Christmas Media to Consume

The month of the year I log the most screen time is definitely December.  Between what feels like constant online shopping (especially this year) and then all the seasonal movies and tv shows we watch while trimming the tree, decorating the house & cookies, and wrapping presents...it's A LOT of screen time.  I am MUCH MORE lenient on the boys' screen time when it's something like a Christmas special (they already have their first viewing of "Christmas Monkey" in) than I am the rest of the year.  I think it's knowing all this celebrating has an end date?  That we won't still be binging Christmas shows in January that makes it feel ok.  Also, I have a lot of things I want/need to get done this month!

My December media content skews VERY HEAVILY Christmas.  Books, tv episodes, movies, podcasts, music...it's not completely Christmas (I'm hoping to sneak in 4 books that aren't holiday-ish in order to meet my reading goal for the year) but it's pretty close.  

Here are things I plan to read, watch and listen to in the next month, a lot of watching done while wrapping presents and eating my solo lunch on the weekdays!

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BOOKS FOR ME
Father Christmas series
Cheery novella set in the English countryside, around a woman finding her biological family.  I've been reading these every year for awhile!

Winter Street series
Not labeled as novellas but these are still fairly quick reads, about a family who manage an inn on Nantucket, their various foibles and romantic entanglements.  I've read these all every year since they've been released!

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
My annual Advent devotional that breaks down the journey to Jesus' birth through the Jesse tree.  Helps me focus my crazy Christmas brain.

The Characters of Christmas by Daniel Darling
A new one for this year that I hope to start soon, makes up stories for various characters in the Nativity story.  

Loving my Actual Christmas: An Experiment in Relishing the Season by Alexandra Kuykendall
I read this a few years ago in December, after enjoying her Loving My Actual Life and appreciated the message and reminders! (FIX THIS)

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
I read this over the recent Thanksgiving weekend and it features a woman who signed up to go on 12 themed dates in the month of December.  It was charming and set in England (England features heavily on this list) but it was also pretty obvious how it was going to end.

One Day in December by Josie Silver
Despite the December in the title, this takes place over the course of a year, starting and ending in December.  A woman sees a man who she decides is the love of her life through a bus window and then spends a year searching all over London for him.  Are they soul mates?!?!?  This was still a charming Christmas-ish read (Instagram post here).

We Met in December by Rosie Curtis
Apparently December is for British meet-cutes.  This one with platonic roommates who kiss and the woman thinks they are soulmates but when she comes back after Christmas, the guy is dating another one of their roommates.  Are they soul mates?!?!?!?  

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
This is on my library pile to get through this December so I have no idea if it is any good or not, we'll see!

BOOKS WITH LUKE
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
I read this to him for the first time last year and it was so enjoyable for us both.  I remember my Mom reading it to my sisters and I and then I read it to myself as a kid.  The copy I read Luke is my copy from 25+ years ago!  It's so good.

How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. Smith
A new one I am trying with Luke this year, a Christmas story told in 24½ chapters, so one chapter a day.  Hopefully between writing this and it posting we have started it!

And then so many Christmas picture books.  SO MANY.  Here's a list of {25} Christmas Picture Books I did a few years ago, my Christmas Tree book flight from Tuesday...and then we'll read about another 100.  We go through A LOT of these.

MOVIES
The Family Stone (I watch this every year while addressing Christmas cards)
White Christmas (on Netflix, our "decorating the tree" movie)
The Holiday (one of my wrapping movies)
ELF (family movie night)
Love Actually (a wrapping movie for me)
It's a Wonderful Life (Matt & I watch this every Christmas night after putting the boys to bed)
The Polar Express (Our family Christmas Eve Eve movie)

TV SHOWS
As many of these as I can fit in (I've already started!)
Classic tv specials we'll watch while decorating cookies: Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Frost the Snowman, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (aka "Christmas Monkey)
Dash & Lily (Netflix) - I have this on my list but haven't watched it yet.  We'll see if I get to it!

PODCASTS
The Bible Binge: season 4, episodes 1-4, focused on the Nativity Story

The Popcast with Knox & Jamie
-Episode 69: The No's of Christmas
-Episode 225: Rating Christmas Traditions
-Episode 277: Christmas Confessions

The Lazy Genius #88 - Refocus Your Christmas Brain

 Well...writing that all out sounds like A LOT and I'm not sure I'll get to it all but we'll see!  Right now I have a lot to do but since we're getting online shopping done soon to allow time for shipping, I'm thinking/hoping my schedule opens up a bit closer to Christmas!  We'll see!  Plenty of options for just sinking into that Christmas joy!

Let me know what you'd add to this list, maybe I'll make some swaps!