Tag: snow

10 Christmas Songs I’m Embarrassed to Admit I Like

Lauren4 Comments

My WordPress dashboard is snowing!  Which is weird because it’s supposed to reach 70 degrees here in Colorado today.  What is going on and where is the winter weather?

Okay so the weather here doesn’t exactly make it feel like Christmas is soon.  I’m coping by listening to loads of Christmas music.  Last week I bought the Mariah Carey Christmas CD and have been listening to it on repeat at work ever since.  Two questions: why did I not already own this album and do the other employees at work love listening to it as much as I do?

Sadly, this isn’t the only Christmas music-related embarrassment in my life.

10 Christmas Songs I’m Embarrassed to Admit I Like

1. Colorado Christmas – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

I just can’t help it.  It’s about my home state and seriously, “the closest thing to heaven on this planet anywhere, is a quiet Christmas morning in the Colorado snow” are probably the truest lyrics I’ve ever heard.

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2. Last Christmas – any and all versions

Honestly, there’s no version of this song that wouldn’t be embarrassing to like.  Wham!, Savage Garden, Rachel and Finn on Glee?  Nope, no version.  But there’s something about that dumb little tune and those heartbreaking lyrics that makes it hard not to belt this one out whenever it comes up on the radio. 

3. Sleigh Ride – Harry Connick Jr.

Let’s be clear that there’s nothing embarrassing about Harry Connick Jr. or liking him and his music.  The embarrassing part is how excited I am every time I hear this song come on.  Like picture the most embarrassing and immature display of excitement you can imagine.  Yeah, that’s me.  I hope I’m never driving near someone I know when I hear this one.

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4.  Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano

I claim I hate this song, but then every time it comes on I don’t change the station and I do sing along.  I mean, I still don’t really know the words, but I sing along to a lot of songs I don’t know the words to.

5. Mele Kalilimaka – Bing Crosby

Speaking of songs that I don’t know the words to.  Hawaii is possibly the least Christmasy place there is in the United States, but for some reason I still love this song and imagine myself spending Christmas on an island in the 1950’s whenever I hear it.  Unrelated side note: I had no idea this was Bing Crosby and now I feel dumb.

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6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – David Archuleta & Charice Pempengco

My American Idol favorite always loses.  First Clay, then David, then Adam.  My heart couldn’t take it and I no longer watch Idol.  Does anyone?  Anyways, “the David that should have won” will always have a place in my heart and this duet with Charice Pempengco, one of many Glee characters who suddenly disappeared, is beautiful.  Can Kurt disappear next, please?

8. Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time – Paul McCartney

Even Sir Paul is embarrassed by this song.  But I will go to the grave claiming to like anything by any of the Beatles.

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7. Step Into Christmas – Elton John

Once Joey and I drove the entire PCL from Los Angeles to San Francisco in one day and listened to the Best of Elton John the entire time.  We maintain that this is totally normal.  Also totally normal to purchase “Step Into Christmas” when it’s not even Christmas time and occasionally listen to it until it becomes the time of year where it’s socially acceptable to listen to it.  Wait, is it even socially acceptable to listen to this song?

9. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas – Gayla Peevey

And all this time I thought the singer was just an adult with an obnoxious voice, but it turns out it’s a 10-year-old.  I have a sneaking suspicion this song would probably be completely annoying if you listened to it more than twice in one year, but I don’t so I happen to like it.  Also, “hippo” is hands down the best animal name abbreviation.

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10. O Holy Night – Josh Groban

Last week, Joey and I played this game where he played the iTunes previews of different versions of this song and I guessed the artist.  I was good at this game.  Like “oh, that’s the third girl from Destiny’s Child who no one remembers” good.  One version that didn’t come up was Josh Groban’s because he apparently decided not to share this gift with iTunes and thus, the world.  Not cool, Josh.  But man can he sing O Holy Night or what?  Unrelated side note #2: Can you imagine being Josh Groban’s parents and hearing him sing like that from his room when he was younger?

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Your turn: what Christmas song are you embarrassed to admit you like?

Weekend Things: Life is Precious

Lauren2 Comments

On Friday afternoon, I got word that someone I graduated high school with had passed away unexpectedly.  This makes the fourth person from my class and every time, no matter how well I did or didn’t know that person, it is heartbreaking.

And every time, I am reminded how precious life is.

Really.

Every night out to dinner with loved ones, margaritas and…guac, lots of guac, is precious.

Does that look healthy or what?!

I felt those two margaritas more than I care to admit.

And every Saturday spent with my favorite person is precious.  Every single second.

Even if many of those seconds are spent at a Van Gogh exhibit at the Denver Art Museum and even if we spent more of those seconds making fun of the people walking around doing the audio tour than we did enjoying any art.

And even if it’s doing this outside when you leave.

I walked under this weird pointy roof for as long I could before walking out into the sleet.  

Every single delicious meal, eaten in a warm cozy spot with good company is so precious to me.

We found this tiny place called Vert not too far from the museum and were so blown away by the food.  Joey got a braised pork shoulder sandwich which he would not stop talking about and I got a aioli, manchego and potato omelette sandwich, which sounds totally crazy but was totally delicious and that asian slaw with roasted peanuts was nothing short of amazing.

We weren’t crazy about this carrot-pumpkin soup, but it sure was pretty.

Every Saturday night spent cuddled up on the couch, watching movies is precious.

Even if the movie is weird or confusing or both.

Every lazy Sunday morning that I wake up with a smile on my face, or a text from my mother or sunshine coming through my bedroom window is so so precious.

Oh and pancakes.  Those are precious too.

My life isn’t super exciting.  I don’t go out all the time or have a million friends.  But what I do have in my life I am so grateful for.  Take a minute to consider how precious your life is today.

Happy Monday!