With Random Thoughts, I’ll be commenting on a variety of Christmas-related topics covering everything from music, to trends, to holiday experiences, and much more.
April 7, 2024
Me and my wife recently took a trip to Arkansas and Memphis for a little R&R and saw some wonderful sights, both natural and historical. It was a fantastic trip and we met lots of friendly and interesting people along the way while seeing some amazing sights. Throughout the trip, we kept running into Christmas-related “stuff” wherever we turned.
In Little Rock, while visiting the President Clinton presidential library and museum, we saw an entire display devoted to Christmas at the Clinton White House. We saw photos of White House trees and decorations, an assortment of stockings that were handmade and sent to the Clintons during their time there, and learned that they absolutely love the holiday season. They even had a photo of President Clinton hosting local school children for his annual reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” They also hosted dozens of holiday parties during this two terms in office, which were attended by more than 150,000 guests.
Then on our visit to Graceland, Elvis’ place, we learned how much he loved Christmas and that it was his favorite time of year. We even saw the corner in his dining room where they kept their Christmas tree every year. As an aside, his “Elvis Christmas Album,” released in 1957, remains the best-selling Christmas album of all time in the U.S. and one of the best-selling albums of all time.
In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, we ran into an artist whose holiday water colors were absolutely beautiful along with numerous gift shops that always seemed to have something Christmas-related to choose from in their stores.
Finally, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, we ran into a Christmas-themed store called “Kringles in the Park,” whose motto is “keep Christmas in your heart all year round!” Now that’s something we at Christmas every minute can definitely relate to! And then at the Hot Springs National Park visitor center, we purchased an ornament with the intent of looking back and reliving our trip when decorating our 2024 Christmas tree.
Collectively, the theme of Christmas every minute seems to pop up in the most unexpected places and wonderful ways no matter where we travel. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
February 25, 2024
Random thought as we barrel on to spring a mere 304 days until Christmas! I was honored to be invited back to the wacky and wonderful Christmas Cousins podcast with cousins Chad and Seth last week, which is now available for listening wherever great podcasts are hosted.
We talked about a variety of Christmas-related topics with a focus on how to celebrate Christmas after Christmas referencing an article I recently posted on the topic on christmaseveryminute.com. Included in the article is a downloadable checklist of things to do to maintain your holiday spirit well after Christmas is over.
We also got a chance to talk about Christmas movies, music, and even the top three things that cousin Seth experienced in 2023 on his first Christmas journey! Not to give anything away, but his first Christmas tree and first viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life” informed this amazing journey into the holiday heartland.
If you haven’t been following cousins Chad and Seth in their Christmas journey on the Christmas Cousins podcast, what in the Christmas seasonal world are you waiting for?! The hilarity flows like a smooth glass of eggnog in this original and unique podcast. Chad and Seth are both Jewish and one has fallen in love with Christmas and now is taking the other on a first-time journey through the holiday season and all its accoutrements and traditions. From Hallmark movies, to It’s a Wonderful Life to eggnog, Chad has been introducing Seth to the best aspects of our favorite holiday on their Christmas Cousins podcast for all to enjoy.
You can find all of the Christmas Cousins podcast episodes on Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeart, Google podcasts, and wherever great podcasts are available for listening. You can also find the Christmas Cousins on Instagram (@ChristmasCousinsPod) and Facebook, and youtube. Again, what are you waiting for?! Go forth and listen, and then follow and leave a review for my hilarious new honorary cousins.
January 22, 2024
Random thought nearly a month after Christmas. While I haven’t been sharing Random Thoughts in 2024 until today, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been toiling away on the website to keep the holidays top of mind as we head into the heart of the winter. For ways to celebrate Christmas after Christmas, check out my new article on our front page in the “Top Stories” section. I’ve got lots of suggestions on what to do to keep your holiday spirit humming along as you head toward February. I’ve also got lots of holiday “stuff” coming in the months ahead that I will announce here and in my newsletter so if you haven’t subscribed yet give it a go! There will be lots of new content coming, including the debut of a a Vintage Christmas section on the front page and a new video segment with more to come very soon! In the meantime, check out our latest Did You Know? story on the front page of the website. If that doesn’t get your Christmas holiday spirit flowing like eggnog, I don’t know what will 🙂
December 25, 2023
My only random thought on Christmas: Have a wonderful day if you celebrate and a very happy new year’s everyone! Looking forward to what 2024 will bring.
December 24, 2023
Random thought with Santa coming tonight!
The house smells amazing with all the food bubbling and cooking away. The tree is shimmering with presents below and ornaments above. The stockings are filled and ready to be hung. It’s Christmas eve, and Santa is on his way.
Or, as Ralphie put it so simply in “A Christmas Story,” all is right with the world.
December 22, 2023
Random thought with Christmas just days away.
Former CBS News journalist Eric Sevareid once said, “Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.”
With Christmas nearly here, I can’t help but reflect on what this holiday really means to me. Looking back on Christmases past, it’s hard to remember all the gifts I’ve opened over the years and which presents I received from whom. But there are memories of Christmas past that are so clear to me it’s as if I’m actually repeating the day in my mind’s eye. There’s our beautifully decorated Christmas trees with the ornaments that represent the places we’ve been and the things we’ve seen. There’s the wonderful Christmas eve meal so thoughtfully prepared for precious family gathered around our table. There’s the laughter of my children as they open their stockings and their gifts with all the wonderment that brings. And when the day is finally done and another Christmas has been put to bed, I find these feelings of joy that the holiday brings linger beyond our special day-long celebration. It’s at that moment that I realize that Eric Sevareid was right. We really do need at least one day a year like Christmas.
December 12, 2023
Random thought as we find ourselves less than two weeks until Christmas! I was honored this week to be invited to appear on the Christmas Cousins podcast with Chad and Seth. If you aren’t familiar with these hilarious Christmas cousins, I recommended you go, right now, and check them out where all great podcasts are found. These Jewish cousins are on their own Christmas journey with Chad shepherding his Christmas newbie cousin Seth through all the unique holiday traditions we all know and love.
During our episode, we talked about a variety of Christmas topics from what inspired me to create christmaseveryminute.com to my own personal Christmas recommendations for Seth to help him on his holiday journey. If you are a Christmas enthusiast like myself, you don’t want to miss a single episode. I’m proud to accept their invitation to become an honorary cousin and look forward to hanging out with these cool cats down the road.
You can find all of the Christmas Cousins podcast episodes on Apple iTunes, Spotify, iHeart, Google podcasts, and wherever great podcasts are available for listening. You can also find the Christmas Cousins on Instagram and Facebook (@ChristmasCousinsPod) and youtube. Again, what are you waiting for?! Go forth and follow and leave a review for my hilarious new honorary cousins 🙂 on the Christmas Cousins podcast.
December 6, 2023
Random thought as I get ready to go pick out my 2023 Christmas tree. Once my tree is in place, Brenda Lee will be one of many that will help me ring in the holidays with her iconic Christmas tune. Lee is a hot musical topic these days because “Rockin’ Aound the Christmas Tree” just hit the number one spot this year on the Billboard chart, passing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” which is currently number 2. According to Luminate, Lee’s chart topper has reached 35 million streams and 21 million radio plays this year. And 2023 just happens to be the 65th anniversary of the 78-year-old’s holiday classic and she is clearly having fun with it. She just released an official music video of her lip-synching to her best seller, which also features country singers Tanya Tucker, who herself has been rediscovered thanks to a Grammy winning return to form, and Trisha Yearwood. What may not be commonly known is that Lee recorded her classic at the age of 13 in 1958. The track was written by Johnny Marks, who famously wrote a series of Christmas classics, including “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas.” Lee is the first woman to be inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Rockin indeed.
November 28, 2023
Random thought as Otis Redding’s “White Christmas” fills the room. The lights are up on the front of the house and my Christmas cards are in the mail! The holiday season is in full swing and I’m filled to the brim with Christmas spirit. And if you’re like me, this is the time of year when the Christmas music is blaring, I’m taking in all the Christmas lights that adorn my neighborhood, I’m watching Christmas specials and movies, and I’m listening to the daily episodes of Bran and Scott’s wonderful Christmas podcast, Christmas Morning. The Christmas Morning pod is in full swing and dropping daily episodes of Christmas cheer with their wonderful take on the holiday season. They are Christmas enthusiasts just like us and greet every listener, and each other, with a hearty “Merry Christmas” to begin each podcast. From there, it’s a tsunami of Christmas offerings from dad jokes, to TV listings, to band battles, to Christmas in the news, to listener letters and reviews, and so much more. Ms. Claus even drops in now and then to let us know what the big guy is up to as they prepare for the big day. You won’t want to miss a single episode and it’s a great way to start your day along with a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate. If you feel like you’re in need of some Christmas spirit, tune into Christmas Morning, sit back, and enjoy the holiday ride.
November 23, 2023
Random thought as I watch The Holdovers at a Regal Cinema complex near me.
The Holdovers is another superb gem from director Adrian Payne, who brought us Sideways, Nebraska, and About Schmidt. A terrifically acted movie with the great Paul Giamatti taking the lead with a fantastic supporting cast. For me, The Holdovers is a much needed throwback to movies of yesteryear featuring a beautiful script from writer David Hemingson, a subtle musical score, and deft directing touch from Payne.
Giamatti creates another memorable everyman in Paul Hunham, a classics teacher at an all boys school in 1970 somewhere in New England who’s tasked with babysitting a small group of students who have nowhere to go over the holidays. An utter joy to watch and a wonderful way to spend your evening during this holiday season. Highly recommended!
November 17, 2023
Random thought as I peruse the listing of new Christmas TV specials this year.
On November 29 at 10 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock streaming will broadcast a new holiday TV special straight from the iconic Graceland estate honoring the Christmas music of Elvis Presley. The impressive musical lineup for the special includes John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Alanis Morissette, Post Malone, and more. Riley Keough, Elvis’ granddaughter from Lisa Marie Presley, will be on hand to honor her late grandfather. The special follows NBC’s annual tree lighting event TV special Christmas in Rockefeller Center.
As a collector of all genres of Christmas music, and the proud owner of more than 4,000 digital holiday tunes, the one person I go to every year at holiday time, without fail, is Elvis Presley. While he only produced two Christmas albums, what a contribution he made! From original songs like Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me to Santa Claus is Back in Town to the incomparable and often covered Blue Christmas, Elvis is Christmas.
Elvis’ first Christmas album, 1957’s Elvis’ Christmas Album, has sold more than 17 million copies, is the best-selling Christmas album worldwide, and is one of the best selling albums of all time. Elvis’ follow-on Christmas album, Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas, was released in 1971 and went gold.
November 13, 2023
Random thought as I lean into Christmas music now that we’re into November.
Anyone that know me understands, or at least tolerates, my love of Christmas music in all styles and forms from classical to alternative to traditional to just plain weird. This time of year, my go-to site for new Christmas music releases is a website called Hip Christmas, which is put together and organized by Randy Anthony, a fellow Christmas music fanatic. The site is like a stocking filled to the brim with endless sections devoted to yuletide musical offerings. As someone whose personal collection of digital holiday tunes just crested over the 4,000 mark, I understand Randy’s obsession. I highly recommend the site, which even includes, generously, free downloads from Randy’s collection. It doesn’t get any better than that folks!
Hip Christmas
What’s new in 2023
November 10, 2023
Random thought as I anticipate watching my favorite holiday specials on network TV, streaming, or DVD.
Earlier this year, Apple TV announced that A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas will be offered to non-subscribers for free during a limited window. Of course if you are a a subscriber to Apple TV’s streaming service, you can watch both at any time.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be available for free viewing to Apple TV non-subscribers on Saturday, November 18 and Sunday, November 19.
On a related note, you can now purchase the A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving soundtrack for the first time this year. It was released in celebration of the animated classic’s 50th anniversary. I bought it myself from iTunes and it’s filled with alternative versions and so many classic tunes from the special that you’ll be making toast and popcorn before you know it. The soundtrack makes for wonderful background music to the holiday itself as well.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
This iconic Christmas special, which first appeared on CBS on December 9, 1965, will be available for free viewing to Apple TV non-subscribers on Saturday, December 16, and Sunday, December 17.
If you are an Apple TV subscriber, you get access to this iconic show plus all the Peanuts animated Christmas specials, including Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales, It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown, I Want a Dog for Christmas, and Charlie Brown and the Snoopy Show, Happiness if the Gift of Giving.
I’m not currently an Apple TV subscriber, but I know I’ll be downloading their streaming app so I can watch the free showings of both this holiday season.
October 31, 2023
Random thought on Christmas toys as I wait for my favorite holiday podcast, Christmas Morning, to go daily on November 1.
What Christmas toys are popular today?
I recently saw a quote from someone who once said, “I bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note saying, toys not included.”
It got me thinking about the current crop of toys as the plethora of holiday catalogs have begun to flood my mailbox in the run up to Christmas. Scattered amongst the variety of retail catalogs are the giant toy catalogs from the likes of Target and Walmart. I typically ignore these because my kids are now adults, but after reading that quote this year, I was curious to see what toys are in demand today for Christmas.
As I flipped through the toy catalogs, I couldn’t help but smile. Included amongst the current selections were so many familiar toys from my youth. As an aside, anyone who grew up in the 60s and 70s knows we relied almost exclusively on the Sears Wish Book and the Montgomery Ward holiday catalog to fill out our Christmas lists, which were tattered and torn by the time Christmas finally arrived. While a lot has changed in the toy world since I was a kid, I was amazed to see how much has stayed the same.
Still popular and relevant today are standards like Hot Wheels, Slinkys, Play-Doh, the classic Magic Eight Ball, board games like Life, Candy Land, and Monopoly, Nerf, Batman, Fisher Price, Lego, and, of course, the powerhouse that is still Barbie. Electronics and video games continue to dominate but those traditional toys of our youth are still bringing joy to kids despite our society’s obsession with digital entertainment.
As I put down the catalogs, I couldn’t help but think how well thought out these classic toys were when initially conceived and how much nostalgia drives our current thinking when it comes to the toys we purchase for our kids. I guess a shiny sleek Hot Wheels car is as cool today as it was when I raced those iconic cars down that plastic orange track into twin loops before crashing them into a wall, or my brother.
And the best thing about all these “traditional toys,” is that batteries are still no longer required.
