My 25 Days of Christmas Films

There was one glorious year when somehow ABC Family was included in my family's very basic cable plan. That was the year I got introduced to 25 Days of Christmas and my life was forever changed. Of course we all know that some of the films they show in their annual Christmas film marathon aren't even Christmas films. Don't get me wrong, I'll take any excuse to dive headfirst into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Is that trademarked?), but those are hardly Christmas films! So last year I make a list of all the Christmas films I try to watch every year, ranging from classics to current to cheesy. Whether I'm frosting holiday cookies or curled up by the fire place, it's a nice way to spend a December evening.

12 Dates of Christmas
Cheesy
A story that follows Kate, a young woman who after a horrible blind date on Christmas Eve, wakes up to find she is re-living that same day and date all over again.
Starring: Amy Smart, Mark-Paul Gosselaar
{Available on Netflix}

Christmas Cupid
Cheesy
Sloane is a beautiful, stylish woman on the fast track to success in her public relations firm when a starlet client, Caitlin, dies. Caitlin immediately becomes Sloane's own personal "Jacob Marley" (the Christmas Carol ghost) ushering in the spirits of Christmas past, present, and future - all in the guises of Sloane's former boyfriends. Sloane finds out first hand that her unethical ways and workaholic habits need to change and that reuniting with one of the past lovers whom she jilted may be the answer for a happy-ever-after life.
Starring: Christina Millian, Ashley Benson, Chad Michael Murray
{Available on Freeform Online}

A Christmas Story
Classic
In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie attempts to convince his parents, his teacher, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.
Starring: Melinda Dilon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley

Christmas with the Kranks
Current
With their daughter away, the Kranks decide to skip Christmas altogether until she decides to come home, causing an uproar when they have to celebrate the holiday at the last minute.
Starring: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis
{Available on Netflix}

Desperately Seeking Santa
Cheesy
Jennifer, a young, ambitious executive running promotions at a failing Boston mall comes up with a genius promotional gimmick to save her workplace and position herself for advancement: hold a "Hunky Santa" contest to replace the old Mall Santa. David, a local man trying to save his family's pizzeria, ultimately wins the contest and sparks fly between him and Jennifer. However, complications ensue when it comes to light that the company Jennifer works for is the same one trying to run David's family out of business.
Starring: Nick Zano, Laura Vandervoort
{Available on Freeform Online}

Elf
Current
After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity.
Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan

The Family Stone
Current
An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family's annual Christmas celebration and finds that she's a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams

The Holiday
Current
Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet
{Available on Freeform Online}

Holiday in Handcuffs
Cheesy
A struggling artist working as waitress kidnaps one of her customers to bring home and meet her parents at Christmas.
Starring: Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez
{Available on Freeform Online}

Holidaze
Cheesy
A corporate workaholic wakes up in an alternate universe, married to her childhood sweetheart.
Starring: Jennie Garth, Cameron Mathison

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Classic
On the outskirts of Whoville, there lives a green, revenge-seeking Grinch who plans on ruining the Christmas holiday for all of the citizens of the town.
Starring: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen

I'll Be Home for Christmas
Cheesy
A college student experiences difficulty in getting home for Christmas after being hazed by his friends. While struggling to get home in time for Christmas, he learns quite a bit about himself and the true meaning of the holiday.
Starring: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jessica Biel

Jack Frost
Classic
A father, who can't keep his promises, dies in a car accident. One year later, he returns as a snowman, who has the final chance to put things right with his son before he is gone forever.
Starring: Michael Keaton, Kelly Preston

Jingle All the Way
Classic
A father vows to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas, however, every store is sold out of them, and he must travel all over town and compete with everybody else in order to find one.
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad

Last Holiday
Current
Upon learning of a terminal illness, a shy woman (Queen Latifah) decides to sell off all her possessions and live it up at a posh European hotel.
Starring: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J
{Available on Netflix}

Love Actually
Current
Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.
Starring: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson
{Available on Netflix}

The Night Before
Current
On Christmas eve, three lifelong friends spend the night in New York City looking for the Holy Grail of Christmas parties.
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie

Santa Baby
Cheesy
Mary Class is a highly successful business executive - who just happens to be the daughter of Santa Claus. But when her father falls ill, Mary returns to the North Pole and the life she left behind to take over for her dad and implement her innovative ideas for running Christmas.
Starring: Jenny McCarthy
{Available on Freeform Online}

Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe
Cheesy
Santa's in the midst of a "late-life" crisis--he's tired of the responsibilities of the job and he's ready to let his business-minded daughter, Mary, take over. Mary feels torn between the family business, running her own high stakes firm in New York City, and balancing a relationship with Luke. The situation gets even more stressful when Teri, a mysterious and ambitious new-comer to the Pole, decides that she wants to be the new Santa.
Starring: Jenny McCarthy
{Available on Freeform Online}

The Santa Clause
Classic
When a man inadvertently kills Santa on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place.
Starring: Tim Allen

The Santa Clause 2
Current
Scott Calvin has been a humble Santa Claus for nearly ten years, but it might come to an end if he doesn't find a Mrs. Claus.
Starring: Tim Allen

The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Current
Santa, aka Scott Calvin, is faced with double-duty: how to keep his new family happy, and how to stop Jack Frost from taking over Christmas.
Starring: Tim Allen, Martin Short

Snowglobe
Cheesy
A young woman discovers a Christmas-themed dreamworld inside a magical snowglobe.
Starring: Christina Millian
{Available on Freeform Online}

A Very Murray Christmas
Current
Bill Murray worries no one will show up to his TV show due to a terrible snowstorm in New York City.
Starring: Bill Murray
{Available on Netflix}

White Christmas
Classic
A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.
Starring: Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney
{Available on Netflix}

You'll notice that missing from my list is probably the two most famous Christmas films of all: It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street {Available on Netflix}. To be honest, I don't know that I've actually seen either film in its entirety in one sitting. Can you believe it?

I'm really looking forward to Office Christmas Party coming out on December 9th, by the way.

Gingerbread

One of my favorite holiday treats is cake-like gingerbread. I try to make it every year in December. This year I made it the night before Thanksgiving to replace my usual Thanksgiving Eve tradition of making a pie while watching Elf (in my elf shirt.)

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan. 

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan. 

Bake 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of Peppermint ice cream.

I reheat it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make it both warm and moist.