Love who you are! Don’t conform to perform. Stay true to who you are and what you believe to be right. It takes real courage to show up different and to think outside the box. It’s so much easier to blend in and do things the way they’ve always been done. Sticking up, standing up and speaking up is not popular and is often met with risks, resistance and even remorse. But sometimes doing nothing is more challenging and causes self-torment. Be brave enough to believe in yourself even if you experience rejection. People often reject what they’re not used to because they would rather stay in a familiar place. Keep loving you and your unique self. It really isn’t you, but them!

Every year I attempt to watch all the new Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies, as well as those form Own, Freeform, Netflix, and whatever other stations mass produce these films, and I never finish them all.  Maybe once.  But they just keep adding more each year.  Maybe it was  because it is during a pandemic and there isn’t much else to do, but I actually made it to 32 a week before Christmas this year.  This may be a record.  And I still have at least 30 more to go.  These are my reviews, opinions, and ratings meant for the six friends who might actually read them and now they are shared with you too.  It came out to 15 pages single spaced.  If only I could have written this much in grad school.  There were a few I really enjoyed, but most were just okay.  So use my ratings to find the best of the so so.  Or they may just make you turn on a new Netflix show instead.

Christmas movie review 2020 #1. The Christmas Ring. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. I am back. My first review of the season. I miss when I could start them in December. How can I already have about 10 recorded? My husband pretended to not watch this one with me while he added criticism throughout, but ultimately I guessed most of the ending. A writer for an online quiz and list blog that does stories like “What kind of elf are you?” goes off on her own to investigate an inscribed and dated antique ring and bring more human interest stories to her work place despite her bosses objections. The search leads her to a small town and man whose grandmother likely owned the ring. (Spoiler alert) The man has his own scandal that the boss is more interested in and although the lead actress tries to write the right story, her boss has her own agenda. Of course, the writer and man in the small town fall in love as she digs into his family’s past. Only this time the man might just have to make the move. I did enjoy the secrets of the ring being uncovered. The tools of a journalist and librarian are sometimes the same. Some revelations did happen too quickly or conveniently. Who keeps a ledger from a jewelry store that closed 40 years ago begins the counter of a bakery to quickly pull out in case one inquires about a 50 year old purchase? And why couldn’t the journalist use her phone to google the identity of her new love interest instead of calling her coworker? My husband scoffed at the lack of attendance at the daily Christmas festivities and one does wonder how their business would stay afloat. The sister in law and antique Shop owners looked familiar, but they weren’t listed on the cast IMDb. Maybe because I am not jaded from the volume of these movies yet, I did enjoy this one. I was enamored with the lead actress and thought they did make a good couple. So much that I questioned out loud if they or other Christmas movie couples “get together” in real Life Just like Dean McDermott and Tori spelling.. Besides the Christmas inscription on the ring, the Christmas decorations and Christmas festival in town, and connection of the grandmother to planning the Christmas festivals, I didn’t have a lot to do with the holiday. The actress had some lovely coats and I always wonder why they need to bring so many options for a short trip. There was a typical cookie baking scene. (Spoiler alert). And there was the typical misunderstanding and reuniting. I hope this couple less after their abrupt career and living situation change. The mystery does hold her interest as well as the relationships between the family. you won’t waste your time if you watch this one.. Unless you consider watching any of these movies a waste of your time.

Christmas Movie Review 2020 #2: Christmas Unwrapped. Lifetime. I try to get through the new Hallmark Christmas movies first, but my husband heard about this one on the Howard Stern Show. Apparently, Howard is a fan and friend of Shadoe Stevens and his daughter is the lead actress, Charity. She was quite lovely in this role and I was rooting for her to unite with Eric Christmas. She is assigned to seek out the truth about how he gets all this money to give 2 million dollars in gifts to children every year. Did magic bring her to this story? Is there a secret benefactor? Or is there really a Santa? My favorite Christmas movies are when you find out that the love interest is really Santa or related to Santa or Santa’s helper or Santa keeps appearing as an old man in a beard to make the magic happen for a town and a couple. To me, those are true Christmas movies instead of just putting up Christmas decorations and having a town fest and calling it a Christmas movie. It becomes quite obvious that the boss, Cheryl Ladd had plastic surgery and will take over the story to reveal the truth behind where this guy gets all the money for these toys. But how does he know exactly what everyone wants when they are encouraged to burn their wishes in the flames? It must be the magic of Christmas. And Kris Kringle must be real too as his messages disappear in photos. There is love for everyone in this story as Charity’s best friend starts falling for Eric’s best friend. In the end, everyone becomes a believer in Christmas Unwrapped. I did enjoy this one. I will give it a 9/10 for variety in hats and coats, but a 7 for Christmas movie quality. No glaring inconsistencies, although there never seemed to be enough people to attend all the charity events to make any money or impact.

Christmas movie review 2020 # 3: Christmas Tree Lane. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. I’m surprised Alicia Witt made her appearance early for this year’s Christmas movies. She is usually saved for later in the season. It’s the typical story of a woman whose shop, along with all the shops on Christmas Tree Lane, will be demolished by a corporate takeover. The eviction notices arrived with little warning just before Christmas. The town must rally together to save the day with Christmas festivities that seem to be out in the open (so no tickets) with no actual donations or certainly none large enough with the small crowds to save every shop on the street. But surprise. Her new love interest who just happens to love this town and decorates his office for Christmas is the son of the CEO who will destroy her life. Thankfully in this story, he is unaware what occurs in his office building so he is not too much of a jerk and he tries to help save Christmas Tree Lane, his girlfriend, and convince his father he has a better plan that he scribbles on a paper on the sidewalk. I don’t remember Witt wearing any hats. I don’t really understand how all these ideas could raise enough money. And I don’t get why Christmas Tree Lane only gets visitors around Christmas time. Why keep a music shop on a street that only gets business one month a year? Maybe they should change the name of the street. You have to like a movie with Alicia Witt. It was nothing overly unique, although I now want a pink Christmas tree. 7/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #4: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. Netflix. A Toy maker and inventor has all his inventions stolen from him causing him to lose the desire to continue Until years later when he is visited by his granddaughter with similar talents.I had high hopes for this. It did look magical and it was. It began with a toy/ magic/ inventor’s shop with color and detail. I most loved the old look of the shop with all it’s drawers and stairs and lamps and the colorful old fashioned clothing appearing to be like the characters were from A Christmas Carol. Then they started to sing. At first I was excited. The first few songs were upbeat with talented performers. Later songs seemed to have forced lyrics and they appeared with no purpose. It was not very Christmassy at all. I don’t remember seeing any Christmas decorations or trees. They only happened to mention the word Christmas a few times. They wished each other a merry Christmas and the daughter said she would visit and stay for Christmas. But no trees or decorations and only one old gift could be found except Around the narrator. The cast was talented, but a few things didn’t make sense. You had Forrest Whitaker, Phylicia Rashad, Ricky Martin, and the dad from Downton Abbey. The scenery, vocal talents, and clothing made me keep watching. I guess I hoped Santa would appear, but one of my kids fell asleep and the other left the room and my husband said it was boring. This is not one we would watch again. I hate to, but I’ll give it a 5/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #5. A Taste of Christmas. Lifetime. I’m glad I chose this one to watch while preparing Christmas gifts because It was kind of boring and I wasn’t really paying attention. In fact, I’m not really sure what is was about except for a woman who works with a chef and falls in love only to become jealous of a girl from the past. Then there was a side story of two teenagers who like each other. Oddly Nia Vardalos made an appearance and one of the dads from Switched at Birth was the chef. There wasn’t Much of a love connection and I didn’t buy them as a couple. This one didn’t interest me at all, but I usually don’t like the lifetime movies as much as Hallmark. 3/5.

Christmas movie review 2020 #6. On the 12th Date of Christmas. Hallmark. Not to be confused with 12 Dates of Christmas. Two game creators are paired for a job designing an online scavenger hunt to promote a hotel. It was set in Chicago, but filmed in Canada. Still, many outdoor scenes of Chicago were shown, although to those living in or near Chicago, it is obvious that most places do not actually exist. I was confused about why the neighbor who runs the tree farm would have moved to the city for just one month when his tree farm was in the suburbs. I didn’t think a new employer should believe she had a better chance of getting a head game creator over someone who has been there for years. And I didn’t think too many people would actually play an online scavenger hunt taking the time to visit different parts of the city for a reward that would only later be revealed. My husband thought they went to lunch too often instead of spending the time actually working. The connection between the two game experts was believable and the Canadian actor and Australian actress were believable. It was fun watching their working relationship turn personal. But who would really buy a $5 paper wreath from a kids’ craft fair and then give it as a gift? It did have some good messages. People aren’t always what they seem, Women need to speak up for themselves and promote themselves, and there are good people everywhere. 9/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #7: A Timeless Christmas. Hallmark. I got the tv tonight. I was hoping and dreading that it would be like one of my favorites, Somewhere in Time. A man fixes a clock that takes him from 1903 to the present where he appears in his home during a tour of his mansion. He apparently disappeared that day and was never seen again. You would think that someone seeing into the future 100 years would be a little more surprised about modern technology and behavior and know less than he accepted. Evidence is found in the home to prove to the museum director that he is really who he says he is. But since she is the only one who knows this, it was odd for her coworker to imply she should date the crazy man they just called the police on. But dates are hard to come by when you have a PhD or go to Juliard but dress as a maid for a living. But good thing they needed an actor to play this man on the tours so he could play himself and get $20 in tips that wil no way pay for a pizza date. Spoiler alert. I was hoping he would go back in time, but instead he stayed because he found his true love within a week. I guess even the men of the early 20th century hallmark movies were quick to jump into relationships and give up their future, or in this case, their past for love. Good luck finding a job with no social security number or birth certificate unless you want to explain to the works why you are 130 years old and still look 30. And go ahead and support this desperate museum director with your 1903 knowledge of technology to help fix computers. This relationship is sure going to last. It was nice to see a different story line and this was based on a book. They apparently ended filming in September as the pandemic was improving in Canada. I didn’t love it, but kept with it hoping he was going to find his way back to The past. 2/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #8: A Nashville Christmas Carol. Hallmark. I was looking forward to this one, but it failed me. There just really was no point as to why the main character was the chosen one to get visits from ghosts of Christmas past and present. And was there even a ghost of the future? I don’t think so. Basically (and I wasn’t paying close attention at the beginning) a woman is reunited with her childhood friend and crush for a country Christmas music special that she is directing. I don’t understand how she makes a living in doing one show a year either unless I missed her other endeavors. She is not a bad person. She’s just hard on her employees and not as fun. Spoiler alert. So while the ghost of the present played by Kimberly Williams Paisley, tells her she was there to show her how good she is, the ghost of the past shows her the good person she was. So which is it? The present ghost even shows the gifts she donated being dropped off. Paisley looked like she was acting in a high school play and she knew it. It felt uncomfortable to watch. And then they seemed to forget they were copying dickers and left out the future probably because she would have been just fine without the ghosts. Wynonna Judd was the woman who helped her get her start and guided her to let go of the men who would hinder her, although we find out some of what she perceived was wrong, and yet Judd is there to introduce the ghosts to help her see the way. The true Christmas Carol was to teach a mean Scrooge to have the Christmas spirit and help others. This Christmas carol was only to get the lead actress back together with her childhood friend. It also didn’t make sense why her sister wanted to work for her. She said it was because she looked up to her sister and not just because her boyfriend worked there. But you need a better reason than that to give up on law school. I did like the music. I had never heard of Sara Evans before, but she is an actual country singer. I did like the characters so they made it pleasant enough to watch. I just didn’t see the point of this one. 3/5.

Christmas movie review 2020 #9: Holidate. Netflix. I watched this one in three parts while at the gym and making ornaments. It is not that Christmassy, but that is to be expected when the non couple who just met announces they will be one another’s date for every holiday throughout the year. I did think it was kind of cute, but also a little raunchy. The aunt, played by Kristin Chenoweth, is all over her new date for every holiday, which gives Emma Roberts the idea to join with this new guy she meets at the mall. And the main “couple” almost, likely, or actually “get together” at the end of each date. It also shows dangerous behavior with fireworks. So I’m glad I didn’t pick this one to watch with my kids. It’s not a Hallmark movie. I did enjoy watching the growth of their relationship. It was nice to know the guy kind of liked her all along and that you could build a relationship from a friendship. The aunt and mom were a little over the top, but cute. I don’t get why the lead actor Jackson has tickets to an event or went out by himself on all these holidays. Wouldn’t he have friends to go out with even if he was avoiding being too close to anyone on a holiday? And if he was trying to form a relationship with this woman, only dating on holidays was an extreme way to show it. Emma Roberts did mention he was always at the mall, which seems odd for a guy. Do they really know each other enough after only one year of dating once a month? In the beginning she said she was taking a break from dating but later implied you can’t take a break from dating and in the end said she wasn’t ready to date. My memory fails me on the deataiks, but I remembered noticing the inaccuracy. The doctor was way too young for Kristin Chenoweth. Well, 15 years difference. And why was Luke invited to the Halloween party? It was like the movie knew they had contradictions, but they kept trying to explain them. Jackson was too good looking and always had random women so I never quite trusted him. Not usually a fan of Emma Roberts. I can’t analyze Beowulf, but give me a Christmas movie to pick apart. I still enjoyed this one. I really did like the couple together and waiting to see how each holiday would end. 7/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #10: The Angel Tree. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. I’m running out of space on my dvr with 10 hallmark movies from last year, 59 episodes of This is Us (I stopped when it started to depress me) and at least one new Christmas movie every day this week so I’m trying to force myself to watch one or more a day to catch up. The Angel Tree was sweet. A woman returns to her hometown to investigate the person behind granting all the wishes made on the Angel Tree for an article and is reunited with her childhood friend. Both themes of writing an article to uncover the truth and getting back together with a childhood sweetheart have already been seen in movies this Christmas. It was a sweet story with many characters bringing the true meaning of Christmas to the town. The characters were likable. I did mostly predict who the angel was. I believe the sister was also the sister in another Christmas movie I watched this weekend. This was a nice one, but I was sorting socks while watching. 7/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #11: Candy Cane Christmas. Lifetime. These reviews must be written right after viewing or I forget and they blend in with all the others. Colin wanted to watch one with me and we chose this one. But then he got tired and said he wanted to finish, but never did and I needed to clear room on the dvr. So all I remember is that Beverly Mitchell from 7th Heaven was sad her favorite Christmas celebration Candy Cane Lane was ending because the organizer was moving. So instead of doing something about it, she just pouts and whines and accuses and wants things her way. But, of course, things work out for her in the end because non whiney people take charge. The end. That’s all I remember. 3/5.

Christmas movie review 2020 #12: The Christmas House. Hallmark. This is the first Hallmark Christmas movie to show a gay couple, although they were not the main love interests of the story. This was actually one of my favorites so far. It had family coming together for the holidays with love and lots of Christmas decorations. The parents (spoiler alert) were thinking of separating and selling their home and wanted one last Christmas together while bringing back their tradition of being known as the Christmas House and over decorating. One son is an actor whose show is in danger of being cancelled and he is reunited with his childhood friend, former magic partner, and love interest. Of course, everything comes together in the end for everyone. Just a normal happy family making decisions for their lives at Christmas. And I always love Treat Williams. 10/10 for me.

Christmas movie review 2020 #13: Christmas Chronicles 2. Netflix. We have been waiting a long time for this one, but my kids are older and not as much into Santa. I love the characters. The two youngest kids are cute and fun and I enjoy seeing Kurt and Goldie together. They are a cute couple and make a perfect Santa and Mrs. Claus. Santa Town was magical to look at. My kids and I felt like we were in Polar Express and wanted to live there. The magic does die for us when the elves turn evil. How could they let that happen to the elves? And (spoiler) a reindeer is down. But it comes back in the end when the kids help save the day. We also liked that the evil giant dogs running the evil elf’s sled looked like evil Gilbert’s (our dog). I read some reviews and I guess the critics don’t like it or what Chris Columbus has turned to for creating entertainment. I actually don’t remember the first one that well. But we enjoyed the second and look forward to 3. 8/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #14. Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square. Netflix. Holy singing. From the start to the end this movie is filled with music. Good thing it’s delightful to hear Dolly sing and even Christine Baranski. But that’s about all I heard as I put it on the big screen while at work and was actually working while the screen was behind me. I had planned to watch it again, but I just checked the reviews and they were not great so I probably won’t get back to it this season. It seems Baranski inherited the town, but plans to sell, which will destroy every one’s life. So Parton is the ghost from the past and future who helps change her mind. Even the whole town sings and dances. I can’t really rate it since I wasn’t that focused. But I did enjoy listening to most of the music.

Christmas movie review 2020 #15: Good Morning Christmas! Hallmark. This was a sweet story about two cohosts of a morning show who have a connection, but are in denial, until their feelings grow When one decides to soon leave the show. I enjoyed the gradual development of the relationship. I didn’t really find many flaws with this except the huge crack in the street when the fire truck left to deliver the toys. And that within a week the female host became friends with everyone in town. I also thought it was off the producer let a stranger shadow her all week. He could have been a creepy spy, which was what I was expecting. Spoiler alert. I secretly was hoping it would be more like The Morning Show, but was glad the show was saved. It was a Bachelor ending and I would not have appreciated being secretly filmed. I might have gotten tears in my eyes a few times. Alison Sweeney is so cute and adorable. 8/10 for me.

Christmas movie review 2020 #16: Meet Me At Christmas. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. It was apparent from commercials that Catherine Bell had plastic surgery, although I have never watched any of her tv shows. So that was a little distracting. I had planned to watch two Christmas movies every day this week, but my plans were thwarted by my son wanting to watch kids’ movies with me every night. Spoiler alert. From the flash backs in the beginning and throughout, it was soon easy to see that the mom and uncle were the college kids who had a magical day together, but lost each other, many years before. They have since had careers or families. But everything was meant to be as they were later reunited for a wedding where they have to spend days together helping arrange the wedding when the coordinator bailed. I liked the concept of the movie, the flashbacks, and the slow reveal of the situation that pulled them apart that day. However, I did find the daughter in law annoying and it moved a little slow with a lot of talking behind an obviously fake mountain town scene. And who makes their guests sit outside for a last minute outdoor winter wedding? And good to know a college degree gets you a job as a florist’s assistant. This wasn’t one of my favorites, but it was a nice movie to watch. 6/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #17. Heart of the Holidays. Hallmark. I don’t know how I have had time for this many already. I watched this one while trying to select a Christmas card so I didn’t pay attention that closely. A woman’s boyfriend becomes her boss and fires most of her coworkers. Not wanting it to seem like she got preferential treatment, she takes off for her hometown where she reunites with the boy she left for the big city years ago. Sounds familiar. Of course, they get together and she realizes he never let her go and never dated anyone. Spoiler alert, but expected. Her boyfriend shows up with the gift of her dream job. Of course, the interview is on Christmas Eve because every crucial interview is over the holidays. But instead of taking it, she moves back home because the feeling of giving over a few days has brought her back to her roots and the true person she is. I wish them well. 6/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #18. USS Christmas. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. I kind of missed the point as I wasn’t paying attention too closely for the first thirty minutes. A woman decides to go on a military cruise with her mother where they meet friends of her father. The son becomes her love interest snd together they discover and uncover the love story of a couple who met on this cruise years ago for a newspaper article. Things came together too conveniently. So her friend just happens to work at the diner where one of the subjects of her story was a former owner. And why did they bother going to a restaurant and ordering when they knew they had someplace to be? And I’m still not sure what made the story that special. I do like the actors and appreciated hearing about the family relationships and life in the military. This one was just okay for me, but I was sorting socks through most of it. 5/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #19: Christmas by Starlight. Hallmark. At first I thought this was the dumbest concept for a movie. A guy makes a deal with a family lawyer trying to save her family restaurant that if she pretends to be his corporate lawyer for free for the week, he will help her. She doesn’t get paid. No guarantee. She has a real job. Why? But then during one of the commercial breaks, the actors said they came up with the ide and wrote it themselves. That explains everything. It ended up being okay. The lead actress is cute. They guy redeems himself. Restaurant is saved. No need for spoiler alerts as it is all predictable. There were cute moments like when she is accepted for her ugly sweater. The restaurant turned out lovely for the event. You can tell the actors enjoy working together. But why did they not remember they had a huge empty book store by just opening another door to expand their dining space? Just your typical Hallmark movie. 6/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #20: Deliver by Christmas. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. Woohoo. I made it to 20 movies by December. I think this is a first thanks to Covid. Hallmark is really stretching their mysteries. This one is only the mystery of who a man’s phone and text love interest is when she is really the same person he keeps running into. If you were not completely paying attention, like me, you may have missed why the man’s wife left and why he couldn’t tell who he was talking to. And because I was cleaning and doing work for Cub Scouts while watching it, I cannot give you all the little details of problems and praise. It did really bother me when the guy was talking to the woman with his wireless earbuds in. He seemed like he was distracted while the woman sat and talked to him with full attention. Typical. And it also annoyed me that his brother tried to encourage him to date a woman who was clearly not his type. The lead actress was the baker in town and the cookies did look really good. I will have to remember the tip of chilling your dough first, although I am a fan of a flat cookie. The actors were attractive and Hallmark continues to try and be more diverse with a biracial couple. It was definitely watchable, but not that memorable. I give yet another one a 6 /10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #21. The Christmas Bow. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. While I wanted this to be about a magical bow on a package or a missing family heirloom, it was about a violinist who comes back to town after having her hand crushed in a door after an important audition. She now can’t play for at least 6 weeks and misses her chance to play in a Christmas orchestra. But instead she gains a former friend and boyfriend who has also come back to town to take care of his mom since he is a physical therapist for both. I liked the movie more when I found out the actress is a real violinist and she also once suffered an injury that prevented her from playing for a short time. I liked both actors. The male lead, Michael Rady, always looks so familiar to me and I think I most remember him from Emily Owens M.D. I loved that show. I also liked that the actress was part Asian and her mother and grandfather were as well. I don’t recall another Asian family in a Hallmark Christmas movie. This also mirrors real life as Lucia Micarelli has a Korean parent. Once again a man gives up his future for new love. There were some sappy moments, but overall it was a touching movie and the music was lovely. The purpose of the title comes in at the end. 8/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #22. The Christmas Doctor. Hallmark. A doctor moves to a small town to help out with a medical practice, falls for a local man, and has a tough decision about her future as she is confronted with an unknown truth. Everyone knows Holly Robinson Peete, yet I can’t remember what she was first known for. It’s the classic should I move and quit my job for a love I just met movie where the characters don’t express their true feelings until after they pretend to leave town before making their encore. I was cleaning during part of its And watched it two days ago so my memory is fuzzy on the details. Cute couple. Not bad. Not my favorite. 6/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #23. Dear Christmas. Lifetime. I saw this movie a few days ago so my memory is a little foggy. But who could forget the all star cast of Jason Priestley, Melissa Joan Hart, Robin Givens, and Ed Begley Jr.? That alone is worth the watch. While I know Robin Givens, I couldn’t tell you what she was known for except being married to Mike Tyson. I also became fond of Ed Begley Jr and his wife on their reality show about living an environmentally conscious way. Of course, everyone loves Priestley from 90210 and Melissa Joan Hart is sweet in every movie and known for Sabrina the Teenage Witch. My son and I also loved No Good Nick. But they were sure annoying and fake in this movie. She should have run from Priestley. He came across as the creepy guy in town. They seemed to talk slow as if they weren’t very smart or as if they were trying to remember their lines. Begley seems like he should be cast as a sarcastic funny dad and was not believable as the loving and caring dad. One of the recurring points of the movie was that Priestly Has like 10 jobs in the town and so he keeps bumping into Hart. But that just seemed more stalker-like than sweet. And how did he get so loved and useful in town when he only recently returned? Hart is a love expert on a podcast and she reruns home to visit. Although an expert, she has never found love for herself. In seeking stories of love, she watches the video submitted by her friend Givens who hooked up with their creepy looking old boss while she was away. Apparently they had a crush on each other for like five years. So now the friend is an expert in love and says that love takes time. After all the love stories that Hart has heard in the past, this is the one that visually clicks for her And she starts to doubt her quick romance with Priestly, as she should. But not to worry. She searches the house, even her dad’s office, which would be an unlikely place to find her missing diary from eighth grade.. And would you believe it? Out of about the 50 guys she had a crush on And drew hearts with names about in her diaries through the years, Priestley was one of them. Amazing because she didn’t even remember him at all. But because she drew a heart with his name in eighth grade, it must mean that this is true love because it has taken a long time to develop since eighth grade when she hasn’t thought of him since. I can’t remember, but I’m pretty sure she quits her job or at least relocates to do her show back in the town and join up with this guy. I guess my memory wasn’t that foggy after all when I got rolling. This movie was a nightmare. However, I still loved it because of that and because of my obsession with Hart and anything 90210 . For that reason it gets a 9/10 and you must watch.

Christmas movie review 2020 #24. A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado. Hallmark. Brooklyn, Colorado, that is. Lots of plays on movies and book titles this year. A woman needs a man’s huge tree outside his house to rejuvenate the town with the greatest tree lighting the state has ever seen. And by doing so she helps save the mayor’s reputation and he happens to be her dad. She fails in securing the tree at first, but falls for the tree owner. Spoiler alert. Must they take down perfectly healthy large old trees for a few nights of lighting? I get Christmas tree farms where trees are grown for a purpose. But if a man doesn’t want to give up a tree on his property he shouldn’t have to Even if there is an ordinance that says the town can take it. Couldn’t they have just done the tree lighting at his house? Couldn’t they find a tree somewhere else? I’ve seen all these Hallmark movies. They could have had some other kind of late show or celebration to draw people to the town. But let’s kill a tree. The lead characters were adorable together so I’ll forgive the entire premise of the movie. I guess they needed to fill some time because they had the need to show us a montage of the actors memorable moments together, which was pretty much the whole movie. It was sweet, but not perfect and I still want that tree back. 7/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #25: If I Only Had Christmas. Hallmark. It took me halfway through this movie to realize it was based on The Wizard of Oz so I might have missed some of the connections. I knew her name was Darcy Gale and it sounded like Dorothy Gale, but it wasn’t until the love interest said her name and Kansas City in the Same sentence that I started to pay attention to all the similarities. Then it became completely annoying. This is Candace Cameron Bure‘s movie of the year. In the last few years they just keep disappointing me. I feel like they give her bad movies because they know people will watch them anyway. I wasn’t even sure what the point of the movie wasUntil I realized they were just trying to mirror Wizard of Oz. Spoiler alert. Even the Love interest had hid true identity not admitting he was the powerful owner of the company. Emerald was also in the title of the business. Before I realized the connection, I thought it was ridiculous that she would take an unrelated job with him to try and gain his business and I was confused about all the employees and their purpose. But I have a feeling the three employees were the lion, scarecrow, and tin man. They seemed overly excited to be working with Candace and giving her credit for everything. It was a little Nauseating to watch them all grovel at a business meeting. They sounded unprofessional and childlike and I don’t know why any business leader would have paid attention to them. It seemed like a big mess to me. And Candace really doesn’t look good in those big headbands. Does anyone? I bought some from Amazon and had to return them because I looked ridiculous. The end contained the phrase there’s no place like home, of course. So then we knew we were all back to Kansas again.. Candace was cute, but a little too cute. Unfortunately I didn’t like this one. Although maybe I need to watch it again to make more Wizard of Oz connections. No! I just can’t. 5/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #26. Christmas She Wrote. Hallmark. Darn. I was expecting it to be a murder mystery. But it was just Danica McKellar as a journalist who is fired until her boss realized it was a mistake and tries to win her back by following her to her hometown around Christmas. There are some complications with her best friend also being let go, new opportunities and men in town, and a possible Ulterior motive of her boss.But in the end, everyone gets what they want. It was necessary for the story, but annoying that Danica was so upset she lost her job yet took every opportunity to not get it back. The boss is a little too handsome. And everyone conveniently reunited with their partner except The poor Doctor Who would rather build hospitals.. Not a favorite, but watchable. Change of coats and hats. Check. Ice skating. Check. Party. Check. 7/10

Christmas movie review 2020 #27. A Little Christmas Charm. Also known as The Charm Bracelet on IMDB. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries The second mystery movie this year where they track down the owner of a piece of jewelry.I’d like to see a Christmas murder mystery. I actually really liked this one. Ashley Greene was cute and I liked that she was a jewelry designer and in the movie Twilight. And I liked the show Chesapeake Bay so it was good to see Brendan Penny. A woman finds a charm bracelet in a donated coat and, along witha reporter she bumps into, tracks down the owner to return it and for a cover story. They look at each charm and try to find out where it was made, sold, or given and what the significance is to weave together a history. In the end, it seems like the obvious solution was to figure out who donated the coat. But what fun would that be? The search was drawn out, but wrapped up quickly in the end. It had many sweet moments as the couple started to fall for each other and mirror the love story of the charm bracelet’s owner. I liked that she made the jewelry for her new love interest’s boss and mother. The boss was delightful to watch as well. She seemed like the strong competent caring boss everyone would want. I might have missed it, but it didn’t make sense that the cost was donated to the antique shop when the owner of the cost donated to charities. A few of the clues were a stretch. I just really liked the chemistry, the characters, and the search. 9/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #28. Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater. Hallmark. I had high hopes for this one. I was saving it until my kids could watch it with me. But I was disappointed. It was a little boring. And my so. Wouldn’t stop talking and criticizing everything. It wasn’t a mystery like I had hoped. And the woman was way too happy and cheerful Until she thinks the man she loves is going back to his old lucrative job after just meeting her for About a week and then she shows a scowl on her face .A woman meets a man Wearing a Christmas sweater in a park. They keep running into each other until she knocks him down in a tree farm. But it’s good for everyone because he gets to stay in town instead of going on his ski trip. At first he is really annoyed with everything yet still continues To help put a star on a tree with a broken arm even though this woman could have clearly done it herself by standing on a chair. I did ours and my tree is much taller. Get some independence. And then he helps out with children of military families, especially since he is an architect recovering from a problem in his career in the past. But that broken arm doesn’t stop him. He helps build a gingerbread house for the children. And through the process he falls for this overly enthusiastic woman. I know I have seen her in other movies before and I can’t remember if she annoyed me in those as well. I did like that they were a divorced family and she seemed to have a good relationship with her ex-husband and his new wife and encouraged her daughter to spend time with him even though she missed her for the holidays. And everyone comes through for each other. Spoiler alert. Perhaps this man should not have quit his job before even knowing if this relationship was going to work out with the woman. Although it does sound like he will be happy in his next career move. But he may resent her for the rest of his life. It also bothered me that the gingerbread house as shown by the military families in the end we’re clearly not real. My husband actually liked this one because They didn’t try to explain everything to you and that’s why he kept asking questions. The mountain town was also beautiful. It makes me wonder how Canadians feel about all of their small towns being turned into Christmas land in the summer and fall. I really think they could’ve done more with the Christmas sweater theme. With that as the title it really should have focused more on the Christmas sweater. He didn’t even wear them all the time. Just twice I believe. I didn’t like them as a couple either. So I liked it, but didn’t love it Because it didn’t live up to my expectations with a fantastic title like that. 6/10

Christmas movie review 2020 #29. A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. I miss the one with Kathy Lee Gifford. This is the third movie in the franchise and apparently there are books too. I don’t believe the characters are the same in any of the movies. In this one, a man moves back to his home town after selling his business and reunited with a high school sweetheart after they parted many years ago with different interests for their futures. But Godwinks, or coincidences, keep bringing them together after he finds a piece of her jewelry in their old car from prom many years before. He is now a divorced father. I enjoyed seeing the relationship He still had with his ex wife and how they could still come together at Christmas for their children.. This was the second movie this week where that was a theme. They don’t always have to kill off a spouse to have a romance. I watched this a week ago so I don’t remember the details. I did like all the characters, especially the lead actress, Brooke D’Orsay. I read that the actor had to quarantine for this movie and not go back-and-forth to see his own children, which was hard for him. I am surprised they could still make so many of these movies during Covid, especially since Canada is more strict than the US. In the article I read, I also found out the people who watch these movies are called Hallmarkies. No thank you. So it Wasn’t a favorite, but it was kind of sweet. And what would happen if a Godwink turned you towards someone you didn’t want to keep seeing? 7/10

Christmas movie review 2020 #30. Inn Love by Christmas. Lifetime. Not to be confused with Christmas Inn love. I made it to 30! I try to watch Hallmark movies first and only pull out a Lifetime one when cleaning or working. A woman in the hotel industry returns to her hometown to convince the owner of a smaller inn to sell to her. At the same time, a man from her past that she conveniently runs into at the car rental, is also trying to buy the inn. Personally, I would have sold to the guy since he was local and she just buys up hotels no matter how hard she tries to grab the microphone and tell us she’s invested in the town. Moving two hours away is still not close enough to be fully involved just like Meri from Sister Wives. Spoiler alerts. And just because he falls for this woman instantly doesn’t mean he should give up the inn. I thought it was an insult that he gave up his bid for the inn and then his love interest said she was moving closer, but still two hours away, and offered him the head chef position. Oh okay. You almost ran the whole business but I’ll let you cook for us instead. I wasn’t paying complete attention so I didn’t realize he was a chef. He did put pickles on a sandwich once that I saw. I know that being a chef is a skilled and reputable job. But it would have been nice for them to run it together as the current owner suggested. I fast forwarded through the random woman singing at the party. Gram was cute. There are a lot of grandmas with bigger roles this year. And lead actor gut, just because you wear a cardigan and grow your hair out, doesn’t make you cool. 5/10.

Christmas movie review 2020 #31. Five Star Christmas. Hallmark. I really can’t believe I made it through this many movies this year. Since the stations upped their number of movies to over 60 combined, I haven’t been able to keep up. I’m on track to at least finish lifetime and Hallmark this year. Or at least Hallmark. A family returns home for Christmas to find their dad has converted their childhood home into an inn. He seems to have no plans for guests as he has no staff and the price tag is still on the fridge. The family is upset, but soon rise up together as the daughter is site one of the guests is a b&b travel critic. Spoiler alert only you probably will guess it. They decided the wrong guest was the travel critic and she reveals her secret to the other handsome guest. So she has the family pretend to be the employees and guests. From this the youngest daughter discovers she wants to go to culinary school. Spoiler alert again. It seemed a little creepy that both the dad and daughter fell for guests at the inn. I would feel very uncomfortable going somewhere with the staff hitting on me. But everyone here seemed to be okay with it. It was especially odd that the female guest stayed for Christmas in her pajamas with pretty much strangers and abandoned her cousins. Hope the romance lasts. Spoiler alert 3. I also didn’t understand why the brother would be at first upset that his wife was having a baby. They did have major travel plans but they could still travel and they probably expected to have a child at some point. I did enjoy the relationship between the daughter and the travel critic. The daughter is really cute. I liked that they had a clip during the commercials about their favorite parts of filming the movie. So it made it a little more enjoyable to watch him sing knowing that it was uncomfortable for him. Even though this one was a little obvious and the gas should have seen that there was Something going on, I did enjoy this movie. 7/10

32. Christmas movie review 2030 #32. A Glenbrooke Christmas. Hallmark. I was texting with a friend so I missed a little of the plot. A woman returns to her hometown to reconnect with The memory of her parents that she lost years ago. When she gets to the town she forms relationships what some of the people, especially a fire fighter. But apparently she is super rich and the fire fighter makes it known right away that he can’t stand rich people and thinks they are all fake And doesn’t want them to come to his town because they are going to change it for the worse.I don’t really know anyone in real life who just comes out and talks like this to someone.. And then he happens to be Surprised that she doesn’t tell him when the secret is finally revealed. That’s really the only major problem I had with the movie.The fire fighter makes her wish come true and gets the town bells working again before she tries to leave town. I didn’t really care for the narcissistic fire fighter. But the lead actress is cute. I think I remember her from entourage and no ordinary family. Her big idea was to invite the rich people to come to their town and buy up all the art from the locals.One girl miraculously got an email from an art program almost immediately after one of these rich people saw her work. Does it really work so fast? You don’t have to apply for a program and are automatically accepted? Lucky kid. It was just okay. The actress was the only good part about it. 5/10.

Nala is a cuddly, affectionate and well-trained, four-year-old, 50-pound female fawn brindle staffordshire bull terrier with hazel eyes looking for a loving guardian.

Nala will greet you with tail wags and smiles. She’s a smart pooch who enjoys training, especially when her favorite treats are involved. A complimentary training session is included with her adoption to get you off on the right foot with your new companion.

Nala will “ask” before joining you on the couch. She responds well to basic commands like “wait”, “sit”, and “down”, and has picked up on “shake” and “wave”.

She loves to be petted and shows her trust by rolling over and letting you rub her belly.

Nala is a sensitive girl who may be shy at first meeting, but within minutes she will melt your heart with her affection and loving eyes.

Nala can be strong on leash and sometimes reactive if dogs, kids or passing bikes startle her. Her perfect adopter is one who can keep her attention during distractions and reward good behavior. When told to ”wait” in these situations, she stops and responds very well to a treat.

Nala would be best in a home with teens and adults, and possibly another companionable dog. She has not been around small animals or cats.

She is housebroken and quietly crate-trained. She loves her peanut butter-filled Kong toys and they keep her busy if you’re working from home. She is extremely healthy, spayed, microchipped, current on vaccines, heartworm-tested and on monthly preventative.

To meet and possibly adopt Nala, please fill in the application at http://lovinliferescue.org/adoption/application.php and follow up by e-mailing [email protected] or texting 312-636-1200.

Her adoption fee of $200 benefits the rescued pets of Lovin’ Life Rescue. She is being fostered in Chicago.

BET just recently announced their holiday slate of films which kicked off on December 5th on BET and BETher. On December 12th A Christmas Surprise aired featuring long-time actress Keesha Sharp.

Keesha Sharp is an actress, writer and director. She’s most notably known for her roles on Lethal Weapon as Trish Murtaugh where she played a high powered defense attorney and mother : The Michelle Obama of television and Girlfriends. Speaking of attorneys, Keesha was nominated (Image Award) for her role as Buster Marshall- wife to the legendary Attorney and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) in the highly anticipated film Marshall. 

Keesha also appeared as Dale Cochran, the wife of defense attorney Johnnie Cochran (Courtney B. Vance), in FX’s Emmy nominated The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Her recurring television roles include The Good Fight (CBS Access), Significant Mother (CW),  Bad Teacher (CBS), Melissa & Joey (ABC Fam), Everybody Hates Chris (UPN), and guest starring appearances on The Player (NBC), TV Land’s The Exes, CBS’s Elementary, CBS’s Cold Case, and more.

The actress is adding another credit to her resume with the BET holiday film, A Christmas Surprise which is about a self-made businesswoman who gets a Christmas surprise when her daughter returns from college with big news – she’s engaged! Now the holiday is thrown into chaos as she deals with her less-than-impressive and soon-to-be son-in-law, his overbearing mother, and an impending wedding. The film stars Wendy Raquel Robinson, Keesha Sharp, Will Blagrove, Katelynn Bennett, and Mustapha Slack and is available on BET+ now.

Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/x1dA3_O1ykE