My 4 Favorite Christmas Movies

Last year, I wrote about the 5 Christmas movies that I have to watch every single year. Those 5 movies put me in the holiday spirit and I consider them absolute classics. 

I thought I'd share 4 new favorite Christmas movies to give you a little inspiration if you need something to watch as the holiday approaches. Forrest and I have been watching these on repeat, so they are kid- and mom-approved! 

1. Christmas Family Vacation

"You let a toddler watch this movie?" That's what you're probably asking yourself. Short answer, yes... the TV edited version that they play on Freeform at least. One day, Forrest was particularly sickly and bored, so I put on Freeform to this because I needed a little sanity. He really enjoyed it. And to be fair, I've been watching this movie since I was 6 or 7 and I'm totally fine. Mostly. 

It is absolutely a Christmas classic though, that kind of movie that is about how Christmas can go so, so wrong, but still be really fun. 

2. Elmo Saves Christmas

Do you have a toddler? Do you need to entertain them for, say, 90 minutes? 

Elmo Saves Christmas runs for 90 minutes--it's a full-length film! And it's not cobbled together Sesame Street segments, but an actual movie. It's also... really kind of good. I will absolutely sit and watch this with Forrest. It's that good. It's narrated by Maya Angelou as well, which is about as Sesame Street as it gets. 

3. Elf

Confession: it really pained me to put this on my list because, honestly, I find Will Ferrell to be so annoying. I used to not be able to stand Elf, it was one of the few movies that I would absolutely turn off and be mad about having seen even a few minutes of for a while. But it's really grown on in me in the last few weeks. Maybe because Forrest loves it (as I sigh thinking about what it teaches him about being a grown man) but maybe because, like the Grinch, my cold heart is melting a little bit. 

4. The Year Without Santa Claus

These claymation classics used to be on all the time when I was little, so I think of them as The Christmas Movies... but I feel like they're on so much less these days! The Year Without Santa Claus is basically the story of Santa taking a year off (because he has a cold) and the shenanigans that follow. It's cheery, Christmas-y, and totally a classic. 

4 Ugly Christmas Sweaters for Under $60

I love ugly Christmas sweaters. This isn't a controversial or even new opinion. Ugly Christmas sweater parties have become incredibly popular and it feels like the internet is always trying to outdo each other with their sweater. Personally, I like to keep my clothes wearable, so the light-up, bow-adorned, bauble-covered options aren't for me. If you want to get in the spirit, but don't want to go all out, I found 4 options for you: under $60, wearable, and cute/ugly enough to be part of the crowd at a Christmas party. 

Ugly Christmas Sweaters by wiredphosphenes featuring white shirts

1. Dinosaur Sweater, $18.95

So, this is actually a children's t-shirt, but if you're looking for something last minute to wear, it's a good choice: you can get it in the largest size and layer it under a cardigan, plus since it's on Amazon, you can get insanely fast shipping. Also, I think a dinosaur wearing a Santa hat is just the cutest thing on the planet. 

2. Unicorn Sweater, $26

When I originally picked this sweater, the women's version wasn't sold out--luckily, the men's version isn't and it's actually way uglier and cooler. The unicorn is breathing green fire. Sign me up! For only $26, it's a shoe-in for ugliest sweater award. Add some festive bows to really kick it up a notch.  

3. Corgi Sweater, $24.99

I picked some t-shirts for this post because, truthfully, many of us aren't in climates that get cold cold. This corgi ugly sweater t-shirt is the perfect combination of internet funny, ugly, and cute. You've got sweater pattern. You've got breathable cotton. You've got cute corgis. And it's $24.99? 

4. Ugly Cat Sweater, $34

For the cat lover, this sweatshirt is actually so cute it hurts me a little bit. It comes in white or pink, so you have two amazing choices. You won't be winning the ugly sweater award, but you will be getting compliments from all the cat aficionados in your life. 

Things I Love: December 16

Welcome to another Things I Love (aka TiL)! I did these throughout October/Blogtober and really enjoyed them. They're not great for evergreen content, but they are really, really fun to write. 

Originally, I had another gift guide on my editorial calendar. Every single December, I plan these gift guides and, I'm going to be absolutely honest here, I know I'm not great that them. And, again, absolute honesty, I really hate writing them. I like thinking about them; I like once they're posted; but they are such a bugbear for me to write. I really, really dislike it. 

As the week leading up to this post wore on and I just hadn't written anything, I thought, you know, Michelle, you don't have to write gift guides if you hate it. So I scratched it off my calendar and added in another Things I Love. Because, why not? It's Christmas after all and I can do what I want. 

Now, let's talk about the fun stuff: things I'm loving this week. 

1. My Ulta Beauty 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar

When Danny asked me what I wanted in my stocking, I really didn't know what to tell him. I thought about it for a while and when I spotted this 12 day Advent calendar in the Ulta Beauty catalogue I get in the mail... I kind of knew that's what I wanted. Advent Calendars aren't really a thing in the U.S. (although they're getting more popular), so it is a new concept for me. It was only $13.50 so Danny bought it for me (er, I bought it for myself and he was there). I have been loving opening each day. I've been sharing on my Instagram here. 

2. My new homepage

So you may have noticed something odd (if you visit my website via the main link): I created a home page to make the blog page secondary. I'd been wanting to mix up the look of my blog for a while, except that right now, it just kind of "works" for lack of a better word! However, I got the idea to create a new page and add a carousel to display my most recent blog posts. Easy peasy and I have the look I want for my homepage now! 

3. Salma Hayek's Op-Ed about Harvey Weinstein

I love reading powerful pieces of writing by women, but I wish this wasn't one of them. It's an important one though. Salma Hayek deserved a better career and the things that were done to her were catastrophic to her achievement. But most importantly, Hayek touches on something I have been thinking about a lot: is it possible to separate the art from the artist? And at the end of the day, when an artist is accused of doing something awful, you have to consider the reality that behind that person, there are other people who were capable of creating beautiful, meaningful pieces of art. What about the art all the women Weinstein hurt would have created? What have we missed out on from not seeing their work? And not just Weinstein, but everyone accused of hurting and silencing women for their own gain? So, next time someone suggests we can separate art from the artist, remember that: there is better art out there from people who were silenced. How about we look at that instead? 

4. Cat Person

Another piece of brilliant writing from a woman? Is it Christmas? (Yes.) This short story went viral on Twitter and for good reason. While the takeaway for many is that this is an individually bad person depicted, I think it goes deeper. To me, this short story is about emotional labor: the dance that women undertake to prevent men from experiencing uncomfortable feelings (either out of fear or just not wanting to "hurt" another person). We are socially conditioned into these roles and I certainly find myself doing it with everyone, not just my husband. It is magnificently written and filled with a kind of slow, undertone of dread that feels very, very familiar. Highly recommend. I've been obsessed with it the last week! 

What Christmas Means to Me

I was about 3 or 4 when I noticed that my present from Santa was wrapped in the same blue wrapping paper (with ice skating penguins) as my other presents. "Mom," I asked, on Christmas morning, "why does it have the same paper?" My mom hemmed and hawed, then said Santa had borrowed paper. I quirked my mouth and said,  "I don't think so." 

The jig was up. I'd figured it out. 

From that point on, Christmas wasn't about Santa at our house. As the youngest, and the earliest to discover the ruse that was Santa Claus, they had thought I would believe the longest of my siblings. But they were wrong. Naturally gifted in the art of noticing small details (shout out to my skills as an editor!), it didn't take long. 

It was almost a blessing though. As I wrote in my post about Santa Claus and my decision to not tell Forrest that Santa is real, removing Santa from Christmas makes it a lot more, well, magical. It's less about getting to the day and more about enjoying the season. 

When I was little, I associated Christmas with taking photos in front of the tree, eating squares of cheese on Triscuit crackers, and excitedly looking forward to getting to open my stocking. (My favorite part because it usually had candy.) 

As I got older, Christmas was much more about having a break from school. Less about the day, more about the month. (Does it feel like we used to get way longer Christmas breaks? Just me?) 

Now, Christmas is all about being a parent: making the season magical for Forrest, sharing my favorite movies with him, baking cookies with him. 

In the past 10 years, I've encouraged everyone I know to do less Christmas gifts for their friends and family, and more gifts for their community. Purchasing gifts for foster children or for women's shelters, donating money to charities they support, volunteering at soup kitchens, and more are all ways to give back to your community. Many of these, like donating gifts or money, can be done in someone's name. If you don't know what to get someone for Christmas, making a donation is something that both feels good and does good. 

That's really what Christmas means to me: it's about doing good and feeling good. Getting your house cozy, warm, and decorated--and helping so that others can keep their homes warm and cozy too. Donating gifts so that every child can have joy on Christmas morning. Donating supplies to women's shelters so they can feel good on Christmas day and beyond. Giving money to animal shelters so that every cat and dog can have a hearty meal. There are lots of ways to spread Christmas joy; and for me, Christmas is about making sure everyone has a good time. 

This past week, I saw a girl stop her car along a busy road, jump out, and retrieve a small, black drawstring bag from her trunk. It was like those bags you often get free at basketball games: a backpack shape, but with drawstrings. She ran to a man who was panhandling on the corner of the intersection and handed it to him. "Happy Holidays!" she said as she ran back to her car. I was stopped nearby and saw him open it; inside were hygiene supplies, food, a $5 bill, a voucher for a free cup of coffee at a local shop, and a few other things.

It really made me realize how Christmas isn't just about giving to our friends and family, but everyone. It was incredible to see happen in real life, but it's true that there are many Santas out in the world and we can all be one. 

So for me, Christmas means to not just celebrate the season and my family, but to act as Santa Claus in every way that I can: giving to those in need, lifting up those who need it, and choosing to be better, always. 

My Top 5 Healthy Holiday Snacks

I definitely believe in indulging during the holidays. Christmas cookies and dinners only happen once a year, alongside those special Christmas or holiday cocktails, appetizers, and more. Enjoying them is something that is very important to me and ever since I started practicing intuitive eating, I became aware of the fact that if I don't allow myself to eat my favorite holiday treats, I just don't have a good time. 

However, I also know that if I eat like that all time, I won't feel my best physically. So for the last few months, I've been collecting my favorite healthy holiday recipes to make this month, test, and see if they're as good as they look. Having these around the house helps me feel like I'm indulging, without the heavy feeling that happens from eating gingerbread cookies every single day for a month! 

These are my top 5 favorite recipes that I've tried through November and the first part of December. 

1. Pomegranate Chocolate Candy Cups

These are as easy as they look: pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and coconut in dark chocolate. And gosh, they are tasty: satisfying that need for a little chocolate bite, but adding in the tang of pomegranate and the crunch of pistachios. (I'll be honest: I left out the coconut because I'm not a huge fan.) You could really add any kind of nut or dried fruit to this: I want to try dried raspberries, almonds and white chocolate next. 

2. Frozen Yogurt Drops

I've been making these for Forrest forever, so it was something we could share this month! I actually bought salted caramel Greek yogurt to try and it worked out fantastic. I usually chop up dried fruit to mix with it, so we had salted caramel Greek yogurt with diced dried mangos. Absolutely delicious! As holiday yogurts get to grocery stores, you can do this with just about any yogurt for a healthy holiday treat before or after meals (or, you know, with meals in Forrest's case). Adding sprinkles is a nice festive touch. 

3. Vegan no-bake Gingerbread Bars

I wanted to include something vegan because I've been avoiding dairy for a few months now. (And over Thanksgiving, I ended up consuming a lot of dairy and let me say, my skin absolutely knew it.) These definitely aren't a traditional gingerbread, but they definitely get the flavor right; I opted not to do the thick glaze and just sprinkled the tops with a little powdered sugar mixed with pumpkin pie spice. Absolutely just as lovely! They make great breakfast replacements as well, for those days when you don't have time to make something. 

4. Healthy Gingerbread Cookies

One note about these cookies: the recipes calls for coconut oil, a substance I choose not to eat. (It's 65% trans fat! It's not healthy!) I used plain old butter to replace it and they were just as good; you could also use applesauce or mashed banana and it would be lovely. The addition of almond flour and oat flour is really genius and gives them a unique texture and taste. However, they definitely satisfy that need of mine to eat as much gingerbread as possible--without feeling like I've eaten approximately 8 bags of flour. 

5. Chocolate Mint Balls

This is another super easy recipe that gets the flavor exactly right. I make these chocolate and peppermint cookies every December and these balls taste really, really similar (although the texture is not that of a cookie, obviously). They are a great afternoon pick-me-up at work when I just want something to munch on, but want to avoid the massive platter of cookies in the break room! 

4 Tips for Blogging Through the Holidays

Whether you blog professionally or for a hobby, I think we can all agree that sometimes keeping up posting, scheduling social media, and promoting our blogs can be really difficult. Especially during the holidays when things can get hectic and stressful fast. 

Every November and December, I inevitably experience a few moments of just not being able to get to my blog or stay on top of things. It seems easier to let my blog slide--which I inevitably regret when I'm doubly behind come January, having missed posts that I desperately wanted to have up before the new year. 

I've been scouring the internet and collecting the best advice to stay blogging through the holidays. Here's what I've found. 

1. Auto-Schedule In Advance

I think these days, auto-scheduling is the law of the land when it comes to blogging. Back in my Locked Out days, I would sit down, write a post, and post it then and there. That was it! These days, I usually have at least a week of blog posts scheduled out. When it comes to the holidays, or filling in gaps where you'll be on vacation, scheduling comes in handy. 

Alongside scheduling, that requires you to have your content worked out in advance. I have a running editorial calendar for each month so I always know what I need to write and when it will be posted. 

2. Take Part in Blogging Challenges

Honestly, getting my Blogmas content ready for December really helped me step it up this month! It's only the 13th of December, but I have content scheduled through Christmas and beyond. Taking part in Blogmas (or other blogging challenges) is a good way to write content in advance and always have something to motivate you to keep going. 

3. Write Shorter Posts

This is a big one. Not every single blog post needs to be super long, involved, and heavily researched. Short, quick blog posts that share a quite inspiration, a thought, a few tips, etc. can be just as meaningful. A prime example of this is the fact that my post from Blogtober about my 4 favorite teas is one of my most popular blog posts of all time. 

4. Step Away from Social Media

I think the most important thing to do is that once you get content scheduled, a few promotional tweets scheduled, and everything ready for the week of the holidays... step away. Don't worry about it. Do everything else that you need to do, but don't worry about your blog! Step in and check in the evenings, make sure all your social media is going fine, but it's ok to take a break and enjoy the holidays too. 

3 Outfits for Holiday Inspiration

Another day, another outfit post! Today, I wanted to share 3 outfits I put together inspired by some of my new favorite Christmas songs. I hope you love them as much as I do! 

When it comes to dressing for the holidays, I firmly believe that comfort comes first. Nothing is better than a sweater and jeans combo--but that doesn't mean we shouldn't dress it up a bit. Let's get started. 

1. Candy Cane Lane

Candy Cane Lane - Winter Outfit 1 by wiredphosphenes featuring candy cane ornaments

This sweater from Topshop is what started it all (just click the name of the outfit to see all of the outfit details). It's absolutely so adorable and perfect for a casual holiday party. Pair with jeans or leggings, boots (heel optional), and a basic bag for a more simple look; you can add jewelry or a scarf as well. 

2. Winter Things

Winter Things - Winter Outfit 2 by wiredphosphenes featuring a ski hat

The song "Winter Things" is about enjoying Christmas even if you list somewhere that's warm around the holidays. So, if you're in a warmer climate, this outfit is for you! This dress is a gorgeous Winter white and the pattern is beautiful; I picked a few colors out of it to focus on. If you're the hat wearing kind, adding a beanie and cardigan always makes everything a little more wintery; pair with these gorgeous oxblood flats from Zara and keep your make up simple but bold (like with a metallic oxblood lip). 

3. Snowman

Snowman - Winter Outfit 3 by wiredphosphenes featuring off white sneakers

I know, I know, another sweater and jeans combo. But I want you to consider: all white. White fair isle sweater, paired with metallic white shoes and a cute, graphic white bag. Keep your make up simple: blush, pink-mauve lip (Wet'n'Wild Rebel Rose is my favorite), and a gray-toned smoky eye. Simple, chic, and perfect comfy for lounging around the Christmas tree. 

4 Tips for Winter Hair Care*

While my skin has always been a struggle for me (as my post about my acne demonstrates), I've always been incredibly blessed to have good hair. My hair is naturally very dark (almost black); it grows incredibly fast; and it's a good texture (very fine, but I have a lot of hair... like double the amount most people have). In many ways, having good hair has made up for my bad skin; if nothing else, my hair always looks great. 

Aside from graying pretty early in life (my first patch of gray hair was discovered at age 11), my other hair is has always been having a dry scalp. How is it that I struggle with way too oily of a face, but a bone dry scalp? What is going on there!? 

Every winter, undoubtedly, my scalp starts to really struggle. It gets itchy and flaky, even when my hair is greasy. I either wash too much or too little--and I can't tell which is worse! I spend a fortune on fancy shampoos, trying to find something cruelty free to use... only to crawl back to Head & Shoulders because while it is chemically blue and tested on animals, damn, at least it works, right? 

This year, I started my research early. I wanted to avoid the Head & Shoulders crawl and find natural, cruelty free products that worked. I was lucky enough to receive a sample of Tea Tree Oil shampoo from Maple Holistics.

I decided to write up my 4 tips for hair care during the winter. These tips will keep your scalp clean, non-itchy, and moisturized, while ensuring your hair looks gorgeous. 

1. Find a Good Shampoo

Like I said, I feel like I spend a small fortune every winter trying to find a shampoo that will help my scalp--and yet, I always end up back at Head & Shoulders. I'm so glad I was able to find a shampoo that actually works. 

The Tea Tree Oil Shampoo from Maple Holistics* really is one of the best shampoos I've used for my scalp. It has a lovely, tea tree and rosemary oil scent and helps keep my scalp from flaking and getting too dry. Maple Holistics also has an amazing free sample program, so if you want to try some of their products, you can sign up for that here.

While it might not be the perfect shampoo, it's definitely worth a shot--and at $8.95 for a bottle, it's very affordable; as well, it's cruelty free and made with all natural ingredients. And for me, that's worth a lot! 

2. Shampoo When Your Hair Needs It

For a few years, there has been a back and forth about how often to wash our hair. Growing up, I was taught to wash my hair nearly every single day. Skipping a day, to my mom, was really gross. However, as I got older, I realized that washing my hair every day made my scalp really dry and my hair really frizzy. In college, I would go 2-3 days between washes, but I still kept a very strict schedule. Recently, my friend said that her dermatologist's advice was: "wash your hair when it needs it." 

God, that seems so simple, right? If your hair is greasy, wash it. If your scalp is dry and itchy, wash it. If your hair feels like it needs washed, wash it! Even if it was just yesterday the last time you washed it. You don't have to follow anyone else's schedule for their hair. 

3. Use Jojoba Oil 

I've seen lots of posts about using coconut oil for your scalp. I've used baby oil and olive oil in the past as well, but as I've written before, jojoba oil is the closest oil to what we produce naturally. Therefore, I just trust it more when it comes to moisturizing! Coconut oil made my scalp break out severely once (it is comedogenic, so never ever use it on your face... seriously), so I don't recommend it. However, a few drops of jojoba on my scalp at night before bed, especially when the weather is cold and dry helps my scalp to not be so itchy. 

4. Avoid Wearing Hats & Ponytails With Wet Hair

What's the number one cause of dry itchy scalp? Popping a hat on your hair when it is still wet or putting it into a ponytail or bun when it is still wet. This traps moisture on your scalp, which makes it a breeding ground for bacteria--causing dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and more. If you need to wear a hat, make sure you blow dry your hair thoroughly or let it air dry before putting it on; same with a ponytail. 

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*Disclaimer: As always, use of a single asterisk in the post title denotes that I received free product or payment in exchange for this post. However, all recommendations and opinions remain my own! You can read more about my disclosure policy here.