[Hey everybody! Sarabeth here with a new feature that, quite frankly, I'm stoked about. Each week I'll be bringing you an album that I feel is particularly awesome in the hopes of building iTunes libraries everywhere! It could be something new, old, hugely popular or fairly unknown, so keep checking back for our suggestions to awesome-ify your music collection.]

With Christmas being just a few days away, I figured I’d go through my parents’ CDs to get into the holiday spirit. I’d already listened to my own Christmas music collection (Mariah, Glee, NSYNC) and needed something different. Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas was a major find. This album is pretty much the definition of the holiday season. My parents have played it just about every Christmas Eve since before I was born and anytime I hear this, I nostalgia my pants off.

About the Band:

Mannheim Steamroller is a new age musical group founded by Chip Davis and Jackson Berkley that’s been around since 1974. It was originally a pseudonym for Chip Davis’s musical projects, but grew into a 9 member group. Read More »

(We’re back with another weekly installment of G.W.W.E. [Guys We Wanna Eff]. It’s official: the winter doldrums have set in, and who better to cozy up in bed with than Harry Connick, Jr.?)

Very few stars these days can legitimately claim to be top-notch actors and musicians, but Harry Connick, Jr. is certainly one of them. A stylish crooner with a killer smile to boot, Harry puts the swagger in suave. His dinner-jacket-and-slacks style makes me want to slip into my best little black dress, some Chanel No. 5, recline on a velvet chaise…and eff his brains out.

Originally a professional jazz pianist, Harry got his big break arranging the soundtrack for everyone’s favorite rom-com, When Harry Met Sally. Seriously, hottie Harry’s eff-me-tender tunes made WHMS my number-one rainy-day chick flick, hands down. His work even won him his first Grammy! To date, he’s released several albums of music, from jazz to Christmas classics. Harry’s the kind of guy who will take you by the hand and sing your sweet little soul to the heavens of effable merriment, a true gent if I do say so myself.

Of course, his acting career has truly taken off over the past few years. His guest-starring stint on Will and Grace had me so glued to the television (Sexy Harry? My fave sitcom? Almost better than a good, long eff.) that I totally bought the series on DVD to relive every effable moment at my convenience.  Meanwhile, he’s broken out onto the big screen, with starring roles in Hope Floats, P.S. I Love You, and his latest release, New In Town, which opens today.

And of course, Harry wouldn’t be a great eff if he didn’t have a heart. He’s been a huge supporter of disaster relief programs in his native New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Yes, I know he’s married with children, but I’ve gotta say, if you ever need some (effable) relief of your own, Harry, you know who to call.