30 Great Christmas Albums for the Whole Family

Music makes the Christmas season for me. I have a playlist of 200+ songs going all the time right now. It includes both secular and spiritual pieces, some nostalgic and others new discoveries.

I realize that the word "great" is subjective. I don't care for most Christmas music in the popular vein (think scoopy voices and ultra-emotive interpretations) or really country music either (for rather the same reasons). And I haven't explored any Christmas rock. So my list doesn't include much of those genres. Also, it only includes music all of us enjoy, including the kids. They couldn't handle much Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Marilyn Horne, so that didn't make it either. :)

Almost all of this music can be found on Spotify and other internet radio, so you don't have to purchase it to enjoy it. I hope that among these you might find something to add to your list of favorites. In return, don't forget share what you love with me!

CHORAL and CLASSICAL

A Little Christmas Music with the King's Singers
Such a great mix of class and humor.  My kids run to the speakers at the sound of "singing gaily all together" to hear the funny, clunky "fa la la la la" that follows. Their renditions of the Boar's Head Carol" and "Patapan" are stirring and powerful while their "Es ist ein Ros' entsprugen" and "Simple Gifts" are peaceful and heartwarming.

Spirit of the Season with Sissel and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
My visiting teachers gave me this album when I was first married, and I had no idea how it would become one of my favorites. It includes a few great Scandinavian carols presented by the crystal voice of Norwegian singer, Sissel. In fact, she's the reason I love this album.

Joyous Day with the Utah Chamber Artists
Even if my mom weren't in the choir when this album was recorded, it would still be one of my favorites. Bradford's arrangements are as moving as any I know. My favorites include "Sussex Carol," "Still Still Still" and "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" but it's so hard to choose.

Musical Gifts from Joshua Bell and Friends
As a violinist, this album makes me snicker, but if you enjoy silky violin playing, you can't do any better than Joshua Bell!  Here, he collaborates with a different awesome artist (of various genres) on every track.

The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky 
Performed on this album by the New Hope Orchestra, this is more crucial Christmas listening (most any recording will do). We love all of it.

Sleigh Ride and Other Holiday Favorites by Leroy Anderson
Sleigh ride is a seasonal must, but my favorite piece on this album is Suite of Carols for strings (the last track) which I played many times in string orchestras when I was a teenager. It is lovely.

Cassation in G Major ("Toy Symphony") by Leopold Mozart 
It is disputed who really wrote this piece. For a long time people thought the composer was Haydn, but while most people now think Leopold Mozart (the famous Mozart's dad), it's apparently unconfirmed. Whoever wrote it gets credit for a lot of fun! There are actually parts written for toy instruments that make it quite an amusing listen.

JAZZ

A Charlie Brown Christmas with the Vince Guaraldi Trio
It's just not Christmas without it.

An Oscar Peterson Christmas 
A master of jazz, Peterson's suave, sophisticated piano playing will completely entrance you.

When My Heart Finds Christmas with Harry Connick Jr.
I'm under the impression that this album's no secret. We've used his "Winter Wonderland" and "It Musta Been Ol' Santa Claus" over the years in family Christmas programs (you should hear my brother Joe go at the piano!). Now, I'm tickled hearing my four-year-old belt out "I pray on Christmas!" with the best of 'em!

Christmas with Maureen McGovern
This is a unique collection of arrangements that you will listen to over and over. Her pure, versatile voice is so satisfying. I especially like "Do You Know It's Christmas?" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "I Wonder as I Wander" and "Our First Christmas" and her Sleigh Ride medley and, well, all of them. I was so lucky to grow up on this one.

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas
What's any playlist without Ella Fitzgerald?

Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas with various artists
One album, eleven jazz monarchs!

Christmastime with the Swingle Singers
A classy set of sparkling voices, these French singers meld their beautiful harmonies on pitches stated with jazzy syllables, rather than words. These arrangements feature a cozy jazz combo as back-up.

FOLK and ETHNIC

Traditional Christmas Carols with Pete Seeger
A devoted fan of Seeger's sound and style, I discovered this album just this year, and it is a gem! I love the folk approach because of its unadorned simplicity. He can sing all the verses you've never heard to "The First Noel" with not a bit of worry that it might seem too long or redundant.  I never knew I'd like a Christmas album with banjo, but I love it. I love it.

The Sounding Joy with Elizabeth Mitchell and Friends
Another folk singer unafraid to stand close to the microphone and keep it simple. Released just last year, this album presents songs you may never have heard and includes several memorable collaborations.

Christmas Spirituals with Odetta
You might not be able to stomach all of this album at once, but please treat yourself to a couple songs at a time. What a deep, resonant, soulful voice!! Wow.

Celtic Christmas and Christmas Angels with Katie McMahon
A soloist in the original Riverdance troupe, this Irish singer is probably my favorite discovery of the year. I am head over heels for her clear voice in these mixtures of both familiar and new carols.

Feliz Navidad with Jose Feliciano
Because, come on, why not?

Christmas Album with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
I grew up on this group, but I was still surprised how much I enjoyed this holiday album.

Oy to the World: A Klezmer Christmas with the Klezmonauts
This album was introduced to me just this year by some friends. You might have to hear it to believe it. Unbelievable what's going on here. Well done and so much fun!


OLDIES

Christmas Collections with the Carpenters

Karen Carpenter's rich alto voice. That's all.

The Very Best of Burl Ives Christmas

You might know his voice best from the stop motion animation of the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special, some songs from which are included on this disc. Ives has a nice classic voice with a straightforward style.

The Andrews Sisters Sing Christmas

A very fun trio. They recorded many Christmas songs with Bing Crosby, considered by some to be the king of the Christmas playlist. I'm only slightly ashamed to admit that I just can't stomach him. But I love the ladies by themselves!

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS

Cole, Christmas, and Kids with Nat King Cole
He has always been one of my favorites singers this time of year, but I just discovered this super album made especially for kids. We all love it. Our favorites include "The Happiest Christmas Tree," "All I Want for Christmas," and "Buon Natale."

The Polar Express Soundtrack
I love this movie and I love the soundtrack. We wait in anticipation all year to re-experience it! The theme song ("Polar Express") is our favorite, followed closely by "Hot Chocolate," but we also love "Spirit of the Season." And Keenan has been very patient with the numerous listenings to "Rockin' on Top of the World" (he thinks the singer sounds like a wild animal).

A Christmas Together with John Denver and the Muppets
I wish I could find an album with the songs from A Muppet Family Christmas, but these guys are a fun combo. "Twelve Days of Christmas" and "We Wish You a merry Christmas" get us giggling.

Chipmunks Christmas with Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and Dave
A little silly stuff is okay. ;)

Raffi's Christmas Album
Another admirably straightforward singer who draws the kids right in. This album does not disappoint.

What are you listening to this season?

Start Planning Easter!

Easter is right around the corner. With it comes great potential for deepening your family's relationship with Jesus Christ and better understanding his great mission.

Last year I wrote a review of a fabulous guide for celebrating a Christ-centered Easter. If you haven't already, you might consider purchasing the book* for the upcoming Holy Week. (I included several ideas from the book in the original post.)

Even with last-minute planning and a husband out of town, I was able to try many of the ideas and activities with my young sons last year. We all enjoyed it and felt closer to each other and to our Savior. We read scriptures, stories, discussed the events of each day of the week, learned about the customs and rituals of the Jews, listened to sacred music, acted out events and parables, made the food of the time, and even had delicious sole and honeycomb for our simple Easter dinner (which I liked preparing so much more than the leg of lamb I did a previous year!). Yet we barely scratched the surface of this book.

What about conventional Easter celebrations? We completely left them out (my kids had never heard of the Easter bunny, so they weren't left wondering). Our week involved so many interesting activities, I don't feel we missed out. This year we might color eggs and have a basket hunt on Saturday the 12th (the day before Palm Sunday) as a celebration of spring and precursor to the true Easter festivities. (I like the idea of doing this on the first day of spring, but we were out of town that week and couldn't swing it.)

Making unleavened bread

After the holiday last year, I followed up with the author about the book review post, and she shared a few other ideas they have implemented since publishing their book. From Janet Hales:

How did your Easter turn out?  Easter day is my favorite -- the compilation of everything we have done and thought of during the week.  We have added two things to our family worship that have been very significant for me: on Saturday, those who can, attend the Temple, to help in the vicarious work now afforded us.  This is such a meaningful activity to me.  On Sunday, those who wish give an "Easter Offering" they have been independently working on throughout the week.  One year I wrote a Psalm of praise, this year it was free verse about Living Water; Joe wrote a lovely piece about "Why Is this Night different than all other nights?" (A question from the script of the Passover Dinner), Kate sang "I Stand All Amazed."  Years ago, one of our young boys had made an "empty tomb" out of Lego.  This was really a reverent and beautiful part of our ending devotional this year.  

The book contains such an abundance that you'll already have to pick and choose, but you might also find yourself thinking of things on your own. Whatever you do, make a plan ahead of time that will work for your family and above all, enjoy this beautiful Easter season! Please share how it turns out.

*No, I'm not getting any kickbacks. ;)

Kids Choice Day

We made up a new holiday today.  It's called "Kids' Choice Day" and takes place the day after Christmas.  Today was a trial run, and we all rated it a smashing success!  It came about because of my thinking about how we need to be better about playing with our children, and letting them take the lead on play more often.  Here's how it works:

Kid's Choice Day

Rules:

• The family needs to stick together
• There is a set budget 
• All the kids need to be in agreement
• The kids get to choose what the family does all day!
• The grown-ups can't be involved in the decision-making unless requested

We had a blast.  The kids watched a couple cartoons in the morning (including watching UNICEF's Global Handwashing Dance three times--a family classic), then we went to the awesome College Park Aviation Museum for the rest of the morning.

 From there, we went to the park to try out our new Christmas scooters.

#backwardshelmet

Next up on their list was Chuck e Cheese.  Where in the world did they even hear about it?  Well, we stuck to our guns and didn't use veto power.  But we kept it short and only spent $5, and they seemed to have a good time.  We were too embarrassed to take pictures.

Then we came home and had pizza and watched Fantasia and read books.  We all had a great time, and it's something that they'll definitely be looking forward to for next year.  After all, it's the only other day besides their birthday when they don't have to do ANY jobs!  For us, it was fun to have a relaxed vacation day, where we were not in charge of entertaining, and the kids liked talking with each other about the plan and informing us.  

A Christmas Story: "Christmas is for Sharing"

I love Christmas stories. This one is from the childhood of my great uncle, Richard Warner (as told to his sister, Emma Lou Thayne). My mom read it to me when I was a girl, and before bed tonight, I read it to my inseparable boot-loving boys. I hope that as they grow, they will be as loving and good to each other as the sweet boys in the story. Enjoy!

source

Christmas is for Sharing

I knew that Homer had wanted canyon boots for as long as I could remember. He was eleven and I ten, and we had spent many nights under the blue quilts at the cabin talking about how great it would be to have some real boots — boots that would climb through thorny bushes, that would ward off rattlesnakes, that would nudge the ribs of the pony; we had planned the kind of leather they should be and what kind of decoration that should have.

But we both knew it was just talk. The depression had been hard on Father's business, and even shoes for school were usually half-soled hand-me-downs.

Christmas that year had promised as always to be exciting, though mainly because of the handmade things we'd worked on in school for our parents. We never had money to spend on each other, but we had caught early in our lives a sort of contagion from our mother. She loved to give, and her anticipation of the joy that a just-right gift would bring to someone infected our whole household. We were swept up in breathless waiting to see how others would like what we had to give. Secrecy ruled — open, exaggerated secrecy, as we made and hid our gifts. The only one whose hiding place we never discovered was my Grandmother's. Her gifts seemed to materialize by magic on Christmas morning and were always more expensive than they should have been.

That Christmas I was glowing because Mother had been so happy with the parchment lamp shade I'd made in the fourth grade, and Father had raved over the clay jewelry case I had molded and baked for him. Gill and Emma Lou had been pleased with the figures I'd whittled out of clothespins, and Homer had liked the Scout pin I'd bargained for with my flint. Then Grandma started to pass out her presents.

Mine was heavy and square. I'd been in the hospital that year and then on crutches, and I'd wondered how it would be to have an Erector set to build with. Grandma had a knack at reading boys' minds, and I was sure that's what it was. But it wasn't. It was a pair of boots, brown tangy-smelling leather boots.

I looked quickly to Homer's package. His was a sweater. He'd needed one all fall. I wanted to cover my box before he saw what it was. I didn't want the boots; they should have been his. He came toward me, asking to see, and I started to say, "I'm sorry, bruv."

But he was grinning. And he shouted, "Hey everybody — look what Richard's got." He swooped the boots out of the box, fondled them like treasure, and then sat on the floor at my feet to take off my half-soled shoes and put on the brand new boots.

I don't remember how the boots felt, nor even how they looked. But Christmas rang in my soul because my brother was glad for me.


Richard Warner
As told to Emma Lou Warner Thayne
December 1964

LDS Perpetual Christmas Advent Calendar

LDS Holistic Living made a beautiful advent calendar that you can print off and use how you will through out December.  We'll definitely be taking advantage of it!

Yep, Christmas Music has definitely started at our house.

Simple Crafts for Halloween: Ghosts, Pumpkins, Spiders (and the Boo Cannon)

I have generally not considered myself particularly crafty (as in: thank you cards, holiday decor, scrapbooking...).

I think it's because I'm too practical. I tend to use my creative time to produce things that have clear utility. Since crafting doesn't add to my health, enrich my mind, or clean my house (quite the opposite, in fact), I have not often sought them out. Even when I look through a book of fun and easy sewing projects, appearance is second to function. (It wasn't until recently that I decided that it might be okay to include some non-edible flowers in my garden, alongside the vegetables.)

I feel very boring admitting this.

But recently I've been thinking back with great nostalgia at some of the decorations that adorned my childhood home around the holidays. At Halloween, it was the big pumpkin in the front window, the "elegant witch" on the mantle, the gangly skeleton hanging on the wall, the flying ghosts on the kitchen ceiling fan. I can't imagine my childhood empty of these festivities.

So last week, I thought, we need some ghosts to brighten up this holiday! I ended up spending the afternoon making some inutile but completely awesome little Halloween decorations with my kids. They are a cinch (had to be for me). You probably have everything you'll need already.

I hope one of these adds some fun to your Halloween week!

~~~~~

TISSUE PAPER GHOSTS 

Items needed: tissue paper, string, marker, tape

I have kept every piece of tissue paper I've been given for the last seven years, so I have lots! If you don't have any, it would work equally well with regular old tissues.

1) Lay a tissue paper out on the table (cut smaller for smaller ghosts).
2) Crumple a second piece of tissue paper into a ball, placing it in the center of the first.
3) Gather the corners of the flat tissue paper up around the ball and tie with some thread.
4) Draw eyes (and mouth if desired) and hang.

I used an extra long piece of string to tie up the necks so I'd have some leftover for hanging the ghosts. To help them hang straight, I brought the string up the back of the head and taped it to the top. We like watching them slowly turn as people walk through the room.

Sammy made some all on his own, preferring longer "floaters" (his term) to the smaller ghosts I made.

FOLDED PAPER PUMPKINS

Items needed: paper, scissors, stapler, tape

This is basically just cutting, folding, and a little taping and stapling. These were fun to make, but I really wouldn't have made so many if Sammy hadn't insisted he needed 10 for a project he had up his sleeve. Instead of doing a step-by-step for you, I'll direct you to the YouTube tutorial I found. I tried all the sizes she suggested, then made up some of my own.

Isn't it a sweet little pumpkin patch?

Note to those who make up their own sizes:
The width of your strip of paper = the squatiness (width) of the pumpkin
The length of your strip of paper = the heighth of the pumpkin


EGG CARTON SPIDERS
Items needed: egg carton, paint, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, glue gun

This idea came from my neighbor's bush, and actually, but not surprisingly, exceeded my scant crafting supplies. I lacked the googly eyes and a glue gun (Keenan says every home should have a glue gun hiding near the back of some cluttered cupboard... apparently his home was like mine!). I'm thinking about investing in one for these spiders. Anyone know of another kind of crafty glue that would stick tight and dry fast??

Each spider is a single section of egg carton, painted black, with pipe cleaner segments hot glue gunned to the sides and eyes on the front. Too cute to be spooky.

~~~~~

My 5-year-old was thrilled with my holiday craftiness and jumped right on the decorating bandwagon! The following gradually appeared around the house:

Window ghosts and witches

Some quick-sketch scares

A sparkly knight

The "Boo Cannon:" pull the string
and the mini-ghost pops out!

He tells me he has decorating plans to last us all week! Personally, I'm glad he's taking over so I can get back to my boring, functional life. ;)

Have you made anything fun to display at your house this year?

Happy Halloween!!