show's diversity. Heather hasn't seen "Holiday in the Wild" yet, but Cliff LOVED it. Honestly, what's not to love about a movie that features romance, Christmas and adorable baby elephants?
Speaking of elephants, they could definitely use your help this Christmas. Here are three ways you can impact these amazing animals:
- Adopt an elephant from WWF Gifts . Cliff did this last Christmas and was really impressed with the entire process.
- Buy a gift from Ivory Ella. They donate 10% of their profits to elephant charities (almost $1.7 million in the last four years!)
- Done directly to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. This is the charity that Kristin Davis has been working with for over 10 years since participating in her first elephant rescue (which inspired "Holiday in the Wild").
Finally, it's almost Black Friday! Cliff and Heather have a few tips on how to survive the Christmas shopping crush (but to be honestly, mostly just recommend shopping from home in your pajamas).
Does your kid (or kid at heart) want an Xbox for Christmas, but you are hesitant to get one because you know there is a new Xbox coming out next year and you just know they will want that one too? Then Xbox All Access might be the perfect gift this year! For $31 a month (for 24 months) you get a new Xbox One X and two years of Xbox Game Pass (which gives you hundreds of games to play for free, including brand new ones!) Then next Christmas, you can trade in your Xbox for a brand-new Xbox Scarlett! Honestly, it's like two years of Christmas gifts in one package.
I think we can all agree that a dog in a Hawaiian shirt is adorable. I think we can also agree that the only thing that would be more adorable is if that dog’s human had a matching Hawaiian shirt! If that sounds like the recipe for the perfect Christmas card photo to you, then you are going to want to head to Dog Threads and pick up the aforementioned Hawaiian shirt (or a matching flannel, sweater or even t-shirt!)
Let's be honest, Christmas shopping is hard. Cliff was at Target this weekend and it was already a zoo and Thanksgiving isn't for another two weeks! So maybe skip that mall and grab something that will make your giftee think about you every month. Cliff got a subscription to Foot Cardigan a couple of years ago and loved getting a new cool pair of socks every month (and he still wears a bunch of them today, so you know they are well made).
Have you had a chance to see the new (just released this week in theaters) Christmas movie Last Christmas? It stars Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, was written by Emma Thompson and has music by George Michael. That's pretty much a Christmas trifecta if you ask me. Cliff & Heather are both big fans of AMC Moviepass & Regal Unlimited respectively (which make a great gift BTW) and can't think of a better movie to use their passes on!
Have you ever wondered why traditional "Christmas colors" are red and green? Turns out there are two parts to the answer. Celtic tradition and Haddon Hubbard "Sunny" Sunblom. Wanna know who that is and why he's so important to Christmas? You're just going to have to listen and find out.
If the advent calendars we've talked about so far just aren't...extravengant enough, maybe what you are looking for is the Tiffany's Advent Calendar. For just about the cost of Cliff's first condo you can be surprised with beautiful jewelry from Tiffany's all holiday long!
Also, pets are amazing and wonderful and we know you are going to see a million commercials and YouTube videos of people opening cute boxes full of puppies, but PLEASE don't give pets as SURPRISE gifts in wrapped boxes! Instead, but a cute stuffed puppy in that box with a gift card to a local animal shelter!
Heather thinks that the new "Sunflower Christmas Tree" trend is probably because people that grew up in the 90's watching Blossom are now old enough to buy and decorate their own Christmas tree. It could be that or it's possible that people just want a Christmas tree that you can leave up until Spring and still have it be in season.
Cliff watched the premiere movie of the Hallmark season, "Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses" and give you his thoughts, as well a what he thinks about Emily Osment's "Christmas Wonderland" from last year.
John Legend and Kelly Clarkson are remaking "Baby It's Cold Outside" in light of the #MeToo era and it's... a lot.
There is an advent calendar for everything this year, from dogs to cheese to Harry Potter. And speaking of cheese, did you know you can get moose cheese? Cliff is unsure, but is willing to try anything once, since it comes from his native homeland (or so Heather says). If a cheese Advent calendar (or moose cheese) sounds like it's your thing, you'll definitely want to check out Time for Some Cheese on Instagram.
Cliff is doing a marathon! No, not a running marathon, a video game marathon! It's for a charity called Extra Life and you can get more details (and donate if that is your thing) at the website for Cliff's other podcast. But fund raising in general can make a terrific holiday gift! Go to Facebook, setup a fundraiser for a charity that you love and have folks donate to you instead of giving you gifts this year.
There are so many Christmas movies coming out this year and we are getting so close the time of year where you can watch a new Christmas movie almost every day! In addition to the 40 new movies on the Hallmark channel, there are also a ton of new offerings on Netflix and Amazon movies.
Finally, how much money do you have to have before giving a car for Christmas doesn't seem outrageous ? And even if you had that much money, would you buy somebody a car for Christmas?
Follow Us Online!
Website: http://weresoxmas.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warmchristmasallyear/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/weresoxmas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weresoxmas/
Listen to Warm 106.9, the best Christmas station in the world!
Did you know there is a Christmas tradition that involved pickles? Cliff found out about it when he was at the Germany pavilion at Walt Disney World and it's a pretty cool way to slow down your Christmas mornings (and to maybe bring you a little bit of holiday luck!)
If you are lucky enough to live in a city that has a really high pet adoption rate (like we are in Seattle) and you are traveling for the holidays, you might be the perfect candidate to grant one of our four legged friends Christmas wish! Heather talks about how easy it is to take a pet from a overcrowded shelter and bring it back to your home city where they have a way better chance of finding their furrever home.
If while you were reading Harry Potter (or watching the movies!) you ever thought that Hagrid had a pretty cool living situation going on in his groundskeeper cottage, then do we have the contest for you! For just over $1, you can enter to win a seven day Christmas vacation at an amazingly detailed reproduction of Hagrid's cottage plus all sorts of gifts and special encounters. Hurry and enter though, this contest disapears on Oct. 31!
Finally, if you are a book lover you are going to LOVE this amazing holiday tradition that Heather found. It's called Jolabokaflod ("The Christmas Book Flood") and involves books and chocolate!
Science says that if you love Christmas, it's never too early to put up your Christmas decorations! If you get that nostalgic rush when you think about decorating your tree, then putting up your Christmas decorations early might actually make you happier! And if you need something to listen to while you do it, Warm 106.9 (the wonderful radio station that makes this podcast possible) streams Christmas music all year !
Looking for a way to get in the holiday spirit early? Heather wants to encourage everyone to knit a blanket or hat for an animal shelter or hospital or to volunteer and a homeless shelter or food bank. Want to take that a little bit further? Ask for gift cards for Christmas and then donate them to local shelters or the homeless. Cliff also recommends Kiva.org as a cool way to use microloans to help people better their lives.
Finally, why would you make a gingerbread house when you could make a Cadbury Cottage! This adorable Christmas cottage is made of incredible Cadbury chocolate, which everyone knows beats gingerbread any day. It looks like it might only be available in the UK, but Cliff is talking to some elves to see what we can do about that! For now, you'll just have to ask Santa (or hope you have a friend that can buy one from their website and ship it to you!)
Heather decided it's time she allows herself to just buy her own engagement ring. This is what she's selected: https://etsy.me/2KUmcuj Cliff HIGHLY suggests gifting a streaming service like the Disney + bundle which includes ESPN and HULU: https://bit.ly/2MBMyTA BOTH Cliff & Heather think you should ditch the stress of cooking and try a restaurant for the holidays.
Happy Christmas in July! There are only five months until Christmas (that's only 151 shopping days!) and Heather is already planning her lean holiday meals to avoid the 4% weight gain that the average person manages to put on between Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you would also like to be able to button your pants up come January, check out these amazing recipes she found. Cliff, on the other hand, is planning out the concerts he wants to see this holiday. LeAnn Rimes isn't bringing her "You and Me and Christmas" tour to Seattle, but Brian Setzer and Mannheim Steamroller will be making an appearance. Heather thinks that a Christmas WDW vacation might be out of her budget, but thinks that NYC for the holidays might be great, especially if she was able to check out a John Water's Christmas or see the Rockettes. And finally, Cliff is in LOVE with the new Disney Christmas ornaments that are coming out this year (perfect for the Disney lover on your Christmas list or maybe...for yourself.)
Heather and Cliff give you all the details on the new Christmas movies that Hallmark is debuting in July as part of their Christmas Keepsake schedule, which includes 178 Christmas movies between July 12th and July 28th! Worried that you won't be able to watch the debut of Christmas Camp or A Merry Christmas Match? Cliff has all the details on how cord cutters can still get their Christmas movie fix.
Heather found some absolutely beautiful Disney Princess dresses that would be perfect for that Christmas wedding you've been planning (or if you want to make a HUGE splash at this year's Christmas party).
Finally, do you prefer a real Christmas tree or do you take the artificial route? Heather has some really interesting reasons that you might want to think about getting a real tree this year (in addition to the way they make your entire house smell like Christmas of course).
Christmas Camp: http://bit.ly/2J4LuUc
Steam the Hallmark Channel:
https://try.philo.com/ https://www.fubo.tv/welcome https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/channels/ https://www.directvnow.com/ https://www.sling.com/
Amazing Disney Dresses: http://bit.ly/2JaG4XV
Heather and Chrysanthemum Cliff the Christmas Elf talk about A Mermaid for Christmas (which is destined to be a classic Christmas movie), Tinggly gift boxes for easy holiday gifting, going to Disney World for Christmas, simple holiday decorating from Deckd, the right amount of time to leave up your tree and sending out holiday greetings from celebrities using the Cameo App!
Link
A Mermaid for Christmas: https://warm1069.com/who-wants-a-mermaid-for-christmas/ Tinggly: https://www.tinggly.com/ Deckd: https://deckdhome.com/ Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: http://bit.ly/2HCtXU2