five christmas movies making me smile this year.

I will happily admit it. My obsession with holiday movies and TV specials continues to grow. I absolutely love watching them....all year round. It doesn't matter if the weather is blazing hot or snow is falling softly outside my window. I will always reach for a Christmas movie! There is just something about them. It doesn't matter what the scenario is or whether things seem impossible and out of reach for the characters. The movie always ends with a heartwarming scene that acts as a reminder that life is beautiful. On that note! Today, I am going to share with you the five holiday movies that are making me smile this year.

The Christmas Gift. If there is one artist that is always a part of my holiday season, it is John Denver. Some of my happiest seasonal memories are of listening to the John Denver and the Muppets record with my family. Over and over again. So, of course, his Christmas movie, "The Christmas Gift" has topped my list this year. It is about an architect and his daughter who visit a town in Colorado, where everyone believes in Santa Claus. It is sweet, charming, and touches on issues related to small towns, preservation, and the environment. It is John at his finest!

Night Before Christmas. This holiday cartoon makes me so unbelievably happy. My family had it on VHS when I was a child....and I watched it over and over again. Last year, I found it to buy on DVD, and was thrilled to discover that there was an additional twenty minutes of material. Those "new" scenes make me smile more than anything. This is a cartoon about an orphan boy who winds up working in a toy factory. And of course, it ends with a reading of "The Night Before Christmas." The song that starts the movie sums up the holiday season for me. It instantly fills me with that warm fuzzy feeling that I love so much.

The Town That Santa Forgot. There is something about cartoons at Christmastime. They just make you feel like a kid again. In the best possible way! A couple of years ago, I discovered this one on YouTube. I fell in love with it. Narrated by Dick Van Dyke, it tells the story of a selfish little boy who asks for so many presents, Santa and the elves think it must be a list from a town they had forgotten. It talks about giving, growing as a person, and appreciating what you have. Totally perfect for this time of year. I keep searching for this to buy but I can't seem to find it anywhere. So I will have to settle for watching it on YouTube until then.

The Santa Clause 2. The amount of times that I have watched the movies from this series is crazy. They just bring me so much comfort! I reach for them often, but this year, I have been really obsessing over the second installment. I am not sure why this is. (Usually, my favourite is the third movie. Jack Frost is everything!) But for whatever reason....I am over the moon whenever I see Tim Allen trying to find his Mrs. Claus. The movie is fun, silly, and touching, all at the same time. There is a reason this film series has become a Christmas tradition.

Miracle on 34th Street. When I think of this movie, I think of early mornings. I don't know why....but whenever I wake up early or can't sleep, this is the movie I choose. It is also the movie I watch to "officially" welcome in the holiday season. Though I like the original version my all-time favourite is the one with Mara Wilson. The story of a little girl and her mother learning to believe is perhaps the most beautiful thing I can imagine. I love the music, the actors, and the touching story.

There are so many favourites that did not make this list. Like Elf, Doug's Secret Christmas, An Angel For Christmas, Fairytale Christmas, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and a million others! Not to mention all of the Hallmark Channel movies that I adore so much. But these are the movies and specials that are making me smile the most.

What holiday movies are you loving?

xo Shannon