Part of me just wants to sing to the lyrics right now but I will refrain. Partly because I’m not sure I would sound as good on paper, partly because you might hate me by the time I’ve finished. But what better way to spread Christmas cheer than by singing loudly for all to hear?

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[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 »

It’s official.  The holiday season has started.

I’ve spent weeks and weeks bemoaning the fact that Christmas commercials were airing in November. Macy’s has had their holiday decorations up for months. The Starbucks baristas have been wearing Santa hats since the day after Halloween. “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet,” I kept saying. “Why are people already doing their holiday shopping, why are the decorations already up? The holiday season starts after Thanksgiving. That’s the way it goes!!” The early start seriously upset me. And I refused to take part in it. But now, it seems, I have nothing to complain about.

Thanksgiving is over.

We’ve watched the parade. We’ve carved the turkey. We stuffed ourselves with stuffing and cranberry sauce and ate pumpkin pie until we wanted to puke. And then, when the feeling passed, we ate more. The holiday season is upon us. So I better just get in the spirit. Here’s how.

10. Watch a Christmas movie. Everyone has a favorite holiday movie. So what better way to get into the holiday spirit than by watching Tim Allen in The Santa Clause or the Olsen twins in To Grandmother’s House We Go? There’s always the recently made into a musical, Elf, or the kind of creepy but still enjoyable The Polar Express. Everyone has a favorite. Just find yours on YouTube and enjoy.

9. Order a peppermint mocha or a caramel latte. These have been available since the first of November and although I drank my coffee from Starbuck’s Christmas cups I refused to indulge in a peppermint mocha until the day after Thanksgiving. So after I did some cyber shopping, I went out and got one. It was worth the wait.

8. Decorate your dorm room. Don’t wait until you’re back home to decorate for the holidays. Get into the spirit now. Studying for finals and finishing out a semester that should have ended the day before Thanksgiving is depressing enough without prolonging your holiday cheer. So don’t. Hang twinkle lights. Make paper snowflakes. Throw tinsel everywhere. And while you’re decorating… Read More »

We finally made it through finals. Goodbye flashcards, 10-page essays and staying up all night studying. Hello Christmas cheer, sleeping until noon in our queen-size bed, and stuffing our faces with homemade cooking.

Of course the best part of ending the semester isn’t being able to throw your notes in the garbage (although that is pretty amazing); it’s the fact that we finally get to enjoy the holidays! You’ve got parties to attend, red and green mini dresses to wear, and major gift wrapping (and unwrapping!) to do!

So what do you need?

The perfect get-you-in-the-holiday-spirit playlist of course! And, no, that crappy oldies station that has been playing Christmas music since Halloween just won’t cut it. You need the best of the best, so we’ve sorted through all the latest Christmas tracks and our old standbys to bring you the ultimate holiday playlist. Play it at your holiday party, while you’re lounging around the house with your dog, or while you’re eating raw cookie dough during your baking sesh with mom.

Because there’s nothing (that isn’t smothered in frosting/filled with rum) like a little Jackson Five and N’Sync to lift those holiday spirits.

Click here to rock out with your stocking out.

Happy Holidays!

Nothing says holiday spirit like talking about Lady GaGa’s “Christmas tree,” which, FYI, is delicious.

Leave it to Lady to take the phrase “Ho, ho, ho” literally. I’ve never heard so many Christmas-themed sexual innuendos in one place as I have in her new holiday song featuring Space Cowboy. In fact, I didn’t even realize so many existed. I’ll never be able to look at a Christmas Tree the same again. Not that I’m surprised; I’m just impressed GaGa beat Britney and Lil Jon to it.

Thanks to this new jam, I’ll never be able to kiss under the misteltoe again without picturing Lady Gaga stripping off her unitard and showing off her tree in honor of the birth of the baby Jesus. Oh, the thought alone just gives me the shivers.

(Note: I realize there is nothing to see in this video. And you should be glad. After the hot mess that was Bad Romance, lord only knows what The Gags would do for this one…)

Need a dress to go with that headband?

We all know that NYE is the most over-hyped, overpriced, overdressed night of the year. While we are stressed figuring out what slutty halloween costume to wear, we also have to stress over where to go 2 months later. I swear every year two things happen: Christmas music and New Year’s Eve plans come earlier and earlier. And frankly I’m not a fan of either. My drunkcapades are exciting enough without having to pay upwards of $100 to go to a crowded club just to dance to Lady Gaga. I do that in my underwear for free in my apartment…

What I do love, however, is the excuse to wear a fun party dress. It almost makes the expensive price tag of the night worth it. And this year, there are so many great options. Lace, sequins, low cut, conservative-yet-sexy, bright colors, flapper inspired, the list goes on. And the best part is that it’s easier than Heidi Montag to find it for under $100. There are even some killer options for under $50.

So throw back some shots and put on some tights apparel because, hate this overpriced night or love it, you know you will look damn good when those pics are posted on Facebook come January 1.

All you need to do is find the style that screams “that’s SO me” click, purchase and rock that bad boy! Here are just a few of my absolute faves. Read More »

Ugh. I'd much rather be catching up on Glee than doin' this ish.

Thanksgiving. Sigh.

After being more stuffed than the holiday turkey, it’s time to come to terms with the fact that the holiday season has begun. Whether you celebrate Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or none of the above, it’s a given that you will be inundated with all kinds of holiday-ness over the next 6 weeks.

Whether you love it or hate it, every aspect of the holidays comes with some pros and cons. Yes, even getting lots and lots of presents. Have you ever had to do the fake “OMG I LOVE IT?!” upon opening the most awful gift ever followed by months of excuses when grandma doesn’t see you wearing those giant, sparkly cross earrings she got you? It sucks.

So, this week I’m gonna break down the ten best/worst things about the holidays. Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Season

10. Christmas music
Jingle Bell Rock? Loathe it. “Yule Shoot Your Eye Out” by FOB? Love it.

9. Cookies
And Candy. And Gingerbread houses. And fruit cake (ew!). So many calories – yuck. However, like my mom says, calories don’t count on Xmas! Work it off before Spring Break and you’re in the clear.

8. Shopping
Shopping can be a bitch, especially if you hate mass crowds and fighting for a coveted Burberry coat. Skirt the crowds and the lines and shop online. Read More »

So you’ve managed to evade being trampled to death while gift shopping so far, and you’re only massively in debt, as opposed to hopelessly. The radio plays ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ and while you aren’t quite sick of it yet, you’re the equivalent of being mildly nauseous. So how do you make it to December 26th without losing your mind?

1) Stay away from shopping centers – Unless you specifically wish to be run down in the parking lot of your local Target or mall, stay away from every shopping location with more than 50 parking spaces until at least the third week of January. Why? Pre-Christmas Sales, Last Minute Shopping Runs, Post-Christmas Sales, and It’s-January-There’s-No-Reason-For-Sales Sales. You have better chances of surviving a brisk swim through Bull shark infested waters than making it from your car (parked in the next zip code) to the very first pair of sliding glass doors of some venerable shopping institution.

If by chance you do make it into the store, the crush of people going in every possible direction is certain to disorient you, resulting in an unintentional detour to the Hardware section when you really just wanted to pick up a card.

2) Don’t OD on Christmas music – With the commercials looping constantly, a certain famous Mariah Carey song on thirteen stations at a time, and your little sister playing her Disney Christmas CD around the clock at a level just loud enough to be audible in your room, but not loud enough to get her in trouble, you are bound to go crazy. Decompress from the assault of seasonal media by either moving to Northern Greenland, or simply playing normal CDs instead of listening to the radio. Leave the room temporarily when that irritating holiday car dealership commercial comes on, or if driven to extremes, pitch the television out of your living room window. Read More »

The holiday countdowns have begun! Most of you are already at home enjoying your first week of winter break (and the rest of you are suffering through that last annoying final). Either way, ’tis the season for holiday gatherings, and I can’t think of anything that goes better with mistletoe, ugly sweaters and egg nog than some holiday tunes.

Some are old, some are new, and some are new versions of the old favorites (Radiohead doing ‘Winter Wonderland’? Hell yes!), but all will put you in a great mood no matter what holiday you celebrate!

Host your own pre-game pre-holiday party here.

I do not celebrate Christmas; I am a Hanukkah kind of gal. You know…a Jew. And I love me some Hannukah. From the fried potato pancakes smothered in apple sauce to the time I spend with my family; I truly do adore this holiday.

Oh, and the gifts ain’t too bad either.

But even though I don’t celebrate Christmas, I absolutely love everything about it, too. I love walking around just after Thanksgiving and seeing all the lights and decorations go up. I love how kind and generous people are to one another (except at malls and stores). All the great food, the great sales, and, of course, my Christmas bonus!

Aye! I just love this time of year.

My all time favorite thing about Christmas, though, is the music. When I hear it on the radio I turn it up and belt it out. It is weird, I know, but enjoying the music doesn’t mean that I am suddenly all about Jesus. I just like the spirit, ok?

Maybe it is the lack of Hanukkah songs out there (I do appreciate your attempts, though, Adam Sandler) but there is something about Christmas music that totally pumps me up and puts me in the best mood. I consider myself somewhat of a Christmas Tunes connoisseur, so I thought it only fair to share my knowledge with all of you.

Consider it a gift.

So, here you have it; The Top 10 Best Christmas Songs…According to a Jew. Read More »