Christmas... in the News: Christmas Cookie Baking Frenzy, White Christmas & Christmas Luncheon for Veterans

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a weekly review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. 

The first thing you will notice is that this week's edition is two days late. Whoops! This time of year, a colleague and I coordinate a local Adopt A Family program, which supports three non-profit organizations dedicated to children. This year, 60 families were adopted and gifted with daily necessities and toys. Christmas... in the news being late worked out, however, because there are some neat stories from the last day or two. Let's get started.

KARE11 reported on a group of five women in Medina, Minnesota who baked close to 4,000 cookies that they donated to others. That sounds like a delicious project! Check out more details here. 

Lots of people are wondering if they will have a white Christmas this year. USA TODAY wrote this article sharing historical probabilities of a white Christmas. Are you expecting snow?

Now, for some local news from 22WWLP out of Springfield, Massachusetts. The Springfield Partners for Community Action hosted a Christmas luncheon to show their appreciation for our local veterans. They also plan to distribute coats to veterans in need. Read more here.

Starting tomorrow, the Christmas countdown is on. Have you finished your shopping yet? Come on, you can tell us. 

Christmas Short Story Review: Jingles by D.F. Jones

 

"Jingles" by D. F. Jones is a delightful short story filled with romance, magic, and destiny. 

The quaint town of HollyHaven holds a secret so mysterious and magical that most of its residents remain unaware. But Nick, the charming but reluctant heir to the Claus legacy knows the town's beloved Christmas shop, Jingles, which is owned by his family, is the heart of Christmas magic. As he approaches his destiny, Nick learns the magic is fading, and he must race against time before it is lost forever.  

When Nick meets Clara, the owner of the local cafe, he sees the key to restoring Christmas. Clara, however, is still recovering from past betrayals. As sparks fly between them, Clara is forced to confront what she has tried to avoid: belief in magic, love, and herself. Can Nick convince her to trust in the magic they share before it fades forever?

I cannot tell you how much I loved "Jingles." You know what makes a romance story even better for me is to set it during Christmas. But "Jingles" has more than just the perfect setting. It is the story of a young man, facing a huge responsibility he feels unprepared for, who is thrown an unexpected snowy curveball: the key to saving the magic of Christmas rests not only with him, but with a young woman who is determined to distance herself from everything needed to fulfill that destiny. 

Jones has a keen eye for detail and description, and considering the location of the story and the season, that makes for a charming read outside of the unfolding romance. Close ties to family and community also play a role.

If you love seasonal romance, Santa Claus stories, and stories surrounding the magic of Christmas, "Jingles" is a must read.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DJDQLY66
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2024
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 2988 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 96 pages

I received a free digital copy from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Website ➜ http://www.dfjonesauthor.com 

Twitter ➜ https://twitter.com/Author_DFJones 

Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/DFJones.author 

Instagram ➜ https://instagram.com/D.F.Jones

Author Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/GoodreadscomdfjonesAuthor

Christmas... in the News: Unique New England Christmas Lights, Christmas Movies Filmed or Set in NC & 'Christmas in the Country'

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a weekly review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. 

Can you believe Christmas is only 17 days away? How are your holiday preparations going? My shopping is done. I try to finish as early as possible so that I can focus on what's important--creating special memories for and with the family. 

One of the most fun parts of the season is watching all the lights go up near and far. I am lucky because my job has me on the road a lot, so I get to see my fair share. Here in New England, we have several special light displays. We actually live about 15 minutes away from one of them: Bright Nights at Forest Park. Springfield, MA, known as the birthplace of basketball and Dr. Seuss, is home to an amazing three-mile light show. The Boston Calendar included Bright Nights in its article featuring, "The 10 Most Unique Holiday Light Displays in New England." You can read it here.

North Carolina has numerous locations that have been used in films. Movies and television shows have been filmed in Wilmington, where our daughter goes to school. The News & Observer shared an article listing "13 Christmas Movies Filmed or Set in NC to Watch This Holiday Season." You can read the article here. You must be a subscriber to read the entire article, but you can read this article from 2023 by The Charlotte Observer for a more detailed list. How many have you seen?

KXLG 99.1 out of South Dakota reported about the highly anticipated 'Christmas in the Country' at Country Road Barn in Watertown. It will feature a lineup of local musical talent. You can read the announcement here.

Hope you have a great week!

On Audible: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Narrated by Hugh Grant

 

Last week, I listened to this Audible edition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens that was narrated by Hugh Grant. I first listened to it last year. It is my favorite so far, though I want to listen to the one narrated by Patrick Stewart to compare them. 

This is my favorite classic story of the season. Miserly Scrooge changes his ways after visits from his deceased business partner Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. Scrooge is given a glimpse into all he has lost, how his lack of charity and compassion has impacted others, and what lies ahead if he doesn't heed Marley's warning. 

Dickens' Christmas tale has inspired numerous modern remakes in book format and has been adapted into dozens of movies, plays, cartoons, and modernized retellings. Hallmark Channel's 1999 version of A Christmas Carol starring Patrick Stewart remains my favorite movie.

Oddly enough, even though I've loved the story of Scrooge for decades, I only recently read the book by Dickens. Have you read it? Which movie version is your favorite? Do you have a favorite retelling? 

Wintertime Picture Book Review: Rocky and Rory: The Frozen Tongue Disaster by Anngri Arts

Enjoy a rhyming frozen adventure filled with cute friends when you pick up a copy of Rocky and Rory: The Frozen Tongue Disaster by Anngri Arts.

This book tells the story of Rocky, who gets his tongue stuck, and the variety of friends who come to help him. It is geared toward readers ages 2 to 7.

Zany antics, delightful and unique characters, beautiful colors, and a spirit of friendship and cooperation abound in this rhyming picture book. This cute offering is part of The Adventures of Rocky and Rory series. I look forward to more!

Rating: :) :) :) :) :)

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DMW98SHB
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (November 12, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 41 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8344384221
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2 - 7 years

Christmas Picture Book Review: Princess Sophie and the Christmas Elixir by Mike Martin

Princess Sophie and the Christmas Elixir by Mike Martin is the story of one Christmas-loving princess who is eager to restore the Christmas spirit to her kingdom. With the help of her rabbit friend, Hoppy, and a magician, she just might save the spirit of the season.

Princess Sophie loves everything about Christmas, and when she discovers that special Christmas feeling is missing in her kingdom of Melodica, she decides she must find a way to fix it. She asks her parents, the king and queen, but they don’t know what to do. Though she finds Hoppy’s hopping a bit distracting, she is happy that the hopping gives her ideas. So, she searches out the kingdom’s magician for some help. What she learns about the power of the Christmas elixir allows her to bring happiness to the people of Melodica all year long.

Princess Sophie and the Christmas Elixir is a fun and sweet story through and through, with a special message for readers woven right in. Loved this story from beginning to end: the meaningful message, the colorful illustrations by Shey Kalee, and the fabulous ending. My only niggle is that an editor needs to go through it and tidy up a few places where the grammar isn’t quite right and a punctuation mark or word is missing. Now, most people won’t notice that, and readers will love the story just the same because it is totally delightful. This would make a cute short movie.

Looking forward to reading more children’s books by Martin, whose work for adults I am already familiar with. 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mezzo Publications (October 16, 2024)

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 25 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1068852925

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1068852923

I received a digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Christmas... in the News: Kate Middleton's Christmas Letter, Santa Train Visit to Hurricane Survivors & NORAD Prepares to Track Santa's Sleigh

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a weekly review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. 

Can you believe that we are in December? There are only 24 days before Christmas! Will you be ready? I'm not sure I will be. The tree is up and so are some of the decorations. We will see how many trees go up this year.

This week's news brings us from Windsor, England, to Erwin, Tennessee, to Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

We start with the release of Kate Middleton's annual Christmas letter. US Weekly reported how this year's letter reflects on the challenging times the Royal Family faced in 2024, and about love and joy. You can read the article here.

Good News Network shared this year's annual Santa Train that runs through mountain towns in the Appalachians made a special stop to bring gifts and holiday cheer to survivors of Hurricane Helene. Want to read this heartwarming story? Check it out here.

The tracking of Santa's sleigh as it delivers presents on Christmas Eve is an annual tradition. CBS NEWS reported that NORAD is preparing for another year. It also shared how this tradition came to be, which I didn't know until today. Check out the article here.

Hope you have a great week!