It’s important to make time for yourself especially when your calendar is full.
You can’t do everything well. Pick one or two things and focus on them.
In this season of “I want that!” and humongous wish lists, be grateful for what you already have.
We all want to be included. Celebrate what sets you apart.
Find magic in your wildest dreams and believe they can come true.
Let go of doubt. Embrace the fact that miracles happen every day.
Need an attitude adjustment? Turn on your favorite tune and DANCE. It always works for me!
Mistakes walk hand in hand with compassion. Be kind to yourself and others.
There will be setbacks, disappointments and gut-wrenching losses. Try again or try something new. Either way, don’t give up even if you have to wait a looooong time.
Hope can become mercury through your fingers so hold it in your heart.
What have you learned from holiday movies? What’s your favorite? Do you have any “isms?”
Susie Lindau's Wild Ride 
The overall message I’ve learned from holiday movies is that nothing is as it seems. Seems like George Bailey isn’t appreciated, but he is. Seems like Ralphie’s parents are ignoring him, but they aren’t. Seems like the Grinch will win the day, but he doesn’t. So how do I translate that into an “ism”? Don’t have a clue! But it was a good question that made me think, so thanks for asking.
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Thanks, Ally! Those are great takeaways. That’s life in a roasted chestnut. Ha!
I had all the gifs, but wrote the first thing that popped into my head for the “isms” this morning.
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Always check your tree for squirrels. (Chevy Chase taught me this one.)
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Whoops, I hit enter too soon! Polar Express is my new favorite movie now. Love the message it sends. The kids and I make hot cocoa and put on our pajamas and watch it every year.
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The Polar Express is such a visual treat too! Love your tradition and hot cocoa! Merry Christmas, Darla!
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Good thinking. Roxy hates squirrels! I wouldn’t have a house left let alone a tree or ornaments. Ha! Merry Christmas, Darla!
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Was that Hugh Grant’s wiggling butt from Love Actually, or did it just seem like it? xD
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It sure was! Ha! I love that movie and Hugh Grant as Prime Minister. It was the Cinderella segment of the movie.
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It’s been SO LONG since I’ve seen that movie! (I saw it in theaters…hoohoo!) I *do* remember Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson being an interesting couple. (And Liam Neeson was in that movie! Wow…it HAS been a long time!)
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I thought all the stories in that movie had their own unique perspective on love, actually. Ha!
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I just saw that movie for the 1st time over the Thanksgiving break – good movie. The Holiday is a good romantic movie too.
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I have learned spending quality time with my greatest someones is the BEST part of the Holidays! Plus never be a Grinch, do not shoot your eye out, do not stick your tongue to metal in cold weather, and celebrate once you have your Christmas Bonus in hand. Love Christmas Vacation 🙂 Happy Week – Enjoy!
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Hahahaha! That is very good advice, Renee. Have a fabulous week!
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I have to watch A Christmas Story every year. Fra-gil-e, it must be Italian! Holiday movies just remind me that nothing is perfect. We just need to remember the good parts and learn from the teachable moments.
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I agree! I’ve been watching holiday movies non-stop because I’m making Christmas cards. One more day….
We are going to see “A Christmas Story” in Denver! Should be a fun night.
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“You can’t do everything well. Pick one or two things and focus on them.”—Very true. I use that tip when it comes to Christmas. I now focus my time and energy on baking and getting gifts ready. I let Christmas cards go as well as fancy decorating. My sons decorate how they like, and that’s fine with me. Otherwise the season gets too overwhelming, and that’s not what it should be about.
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Yum! I’m baking tomorrow. What really saves me? My friend’s Christmas cookie exchange. That way, I only have to make one or two kinds.
Speaking of overwhelmed…. my handmade cards have taken over my life and my house! I love to decorate too. ‘Tis the season of insanity! Ha!
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Handmade? I’m sure they’re gorgeous!
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Thanks! I was a medical illustrator. Every year for nearly 28 years, I’ve drawn up a card for Christmas. That’s not very hard at all, BUT a few years ago, I got a brilliant (insert sarcasm here) idea for a pop up card. Right? It’s an insane amount of work! Not only are there three drawings and cutting and pasting so you see the cards stock, but pieces and parts too! Ha! I will be done today, just in time to make cookies this afternoon. It’s a tremendous relief.
Watch for my contest! I’m hoping to get a post out about how to win one, tomorrow.
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Sounds like a lot of work, but I’m sure your recipients love it!
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Christmas Vacation and Love Actually hands down..:) No isms..:)
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I LOVE those movies! Did you recognize Hugh Grant’s butt? That was from Love Actually. The other one I love is The Holiday. I’m such a sucker for sappy movies this time of year.
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me too lovve them but since axel died I cant seem to watch them
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A Christmas Story is my mainstay. I love the old black and whites but A Christmas Story is relatable because we lived it. 😉
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We sure did live it! I remember a kid sticking their tongue on a metal door. Youch! They poured water on it to unstick him. We are going to see the “Broadway” version of it next week!
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They had a frozen “North Pole” once when we visited Santa at one of the shopping malls. I got my little sister to lick it. Needless to say, all hell broke loose. Awwwww, still one of my favourite memories. 😉
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It seems the best holiday movies always hold up to annual repeat viewing, because they offer us a reminder of what is good in all of us. They do this with just the right amount of holiday magic, sprinkled with good humor, and the glow of human kindness. Sadly, these three elements are sometimes missing in life, and all year round for many. Yet, we deeply yearn for them in our rather skeptical everyday lives. This might account for why we want to revisit these stories at the end of every calendar year. It’s an affirmation of what most of us want to be in daily life, but takes on a greater urgency at Christmas time. Stories like Home Alone, Elf, and Christmas Story (and for the kid in all of us A Charlie Brown Christmas, the original’s Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas) offer all the colorful magic, humor, and warmth, packaged with just the right amount of trimmings to satisfy all we desire at holiday time. While films like It’s A Wonderful Life, The Bishops Wife, Polar Express, and any number of Christmas Carol’s (my favorite being the 1970 musical of Scrooge) provide the desire to be reconnected with family and the human race. And, there’s plenty of family fun to be found in Trading Places, Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas, Christmas Vacation, and Scrooged. Gather, and learn to help contribute to the needs of others—not just financially, but in other ways too—should probably be the lesson in all of this. And yet, we should always try to find a creative way in which to do this, so that the one receiving, and the one giving not only benefit, but each bond in the process while enjoying the holiday. As Linus said in A Charlie Brown Christmas; “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” Happy holidays, Susie! :O)
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That is such a great point! It is all about the message of love. I like your idea of gathering to help the needy. Giving is what Christmas is all about! Fantastic comment, Attic man. Merry Christmas to you!
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Merry Christmas! :O)
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Christmas story is my favorite. I was a ten year old in the early 50’s and can remember wanting a Red Ryder Daisy BB gun. I finally got it and almost shot my eye out.
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Hahahaha! A relatable movie for sure! We are going to the musical next week. It should be a “blast.” 🙂
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Yes it should.
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‘Bad Santa’ probably. Actually, while I do love ‘Bad Santa’, my favorite Xmas movie is ‘The Bishop’s Wife’, with Carey Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young.
A good play is ‘Marley’s Ghost’ by Jeff Goode, which we have staged here on the Island twice at Christmas time.
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I’ve never seen “The Bishops Wife.” I’ll have to look for it. I haven’t seen Bad Santa either. I’ve got some movie viewing time ahead!
Merry Christmas, Ted!
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Same to you, Susie. Try to see The Bishop’s Wife.
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Reconnecting with family and friends is always a good one, I enjoy that message, but I always keep Clark Griswald and George Costanza in mind … Got to have humor during the holiday seasons 🙂
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Humor can go a long way in surviving the vortex of the season! Reconnecting is important too. 🙂
Merry Christmas, Guat! I bet your kids can hardly wait.
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Duuuuuuuude the countdown has been on.
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It’s A Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas flick. Bad Santa is up there, too. 🙂
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A Wonderful Life is my favorite too. I have not seen Bad Santa, but it’s on my list!
Thanks, Austin and for the tweets!
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Oh, you must see Bad Santa. It is hilarious!
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I definitely will! I’m making my Christmas cards and am watching holiday movies. 🙂
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Great plan!
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My favourite Christmas movie is Die Hard. From that film, I learned never to take my shoes off.
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Hi Susie, I have no isms to share, but I have done the dance thing recently. It does work, but I got winded. 🙂 It’s a Wonderful Life gets my favorite movie vote. I recently saw a tweet that listed Die Hard as a favorite holiday movie. Maybe I should get that person over here… STAT.
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Right??? Ha! I tear up during It’s a Wonderful Life every time!
Thanks for stopping by, Ray. Merry Christmas!
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A lot of Christmas movies seem to be rather doleful for no known reason.
I did like White Christmas, which was showing back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
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Ha! You lived back then too? Wow. We are super special. I wasn’t alive when it premiered, but my sister and I attempted to mime “Sisters” on many occasions.
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I love the Susiesms! They’ll be my new favorite “isms.” I watch “Love Actually” every year and still cry in all the appropriate spots! It touches me every time! But really, I love them all. Another quirky favorite is “Home for the Holidays,” with Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Robert Downey, Jr. andCharles Durning, among others. I can’t think of any Christmas movies that I wouldn’t be happy to watch again and again!
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My favorite holiday-ism isn’t from a movie, although there is a line in Bad Santa I’m rather fond of, but from Nana. It’s short. It’s simple. It’s sweet. It’s this…
“Those cookies aren’t going to eat themselves, Veronica.”
And so, in the spirit of the season of giving… I give myself a little extra treat.
After all… a happy heart (and tummy) is a giving heart. Right, Susie?
Os cumprimentos da estação e pode o amor ea alegria da estação seja com você sempre.
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It’s a Wonderful Life – both a title and a philosophy. It’s tough to catch on TV this time of year, but I did the other night and loved it.
Great Susieisms!
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Thanks so much, Peg! That is my favorite too! I think I have a DVD in the mountains and will have to pick it up this weekend. Thanks for the reminder!
Don’t forget to stop by today’s post. Guess and win a card!
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Morphing it slightly from films, my favourite screen memory was the Christmas episode of Happy Days where Fonzie said he had to be on the ‘6 o clock bus to Wackensore’ to spend xmas with his relatives but the Cunninghams knew this was really a lie and that in reality bulletproof and proud Fonzie didn’t have anyone to spend xmas with. Richie and Mr Cunningham come up with an ingenius plan to lure Fonzie to their place on the pretext of asking him to fiz their mechanical front-yard Santa so Fonzie could spend xmas with them without losing face. Am I allowed to say they don’t make ’em like that anymore?
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That’s amazing how you remembered that! I probably saw it once long ago. Thanks for stopping by, Glen!
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