Measuring your child’s height on a doorjamb is a childhood milestone. Gaps both wide and narrow tracking her growth. The years passing in tiny, horizontal pen marks. Where once there was a baby, a toddler emerges and evolves, by some irrepressible magic, into a “big girl.”
Bloom, little flower.

+ Invite friends over, bring all your “bureaucratic” tasks, and make adulting a party? (gift link)
+ Sequin shoes for holiday parties in basic black or a burgundy mule.
+ Is “butterfly tapping” the cure for stressful situations?
+ These distressed baggy jeans took me straight back to high school.
+ My favorite spa is expanding. Maybe it’s time for a trip?
+ These starry night pajamas are a great pick for the holidays.
+ For a quick holiday dessert, make Basque Cheesecake in a loaf pan.
+ Morning Pickup Outfit: Navy pants, green sweater, coordinating fleece coat.
+ Need inspiration to change careers? Three women share their stories.
+ Quince is the spot for holiday gifts. For luxe picks, try truffles and champagne.
+ How to avoid “hosting anxiety” this holiday season.
+ These ingenious paper clips hold your pen to your notebook.
+ This list shows which classic holiday movies are on which streamers. Which got me thinking: What is the one movie or show you have to watch every holiday season?
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Muppet Christmas Carol – the first thing we watch every year. I THINK this might be the year I introduce my four year old. I love it so much.
Me too! It isn’t on the list but it is streaming on Disney plus
Seeing Michael Caine fully commit to acting with Muppets is so fantastic, and the songs are ear worms – even the pace-breaking “When Love is Gone” that they edited out for so many years until finally including it in the streaming version last year. If my siblings and cousins hadn’t confirmed the song existed on our childhood VHS version, I might have doubted my memory.
Christmas Eve late night last minute gift wrapping double feature: Love Actually followed by Die Hard. Same bad guy!!
Whoa, it is the same villain.
Our every year watch used to be A Christmas Story, now it’s Elf. Love them both!
Mostly, I love the classics. Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life. But my favorite old Christmas movie is Christmas in Connecticut. For something remotely modern, I love Santa Claus: The Movie from 1985. Definitely a classic!
Arthur Christmas! Trust me on this one! Totally family friendly, smart, not too sappy, and fun
My son is 15 and this remains his favorite!
We watch all the Charlie Brown specials starting on Halloween with the Great Pumpkin. We also rewatch Trains, Planes, and Automobiles every Thanksgiving.
We have multiple holiday tradition movies – The Polar Express, A Muppet Christmas Carol, White Christmas (do yourself a favor and read the write up from Tom and Lorenzo about White Christmas), and The Grinch (1966 and 2018 versions only).
My husband and I have watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation since we started dating 14 years ago. I had never seen it before him. (For better or for worse?) My personal favorite is White Christmas.
I must always watch White Christmas, Elf, and Christmas Vacation.
It looks like everyone hit most of my beloved movies (I have at least 12!), but the ones I’ll add: I’d cry if I didn’t have the Macys Thanksgiving Parade on in the background while I cook every year; the claymation Rudolph is a must; I usually try to scrounge up a PBS recording of a live Nutcracker ballet, especially on Christmas Eve if I can swing it; and my super niche one: on YouTube, you can still find a live version of the 1989 live version of Beatrix Potter’s the Tailor of Gloucester featuring a minor character played by teenage Jude Law!
The Muppets Go Home For Christmas – it’s from the 80’s on VHS or YouTube. It has not only the Muppets but guest appearance from Fraggle Rock. The Holiday, Noelle, and Love Actually.
Also love Bota Bota spa! I was there twice last year on trips to Montreal and was just telling a friend about it last night.
My absolute favorites are It’s a Wonderful Life, the original (1983) Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and a Charlie Brown Christmas.
Must watch The Holiday, The Preacher’s Wife, Dash and Lily (series).