christmas in july spectacular (review, mini haul, and tag questions)

It is Christmas in July! Being a Christmas fanatic, I am willing to find any excuse to celebrate my favourite holiday. Truth be told, I have Christmas movies and music in heavy rotation year-round...but I decided that it would be fun to celebrate Christmas in July properly this year. That means taking a day off of work to bake gingerbread cookies, watch some holiday movies, read Christmas themed Archie comics, light a peppermint candle, and just have some fun. Summer is not my favourite time of year, so it seems only right to transport myself to the most wonderful time of the year. Tomorrow is the big day, so in preparation for all of the festivities, a themed blog post was a must. Keep reading for a mini review of the movie, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July, some new Christmas themed items, and answers to some Christmas In July tag questions. Here goes...

Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July Review. This themed special comes from Rankin/Bass and features many classic holiday characters: Rudolph, Frosty, Crystal, Santa Claus, and Mrs. Claus. There are also some new characters, like Winterbolt and Lady Boreal. This is a pretty special holiday movie, because it is the last time that the characters of Rudolph and Frosty were featured in a Rankin/Bass release. There is a lot that I like about this special (the animation style, the new characters, seeing lots of old characters in one place, and a few of the songs) but there are also parts of this special that do not wow as much. The plot is a little far fetched, but at least Winterbolt is a stellar villain. Interested in watching for yourself? Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July is currently available to watch for free here. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this one.

New to Me Christmas Items. There is a used media store that I absolutely love. However, my husband does not love me visiting that store, because I always come home with an armful of CDs, DVDs, and records. However, since I have been especially down following the passing of Richard Simmons, he decided to take me to the store last weekend. I found some records (Dolly Parton, Rick Nelson, Reba McEntire, and Buddy Holly) and a CD (a copy of the John Denver Wildlife Concert). Oh, and some Christmas DVDs. I have a substantial Christmas movie collection and am always looking for more. As I mentioned, Christmas movies are in heavy rotation in my home throughout the year. I just love them! (In fact, as I write this post, I am watching the live action version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas.) It is fun to look at used stores for holiday movies, because there are often all sorts of hidden treasures. This time, I took home Happy Holidays From Sesame Street (which includes three Sesame Street holiday specials), a cartoon version of A Christmas Carol (with some impressive voice actors), Santa and Pete (one that I had not heard of before), and Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year (an absolute must). My plan is to watch all of these movies as part of my Christmas In July celebration. The last new to me Christmas item is a Frost Melt spray from Victoria's Secret. It is fresh mint and chocolate scented and was on sale during a recent visit. Talk about the perfect addition.

Christmas In July TAG Questions: Below are some tag questions related to the holiday season and the Christmas In July celebration. Feel free to answer some (or all) of the questions in the comment section below or elsewhere. 

• Do you normally celebrate Christmas In July? Not really. This is my first time "officially" celebrating by actually choosing to take the day off to be festive. It might sound a little silly to do, but my summer needed a pick-me-up and this celebration seemed like the perfect choice. Who knows? Maybe now I will celebrate it every year. 
• Do any of your decorations stay up throughout the year? Yes! There are a few odds and ends that remain, like little Christmas gnomes, some stuffed animals, and a string of Christmas lights for good measure.
• What is your favourite holiday treat? My weakness is gingerbread cookies. That is why I will be baking some seasonal cookies tomorrow so I can really immerse myself in the holiday magic. I can't wait!
• How do you keep the Christmas spirit alive all year round? I think the reason I like to watch Christmas movies so much is because they remind me that there is good in the world. It often doesn't seem like it, especially these days, but Christmas movies renew my sense of hope. I try to carry that sense of hope with me in everything I do. 
• When do you start Christmas shopping? Usually around now. I detest last minute shopping (it is hard on the wallet and the crowds at the mall are wild) so I like to pick up odds and ends for loved ones whenever I come across them. I have also been bookmarking potential online items. Yes, I am keeping my eyes peeled from here on out. 
• How do you make Christmas In July special? This is my first time trying to do that, but a day of cookies, movies, and holiday themed reads is really all I need for an extra special day. I'm excited to take this time for myself. 
• What is your most memorable gift opening moment? Many, many, many years ago now, my family and I were at a bookstore and I found this stuffed Dogbert plush. Now, I did not read Dilbert or know anything at all about the characters, but I saw this stuffed Dogbert sitting on a shelf and fell in love. I begged my parents for this stuffed Dogbert...but I was out of luck. As the weeks passed, I continued to beg and plead, until my dad told me that Dogbert had been purchased and there wouldn't be another shipment until the new year. I was heartbroken. Imagine my surprise when on Christmas morning, there he was! It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Though I am much older now, my Dogbert is still my beloved companion, keeping me company and protecting me from the world. Though I have been blessed with many wonderful gifts, Dogbert is without a doubt the best.

How will you celebrate Christmas In July? Do you have anything special planned?