One of the most popular holiday traditions is the daily unveiling of an Advent Calendar. Every year, Advent Calendars seem to get more and more popular. Today, companies make all sorts of Advent Calendars. You have your traditional paper ones, your beauty ones, your candy ones, and even some have been made for socks. But where did the tradition come from?

The term Advent comes from the Latin origin which means coming. Advent is the period of four weeks before Christmas. The term "coming" is used to signify the birth of Jesus. Advent Calendars began in the 19th century as a way to countdown to Christmas. The first forms of these calendars were started in Germany by making 24 tallies on a door and wiping one off each day. Wow! Haven't we come a long way since then?

When paper calendars started to become a trend in the 1900s, the traditional Advent Calendar we know of today became the standard. Each calendar is made with 25 different slots, or doors, and behind each door is a holiday themed scene. Over time, Advent Calendars have evolved and now include prizes behind the doors.

Advent Calendars have come a long way since they were first introduced! Here are some pretty cool Advent Calendars that are currently available.

Traditional Advent Calendars

Peanuts Advent Calendar. Each box reveals a holiday antic and features all your favorite Peanuts characters.

Sweet Christmas Advent Calendar. This holiday sweet treat themed Advent Calendar has all sorts of Christmas characters and activities hidden behind each slot.

Twinkle and Shine Advent Calendar. If you want to learn more about holiday traditions from all around the world, this advent calendar teaches you a fun fact each day!

Beauty Advent Calendars

The Body Shop's 24 Days of the Enchanted Advent Calendar. Inside you will find 24 beauty favorites from The Body Shop that will revive and re-energize your body and mind.

Ciaté London Mini Mani Month Nail Set. This comes with 20 mini nail polishes, one full-size polish, a mini treatment, a mini top coat, and nail transfers.

Nyx's Sugar Trip 24 Days Of Beauty Advent Calendar. This beauty advent calendar is filled with 24 different makeup products including lipsticks, eye shadow and highlighters.

Candy Advent Calendars

Lindt Bear Advent Calendar. Who doesn't love some Lindt chocolate?

Reese's Countdown Christmas Advent Calendar. You really can't go wrong with a Reese's candy every day.

Godiva's 2018 Advent Calendar. By far one of the most popular chocolate Advent Calendar.

It may be nine days into December, but that doesn't mean it's too late to get in on the fun of an Advent Calendar. I'm definitely thinking of buying one! What about you, do you have an Advent Calendar? Until tomorrow.

It certainly doesn't feel like the holidays until I've ordered a holiday beverage from Starbucks. This year, Starbucks unveiled their holiday cups and beverages on November 2, just about a week earlier than last year. So by this notion, does that mean the holiday season officially starts in November now? Cool. I'm down with this.

Surprise, surprise all your favorite holiday beverages are back this year! Starbucks is currently offering: Chestnut Praline Latte, Caramel Brulée Latte, Peppermint Mocha Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Latte, Eggnog Latte, Gingerbread Latte and Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate. Like always, you can get any of those drinks hot, iced, or as a frappuccino. However, I'm not too sure how the Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate would be cold.

To celebrate the release of the holiday beverages and to kick off the holiday season, Starbucks gave away a free red reusable cup to anyone who purchased a holiday beverage on November 2. As you can suspect, every store ran out of these cups within two hours of starting the promotion.

Anyone who received the red cup and brings it back to Starbucks to use and order a holiday beverage will receive 50 cents off their purchase. This promotion will be going on up until the New Year. Also, the 50 cent discount off the holiday beverage with the red cup is only good after 2PM. But if you still bring in a cup to reuse before 2 PM, you still will get 10 cents off your purchase.

If you missed out on the promotion, Starbucks has holiday themed reusable cups that you can purchase. But instead of the 50 cent discount, you will most likely receive the standard 10 cent discount. Unless you can find the exact cup that was given out for free then maybe some baristas will honor the discount. The reusable cups make a great gift for your coffee loving friends and family members this holiday season.

A new beverage was just added to the menu this past week, the Juniper Latte. The latte has a pine-like flavor, with delightful citrus overtones. If you're interested in a more savory latte this holiday beverage might be for you. But for me, it's gonna be a no. I think I'm going to stick with my favorite, the Chestnut Praline Latte.

Also going on right now is the Starbucks For Life Game! If you go to the website Starbucks For Life and login, you will see an amount of game pieces. Every time you make a purchase with your Starbucks card you earn a game piece. But there is a cap at only earning two pieces per day. Each piece will have some sort of token that can fall into one of the following prizes: Starbucks for Life, Starbucks for a Year, Starbucks for Six Months, Starbucks for Three Months, Starbucks for a Month, 1000 Bonus Stars, 500 Bonus Stars, 250 Bonus Stars, and 125 Bonus Stars. Each prize has three slots, get all three tokens for one of the prizes and you win! If you get three duplicate tokens that will turn into one new play. If you're lucky, one token might be an instant win prize! Instant prizes could be anything from a coupon for a free tumbler/mug to a free pastry.

And there you have it! Good luck to everyone playing Starbucks for Life this year, may we all win something! Now you tell me, did you get lucky and get one of the free reusable cups from Starbucks this year? What holiday beverage from Starbucks is your favorite? Let me know! Until tomorrow.

Hello everyone! Can you believe it? We've made it through the first week of Blogmas! Woo hoo! It's been fun to write up these holiday themed posts and see what others have come up with so far. So for today's post, I'm going to share some of the things I would love to receive this holiday.

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas wishlist posts for Blogmas. Sure they're easy to write up, but sometimes I feel like it is a little ego centric. But I'm not going to lie, I love reading other people's Christmas wishlists. It gives me ideas of things I may want, but mostly it helps me think of ideas for gifts for the people I love. So I hope my holiday wishlist does the same for you!

While I was writing up my Cruelty Free Holiday Scent Guide for Blogmas Day 5, I couldn't help but add some of those products to my wishlist. Ever since I found out about the Holiday Hair Care Barrel from Basin, I have not been able to stop thinking about it! Shampoo and conditioner bars are the best and I absolutely love the ones from Basin! One other thing I have not been able to get off my mind are the seasonal items from Lush! If I receive anything from Lush this holiday season I'll be a happy camper.

Recently my love for Tye Dye has become more and more apparent, I've felt the need to Tye Dye anything and everything. But what has been holding me back? My lack of Tye Dye! So a Tye Dye Kit would be an amazing present this year. Please someone help make my Tye Dye fantasy come true!

I'm a complete sucker for anything rose gold so when I saw the Nike Flex Contact Women's Running Shoes in White Silver Pink, I fell in love. It's been a while since I got some new running shoes so I think I might be due for a new pair. PLUS THEY'RE ROSE GOLD!!! As a skin care fanatic, I love looking to see what new tools are currently trending. Cleansing brushes for your face have always been something I have been obsessed over. Foreo is one of the most popular cleansing brushes brands out there, thanks to the Luna. While the standard Luna is great, it's way too much money. Luckily Foreo made a smaller and way cheaper version the Luna Play Plus, which is perfect!

If you've been bit by the environmentalist bug this year, then you know all about the dangers of the overuse of plastic materials. The anti plastic straw movement has been going on but now what's the next thing to stop using? Those pesky produce bags in the grocery store. If plastic shopping bags were banned why weren't these? Anyways for Christmas a great gift that everyone (myself included) needs are reusable produce bags.

If you know me there's two things I love most in this world: Kate Spade and Minnie Mouse. When Kate Spade came out with her Minnie Mouse collection at Disneyland, I literally died and went to heaven. Ever since that, Kate Spade has been making even more Disney related items and I am obsessed with this Minnie Mouse iPhone wallet case.

Speaking of Disney, the Disney store recently released notebooks that mimic a VHS tape. How nostalgic is that? I'm literally obsessed with these, and I bet every other 90s kid is too!

As someone who enjoys spending lots of time in the bath tub, a Bath Tray Caddy would be the most useful gift for myself. I have been known to drop things in the water once or twice so this would be a great thing to have in my bathroom.

And there you have it! Those are some things that I wouldn't be upset to find under the tree this year. But friendly reminder, Christmas is about giving and not receiving. If you're struggling to find a gift for the basic girl in your life, chances are my wishlist is similar to hers. Happy shopping! Until tomorrow

December is one of the most romantic months out there. Sure, February gets a lot of the romance credit because of Valentine's Day but think about it, Christmas and holiday romances are a thing. There have been so many movies made about winter romances. Winter brings colder weather and longer nights, which leads to more time for snuggling with your loved one.

Now, sometimes the holiday season isn't always as warm and fuzzy like the romantic comedies always display. Sure we all get busy during this time of the year, but it is really important to make time for the ones you love. Here are some fun date ideas to have with your significant other this holiday season!

Walk Around and Look at Holiday Lights. Many neighborhoods go all out on their holiday decorations, so why not take the time to go admire their work with your loved one? You can explore your local area or go somewhere new! Play some holiday music on the way to your destination and bring some hot chocolate or apple cider to enhance the experience.

Have a Snow Day. When we think of winter, all snow activities come to mind. So if you're lucky enough to live in an area where you can experience snow take advantage of it! Build a snowman, go sledding, have a snowball fight or even make snow angels! All of these activities can be super fun to do with your partner.

Attend a Christmas Concert or Play. No matter where you are you can always find a local Christmas concert during this time of the year. Some of the most popular things to see are A Christmas Carol or The Nutcracker. If you're on a tight budget and can't afford tickets to a fancy concert or play, check to see if any nearby schools are putting on any holiday shows.

See the Zoo Lights. Most major zoos all around the United States have been participating in this ever popular phenomenon. The zoos decorate with dazzling light displays, festive decor, and holiday music all around the property. Some even offer special holiday exhibits!

Go to a Theme Park. Theme parks go all out during the holidays! From festive decorations and food to holiday themed rides, this could be a fun adventure with your significant other. The only downside is that this option can be a bit pricey.

Ice Skating. This is the most classic holiday season date out there. Ice Skating dates are a staple in holiday romance movies. This very active activity can be fun to do with a partner. Plus you'll have someone to help keep you balanced the entire time.

Enjoy a Holiday Beverage Together. Coffee dates are so underrated! There's nothing more intimate than grabbing a beverage at a coffee shop and sitting and chatting with someone. So many coffee shops have holiday beverages out during this time of the year. Why not spend an afternoon with your loved one drinking some tasty holiday beverages and have some great conversations. If you can't sit for long or want to be active, take your cups to go and go for a walk.

Go Christmas Shopping Together. While this sounds like a terrible idea, this might be the most practical date you and your significant other can do this holiday season. Let's face it, Christmas shopping is horrible. So why not make the most of it and make it a date too? You both have to do some shopping this holiday season, so why not do it together? Plus you can enjoy holiday decorations at the shopping centers and malls and maybe grab a bite to eat after!

Attend a Tree Lighting. Christmas Tree Lighting ceremonies have become more and more popular every year. For some cities, it's their main event during the holiday season and they go all out. If a tree lighting ceremony is going on near you, why not take your special someone and make it a romantic night out.

Watch a Holiday Movie. Curling up on a couch and watching a holiday movie with your loved one is a simple and easy date to do during this time of the year. The only downside is that it may not feel like a date, it might be something you do every night. Some movie theaters will play classic and favorite holiday movies throughout this time of the year. So if watching a holiday movie on the big screen sounds perfect for you, check out what your local movie theater is offering this holiday season!

Volunteer. If you and your partner love to give back to your community why not spend the holiday season volunteering together? It can be something as simple as collecting canned goods for a food bank or putting together gifts for organizations like Toys For Tots. If you and your partner feel like doing more, volunteer your time and spend the day at a place like a homeless shelter or senior center. Giving back while spending time with your partner will make you both feel great!

Now these ideas are not limited to couples only. Spending time with friends is also important, and any of these dates can be a great activity for some best friend quality time. What is important to remember is to make time for the people you care about in your life. Now go enjoy yourself and spend some time with the ones you care about! Until tomorrow.

One of my favorite things about the holidays is all of the festive scents! Tons of beauty companies come out with so many holiday scented products during this time of the year. Stepping into Bath & Body Works and all the other beauty shops this time of the year is absolute heaven. However, for the past year or so I made a pledge to use only cruelty free products and have refused to buy products from companies that test on animals. After doing some research I found out some of my favorite brands are still testing their products on animals.

So I've had to say goodbye to a lot of favorite products and favorite holiday scents. But luckily, there are so many cruelty free brands out there that have amazing products. If you want to know more about cruelty free beauty check out my beginner's guide. Now let's take a look at these festive and ethical products!

Shampoo & Conditioner

Holiday Haircare Barrel from Basin. Basin is a shop that specializes in all natural bath and beauty and products. Their shampoo and conditioner bars are one of my favorite products. This year in their online shop, they are offering a limited edition holiday haircare barrel. Inside the barrel you get three shampoo bars: Charcoal, Iced Cherries, and Egg Noggin and one Scalp Soother conditioner bar. Shampoo and conditioner bars are a great alternative for haircare and bonus points for being better for the environment thanks to the lack of plastic.

Shower Gel

Peppermint Candy Cane Shower Gel from The Body Shop. The Body Shop is basically a better version of Bath & Body Works. They are cruelty free, vegetarian, and working on becoming more sustainable. The shower gel is made with organic cane sugar from Paraguay and leaves you feeling cleansed and fresh. This shower gel is also vegan.

Snow Fairy Shower Gel from Lush. Lush is another store that specializes in freshly made products. All of their cosmetics are cruelty free and vegetarian. Recently, Lush has introduced Naked Packaging which is essentially no packaging. 35% of their products are essentially unpackaged and the rest are packaged using recycled materials. The Snow Fairy shower gel is one Lush's Naked Packaging products. The shower gel is essentially a bar of soap that is creamier than your typical soap. It has a candy-sweet fragrance that will make you dream of sugar plums. Also if you're not a fan of the idea of a bar of soap there is a bottled version available.

Face Masks

Masque Bar Pretty Animalz Face Masks After doing some digging, it appears this popular face mask company is cruelty free. Their winter face masks are fun and most importantly hydrating. Each sheet mask is shaped as an animal and for the winter collection you have a choice between a reindeer, polar bear, or penguin. These masks are sold at Target.

The Creme Shop Face Masks. The Creme Shop also appears to be cruelty free. Just like Masque Bar, they have fun and festive sheet masks to help you relax and provide some must needed self care this holiday season. The Creme Shop offers a variety of festive face masks and can be found at almost every retailer. I've seen these masks from stores like Target to Old Navy.

Rudolph Jelly Face Mask from Lush. This face mask is adorable, it's brown and smells like chocolate pudding. Each container also comes with a bright red nose like the reindeer it is named after. This mask is also vegan.

Lotion

Gingerbread Man Sparkle Jar from Lush. The sparkle jars from Lush are another kind of bare minimum packaging product. The sparkle jar is in the shape of a gingerbread man and to get the hydrating powder out of the gingerbread man, you must poke holes where the buttons are. The powder will be released and will melt right into your skin.

Vanilla Marshmallow Body Butter from The Body Shop. Now The Body Shop has some of the best body butters out there, they keep your skin hydrated all day. Vanilla Marshmallow is one of the seasonal scents that The Body Shop is currently selling.

Candy Cane Mini Body Butter from Basin. It's not Christmas without the scent of candy canes. The only problem with this limited edition body butter is that it is so small, but on the plus side it would be good to bring with you if you plan on traveling this holiday season.

Bath Bombs

All Seasonal Bath Bomb from Lush. Lush is the master of bath bombs, in fact that is one of the things they are most well known for. It is impossible to choose just one bath bomb, especially their seasonal options. Their seasonal bath bombs are all adorable and come in a variety of scents.

Holiday Bath Bomb from Basin. Not only does the holiday bath bomb from Basin look festive the scent is too. From cinnamon to pine needles, this bath bomb literally smells like Christmas.

Peppermint Candy Cane Bath Bomb from The Body Shop. Not only is this bath bomb affordable, it's adorable! It's shaped like a reindeer and smells like candy canes. What's more Christmas than that?

Bubble Bath

Berry Bonbon Bath Foam from The Body Shop. The Body Shop's Berry Bonbon is filled with the scents of the best winter berries. The bath foam provides plenty of bubbles so you can relax and unwind in the tub.

All Seasonal Bubble Bars from Lush. Bubble Bars from Lush are just about as popular as their bath bombs. The bubble bars are soap bars of bubble bath and come in all shapes and sizes. Their seasonal ones are extremely festive and quite adorable.

Hand Soap

Peppermint Liquid Hand Soap from Mrs. Meyer's. Mrs Meyer's hand soap is one of the most popular cruelty free hand soaps that is currently out there. Their seasonal peppermint hand soap is the perfect choice for washing your hands this holiday season.

Perfume

Snow Fair Body Spray from Lush. Who wouldn't want to smell like sugar plums this holiday season?

And there you have it, a guide for the best festive scents from cruelty free brands this holiday season. Now you tell me, what are your go to scents for this holiday season? Until tomorrow.

One of the best things about the holiday season is getting to listen to all the festive music. Something about all these holiday tunes can really get you in the Christmas spirit. Whether you're in a car or in the privacy of your own home nothing screams Christmas more than jamming out to your favorite holiday songs. My go to choice for music listening is SiriusXM, and this year their new holiday stations just got even better!

This year, SiriusXM has 16 commercial-free festive channels. Let's take a look at what they have to offer!

Holly on Channel 4. Holly is the original holiday music channel that SiriusXm has provided over the years. Holly plays all the holiday hits you can think and dream of. But with the addition of new stations, Holly seems to be focusing on only contemporary holiday hits.

Holiday Traditions on Channel 3. Holiday Traditions will be playing all your favorite classic Christmas music.

Hallmark Channel’s 24/7 “Countdown to Christmas” on Channel 70. Yes you read that right, the same Hallmark that does their annual Christmas movies now has a radio station. Here you can listen to Candace Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert, LeAnn Rimes, Danica McKellar, Kellie Pickler, Holly Robinson-Peete, and many more Hallmark stars share their favorite holiday stories and songs. Bonus! You also get some behind the scenes information from the stars of the upcoming holiday movies.

Country Christmas on Channel 58. The name of the station says it all. Here you'll find holiday songs sung by all your favorite classic and new country superstars.

Holiday Soul on Channel 49. Here you have another genre specific station for holiday music. Holiday Soul features Christmas songs from some of the best R&B artists.

Holiday Pops on Channel on 76. Now this name is a little misleading, this station is not for holiday pop music. Instead you'll find holiday favorites performed by some of the most popular classical performers.

Acoustic Christmas on Channel 14. Here you'll find all the unplugged versions of your favorite Christmas songs performed by some of the most popular singers and songwriters.

Christmas Spirit on Channel 63. If you're a big advocate for Jesus being the reason for the season, then this is station for you. The Christmas Spirit station features Christmas music and holiday favorites from contemporary Christian artists.

Mannheim Steamroller Channel on Channel 30. If you like Mannheim Steamroller and Christmas well this one is for you.

Radio Hanukkah on Channel 77. For all my Hanukkah celebrating people, you were not forgotten! SiriusXM made a station just for you! Radio Hanukkah will play all your favorite Hanukkah related songs as well as daily reflections and prayers.

New Year's Nation on Channel 4. Once Christmas is over, Holly will become the New Year's Nation station. Here you'll find all your favorite Top40 songs that are perfect to celebrate the New Year. This station will premiere on December 28.

70s/80s Holiday on Channel 780. This station features all of the best holiday music from some of your favorite artists from the 70s and the 80s.

Rockin' Xmas on Channel 781. If you want your Christmas to be all about classic rock and roll this station is for you.

Holiday Chill-Out on Channel 783. For all the EDM lovers are there, here is your holiday music station. Who wouldn't want to listen to a Christmas song done by Kaskade?

Jazz Holidays on Channel 784. The name says it all, this station features holiday music performed by some of the greatest jazz artists.

Navidad on Channel 786. For all the latin music lovers out there, this holiday station was created with you in mind. This station features some of the biggest latin music artists singing classic and contemporary holiday music.

If you do not have a SiriusXM radio, have no fear, you can download the SiriusXM app on your smartphone or use their website to stream their stations. SiriusXM currently has some special deals going on for the holiday season.

No matter what kind of holiday music you like, SiriusXM has a station for you. Happy listening! Now you tell me, where is your favorite place to listen to holiday music? Until tomorrow.

The holiday season is meant to be a happy and cheerful part of the year, but for some people it can be a difficult time filled with nothing but stress and anxiety. That's not what the holidays are supposed to be about. But luckily there are numerous ways to make sure you're living your best life this holiday season.

Happy Planner, a popular planner created by Me and My Big Ideas (MAMBI), has created a challenge to help ease your stress during this holiday season. It is called the Happy & Healthy Holidays Challenge. Instead of over-indulging, over-spending, and over-committing yourself, Happy Planner wants you to focus on being more mindful and having the best intentions.

The Happy & Healthy Challenge is hosted by Stephanie Fleming, the co-founder of MAMBI and Happy Planner. Every Sunday until the end of December you will receive an email from Happy Planner that includes a video, a note from Stephanie, and some special downloads. The downloads include: the worksheet, wallpapers for your phone and computer, and inspiration cards. Each email also explains what each "gift" will be.

Here are the six gifts, or traits, that Happy Planner will be focusing on during this challenge:

Gratitude — the first gift that was given to us during the week of Thanksgiving. Perfect timing right?

Health — and of course this is the second gift given right after Thanksgiving. After over-indulging is delicious Thanksgiving food it makes sense to get your health and diet back on track. I also view health as staying healthy and taking precautions to make sure you're not getting sick. Flu season is right around the corner people!

Presence — is probably the most important gift, and it is the focus for this week! Being present in the moment and showing up is literally half the battle.

Creativity — will be the fourth gift in the challenge. I'm intrigued to see what this one will hold!

Self-Care — is a necessity and is the fifth gift of the challenge. Taking care of yourself is one of the most important things you have to do. From what it sounds like this week is going to be more than just treating your self.

Joy — is the sixth gift given to us which will arrive just in time for Christmas!

Planning A Happy Life — will be the final gift given to us so that way we are the most prepared for the upcoming New Year.

Every video for this challenge is posted on Happy Planner's Youtube channel. It includes Stephanie introducing each gift and going over the worksheet for the week. She also shares her progress with the challenge, yes even the co-founder of Happy Planner is participating in the challenge too!

Along with the inspirational videos, comes the worksheet! Now, a worksheet doesn't always sound like a lot fun, but for all the planner people out there, this is exactly what fun looks like. Each worksheet introduces the gift of the week and includes an inspirational quote. From there you have five little boxes to fill out. First is your intention for the week, how are you going to implement the gift of the week into your life? Next is the planning section where you map out exactly what you plan to do to carry out your intention. After that you choose a helpful habit, something you want to do daily that goes along with your plan for the week. The next section is a spot for your daily thoughts, the boxes for each day are not a very big. And finally, the last box is a spot for your weekly reflection.

If you want to participate in the challenge, you can go to Happy Planner's website and all of the past weeks and worksheets are in the blog selection. You can also see more content on Happy Planner's Instagram account. Every Monday, Stephanie goes live on the Instagram and continues talking about the gift of the week and shares what's going on with her! The challenge also has its own social media hashtag: #myhappyandhealthyholidays!

Even though the challenge has been going on since Thanksgiving, it's never too late to pick it up. The challenge is meant to help you do all the things you want and were probably going to do this holiday season. The challenge helps you hold yourself accountable and set your intentions, it's not meant to add any extra stress to your life. If you're waiting for the New Year to reset, why do that? Why wait to reset? Why not get a head start now? I know I will be! Until tomorrow.

One of the best things about this time of the year is watching all of the holiday movies and specials. Every major TV network is wrapping up their fall seasons to transition to the winter TV programming block. But during this lull it can be hard to find something festive to watch.

Luckily, streaming services have jumped on this opportunity. Netflix has scored some holiday content and even created some of their own original holiday movies. Here is my little guide on what to watch on Netflix this holiday season!

Classics

White Christmas — Sadly this is the only holiday classic that is currently streaming on Netflix.

Romance

Love Actually — This classic holiday rom com is iconic and a must watch.

Christmas with a View — A failed restauranteur and a celebrity chef work together at a ski resort and fall in love along the way.

Christmas Wedding Planner — A wedding planner's big break comes crashing down when a handsome private investigator is hired to disrupt the upcoming nuptials she has worked so hard to plan.

You Can't Fight Christmas — A decorator who loves Christmas meets a Scrooge-like businessman, her task is to make him love Christmas.

The Spirit of Christmas — An attorney falls in love with a ghost that haunts an inn in Vermont that is for sale. Seriously? Where do they come up with these ideas?

Family

How the Grinch Stole Christmas — The iconic Jim Carrey version of this Dr. Seuss classic is currently available to stream. If you haven't seen it before, it is definitely a must watch this holiday season!

Mickey's Once upon a Christmas — Mickey Mouse's take on holiday classics is one of the best things to watch during the holidays. If you want more Christmas Disney magic check out Mickey's Magical Christmas and Mickey's Twice upon a Christmas.

48 Christmas Wishes — The letters to Santa from a small town accidentally catch on fire and it is up to two elves to retrieve all the missing wishes.

Get Santa — Santa mistakenly gets arrested and it is up to a father and his son to set Santa free and save Christmas.

Beethoven's Christmas Adventure — The classic Saint Bernard is at it again, but this time with some festive antics.

Dreamwork's Holiday Classics — This collection is filled with the Dreamwork's holiday specials that feature characters from your favorite movies like Shrek, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.

Christmas in the Smokies — Taking place in the Smoky Mountains, a woman is tasked with saving her family's historic farm.

Santa Buddies — You'd be surprised how many holiday movies involving animals are currently on Netflix. If Christmas and dogs are your thing check out this movie along with the other installments.

The Christmas Project — Four brothers who get bullied end up showing some holiday charity to their bully and learn a lesson about kindness.

Comedies

Bad Santa — This raunchy comedy involves two criminals that disguise themselves as Santa Claus and an elf in order to work at a department store to achieve their plan of robbing the store. Bad Santa 2 is also available to stream.

Netflix Originals

The Princess Switch — A baker and a soon to be princess discover they look identical and trade places during Christmastime. Vanessa Hudgens stars in this holiday version of The Prince and the Pauper.

The Christmas Chronicles — A brother and sister accidentally crash Santa's sleigh and team up with Santa to save Christmas. This Netflix original is perfect to watch with your family this holiday season.

The Holiday Calendar — Kat Graham plays a photographer who inherits an antique Advent Calendar that predicts the future and points her to love.

Christmas Inheritance — In order to collect her inheritance, a socialite must visit her father's hometown and learn the value of hard work and helping others. This Netflix original premiered last Christmas but didn't get too much buzz.

A Christmas Prince — This was Netflix's breakout hit last holiday season, in fact a sequel for this movie came out just recently. Spoiler alert: it's called A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding.

There you have it! Now you have a variety of holiday movies to binge watch all season long. I honestly can't wait to watch the Netflix Originals along with How the Grinch Stole Christmas. What movies are you excited to watch this holiday season? Until tomorrow!

December 1st, you know what that means, Blogmas is back once again! Thank you for coming to my blog, Hey Kaitlin Mary, to partake in the festivities. If you have read my previous Blogmas posts, you probably know that I hardly ever finish Blogmas. Why you ask? Because blogging every single day is super stressful and I wasn't smart enough to plan this all out the month before. But what's going to make this year so special? Well this year I actually am going to finish this!!

But Kaitlin, you have said that every year for the past three years. Why yes I do say this every year but this year, I'm actually determined to finish this. Why? Well that is because this will be the last Blogmas I do on this website. GASP! Say it ain't so! Hey Kaitlin Mary will be no more in 2019. But don't worry, the website will still be up and running. So if you want to read some of the other posts I have done over the past couple of years you can still do that. Saying goodbye to Hey Kaitlin Mary is one of the hardest things I will ever do. I put my heart and soul into this blog but when you know it's time to move on, you just have to say goodbye.

But we are not saying goodbye yet, there are still 24 more holiday posts coming. Below you can find the links to all the posts for this Blogmas.
Day Two: Netflix and Chill - Holiday Edition
Day Three: The Happy & Healthy Holidays Challenge
Day Four: SiriusXM's Holiday Music Channel Guide
Day Five: Cruelty Free Holiday Scent Guide
Day Six: Simple Date Ideas For the Holiday Season
Day Seven: My Christmas Wishlist
Day Eight: Christmastime at Starbucks
Day Nine: All About Advent Calendars
Day Ten: Overcoming Gift Giving Struggles
Day Eleven:A Guide to Disney's Festival of Holidays
Day Twelve: How to Get Off Santa's Naughty List
Day Thirteen: An Eco Friendly Gift Guide
Day Fourteen: 50 Potential Blogmas Post Ideas
Day Fifteen: Let's Play the Hallmark Christmas Drinking Game
Day Sixteen: May I Present Our Christmas Tree
Day Seventeen: Let's Make Our Own Christmas Cards
Day Eighteen: Spending the Day at Knott's Merry Farm
Day Nineteen: Making Your Own Traditions
Day Twenty: Seeing Christmas Vacation at the Movies
Day Twenty-One: End of the Year Reflection
Day Twenty-Two: Making A Lonely Christmas Fun
Day Twenty-Three: Let's Play the Christmas Tag Game
Day Twenty-Four: Getting Ready for the New Year
Day Twenty-Five: Mary Poppins Returns for Christmas

You didn't think that the first Blogmas post of this year would be just some super sad announcement and a table contents did you? For the first Blogmas post of 2018, I wanted to share some of my favorite previous Blogmas posts I have done over the years. Let's take a look:

First off we have Managing That Holiday Stress from my first Blogmas ever back in 2015. Holidays are stressful every year and it's always good keep your stress levels low. I shared some of the tricks that help me get through the holidays. I just hope it works for all of you!

Making Secret Santa Easier With DrawNames from Blogmas 2016. This was never a sponsored post, I actually love DrawNames and I think it makes Secret Santa so much easier. DrawNames is a website that generates gift exchanges. In fact, my family is using it again this year for Secret Santa since we all could not be together to pick names on Thanksgiving.

Nutella Hot Chocolate Recipe from Blogmas 2015. Still the best and easiest hot chocolate recipe out there. Don't at me.

The Hallmark Christmas Movie Formula from Blogmas 2017. Hands down one of my favorite posts I have ever done. I loved it so much it actually inspired one of my posts for this year so stay tuned!

How to Avoid Being Sick During the Holidays from Blogmas 2015. This is advice I wish I followed this year. Here I am sitting with the aftermath of cold from after Thanksgiving. Don't be like me, follow those tips and stay healthy.

Traveling During the Holiday Season with Ease from Blogmas 2017. Every year, traveling during the holidays seems to get worse and worse. Just this past Thanksgiving holiday, traffic was a nightmare in SoCal for a solid two weeks. If you're planning on traveling during the holidays check out some of my tips!

How to Give Back During the Holidays from Blogmas 2016. While sometimes we can all get caught up in the holidays, it's important to remember the true meaning of the season. Be kind and spread good cheer. Check out my tips on how you can give back this season. It's really easy and it feels amazing!

Ballin' on a Budget During Christmas Time from Blogmas 2017. Holidays are expensive! Decorations, cards, food, and gifts, it all adds up. Check out my tips for saving some money during the holidays without having to sacrifice on quality.

Kaitlin's Rant, Today's Topic: Winter/Midseason Finales from Blogmas 2015. While this post really doesn't contribute much to society, it's still one of my favorites. I don't know there's just something funny about ranting about the things that piss me off. Midseason finales are the bane of my existence and I'm currently going through this struggle with one of my favorite shows at the moment. But what can you do? If you feel my struggle take a read.

Last but certainly not least, here is my favorite post I've written for Blogmas. A Series of Unfortunate Events: Cabo Edition from Blogmas 2017. While the story itself has nothing to do with Christmas, I tried to recap the events as a traditional holiday story. Did it do all that? Most likely no, but if you need a good laugh go check it out.

There you have it! Those are some of my favorite posts that I have written over the years. If you want more, you can check out the Blogmas tag. What are you looking forward to this Blogmas? Let me know! Until tomorrow!

Sending out invitations for any kind of an event can be a hassle and super expensive. Especially if you’re using old school methods like sending out hand written cards and letters via the post office. And let’s face it, Facebook invites, while quite popular and super convenient, are just so impersonal. Plus we all know at least one person who doesn’t use Facebook religiously. But thankfully there is a new solution to send out invites for just about anything in a simple yet formal way. Paperless Post is a website where you can download templates and even create your own kind of cards, invitations and all other kinds of special announcements. From birthday party invitations to wedding announcements, Paperless Post has everything you’re looking for. And by some off chance they don’t have what you’re looking for, you can always upload your own design and have it printed and sent out.

Now this sounds amazing, but there must be a catch. How much does this service cost? Well the website uses its own currency called coins. You can purchase coins on the website, and the exchange rate is the following: 20 coins = 10 USD, 60 coins = 15 USD, and 100 coins = 20 USD. Most templates start off at 2 Coins, but the price will vary based on any extras you decide to add.

Paperless Post also offers premium quality templates that were created by some of the most popular stationery designers. You can find customizable invites and cards from Kate Spade, Jonathan Adler, Sugar Paper, Rifle Paper Co. and many of your other favorite designers.

Sending out an invite or even a card with Paperless Post is so simple and easy. When you find the template you like, you are able to customize it on their website or their very user friendly app. Once you’re finished designing, you have to create or sign into your account. If you have a Google Account, you can login with that. After that you will see how much your design will cost to send out. The envelope is an extra coin, and if you add a patterned liner that will be another extra coin.