The Frugal Homemaker

Your guide to turning your house into a home... one DIY project and yard sale find at a time

Christmas movies, traditions, and making a memory-filled Christmas (+ a $100 giveaway!)

Post and giveaway sponsored by XFINITY, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure.

After blogging about having a stress-free Christmas for 31 days back in October and some disappointments in past years Christmas seasons, I have really made making memories, starting and continuing meaningful traditions, family time, and just ENJOYING the season (instead of stressing!) the forefront of my focus this year.  It hasn’t always been like that and the season ends and I feel frustrated at myself for rushing through it, for things I wanted to do that didn’t get done, for feeling exhausted because I stressed too much over the mile long to do list, and losing the true meaning of Christmas in all the “stuff”. 

I think we all want that right?  We want to look back at the Christmas season (or really any season of life) and have a memory bank full of memories – new traditions we started, traditions we continued, events we went to, fun nights just as a family at home, decorating the tree together, whatever it is that warms your heart and makes you smile when you think back over the season.  I already have so many wonderful memories from things done this December and Christmas isn’t even here yet.  And let’s be honest, as the homemaker/mom/wife/manager of the home many of those activities/traditions/memories are up to us to make happen!  That is why I created a bucket list of things we wanted to do this Christmas and why I created a countdown calendar breaking down those activities down on certain days – yes we have missed a day here or there and either caught it up or put it aside BUT we have done most of them and made some amazing memories.  We have kissed under the mistletoe as our nieces giggled Smile, we have shopped for and donated a toy to needy children, we went to a big Christmas light display, got donuts for breakfast, wore Santa hats, watched movies together, and looking forward to making even more memories to come with our big church Christmas program this weekend!  

We even watched Frosty the Snowman on a big screen in our town square with fake snow machines going – it was completely magical!

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Last week was a crazy busy week of work and activities – 2 Christmas parties, my husband and I put in some crazy hours for deadlines at work, and we spent the weekend doing some fun things with my nieces and nephew for Christmas.  So when we settled down after church on Sunday quite tired, I was glad to pull the tag that said – “Watch Elf” from our countdown calendar. 

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It was the perfect evening to just spend some down time recovering from a past busy week and recharging for a busy week ahead.  To put the to-do list aside and laugh and spend time together with my husband.  We sipped some yummy hot chocolate (this homemade mix is becoming a fast favorite!  Going to need to mix up another batch tonight! Smile).

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One of the things we have enjoyed most about our new XFINITY X1 service is the DVR and the On Demand option.  Especially right now during the busy Christmas season.  We don’t own very many movies so we would have just had to wait for Elf or Home Alone or any of the movies we enjoy watching at Christmas to come on TV and hope that it worked in our schedule that night to sit down and watch it.  BUT with On Demand – no more rearranging our schedule to watch a movie coming on tv that night – we now can watch it whenever it works for us! 

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XFINITY On Demand has a whole section of family holiday movies to watch too.   All controlled right from your remote with the push of a button while you snuggle on the couch!

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And if you are hooked on a certain series (we enjoy NCIS) but a Christmas party or something else happens that night and you miss the new episode or the season finale, you can catch it the next day (or whenever works for you) on On Demand.    We have really enjoyed that feature too – making tv fit into our time and schedules– not vice versa. 

Plus if you are traveling this season, the TV Go app allows you to download your shows and watch them wherever you’d like. Best of all, you can take them on the go to entertain you during a long trip home or to see family for Christmas.

The Fast Life with TY has been sharing some fun tips on facebook too.  Like this tip on how to dress up a sweater if you are headed to an ugly Christmas party!  (Those have been popping up everywhere this year!)

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Follow Ty So Fast on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for even more tips.

So what memories have you made this Christmas?  Made any new traditions/continued on with some old traditions?  

And who could use a $100 gift card?  Seriously with all the shopping, baking, traveling, and decorating, I am sure we ALL could. 

Enter to win a $100 AmEx gift card in the rafflecopter widget below.  Winner will be chosen December 23rd and notified by email. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: XFINITY partnered with bloggers such as me for their Fast Life program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. XFINITY believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. XFINITY’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Comments

  3. I live in an area that doesn’t get cable (yet), but I love ELF and own a lot of Christmas movies. I especially love the Hallmark ones.

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    • I LOVE the Hallmark ones too. Let’s just say my DVR is at 100% capacity and 90% of it is Hallmark movies. I will be watching them until February 😉

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  17. Husband likes A Christmas Story, and I like A Christmas Carol. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Thanks for a great blog!

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  18. Our favorite holiday movie is Scrooged- I don’t know about Xfinity on Demand but we NEVER miss Carol Cane and the Toaster. Ouch!

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  19. We usually watch the Grinch with our kids every year, and Polar Express is fun too!! Ready to be done shopping and just enjoy!

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  20. My new tradition this year was to make the presents, not buy them. As far as movies go – The Grinch and the original version of Miracle of 34th Street are always the first movies watched at my house! 🙂

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  25. Definitely the orginal Miracle on 34th Street for me. My husband’s favorite is It’s a Wonderful Life. My kids like The Santa Clause.

    Merry Christmas!

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  26. I watch Charlie Brown Christmas. I watched it with my mother when I was a child & then watched it with my son. So now I am 57 years old & still watch it & it brings warm memories. Mom is in heaven now & my son lives away, but for that half hour we are all together.

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  47. My favorite movie now is ‘GRUMPY CAT’S WORST CHRISTMAS EVER’. We watched it last week. I would love to have it for my nieces.

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  58. I love Christmas movies but the top two would be It’s a Wonderful Life and Elf. Also any of the Hallmark movies because they are all great and very tastefully done. Merry Christmas to you and your husband! 🙂

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  67. For years and years my favorite Christmas movie has been “It’s a Wonderful Life” – I adore Jimmy Stewart. However last year for the 1st time, I saw “White Christmas” – how great is that movie?!
    And yes, all of the Hallmark movies!

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  68. I love White Christmas, hubby is all for It’s a Wonderful Life and goddaughter loves Polar Express (Next year we hope to take her on one locally-save up for it). I also like Yes Virginia there is a Santa Clause but did not see it listed.
    w

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  69. I love the idea of the countdown! It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle of the season and run out of time to do the things that make the season so special to begin with!!

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  83. This is my husband and my first Christmas together married, we decided to start hand painting a Christmas village. We’re starting this year with Santa’s toy shop.

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  87. I love Its a wonderful life because its about the gift of life and how we share our gift unknowingly. How the whole community pulled together to celebrate a mans life who cared so deeply for their lives. Merry Christmas!

    Reply

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