by LislBR

Particles of my particles, root, durst and sea.

The rivers that through you flow, are the blood of my veins.

Hello mountains old and bald, rain plagued shrouded in mist.

From you I come and to you I return

to reset, die and rebirth.

Your molecules and mine fuse togehter.

I breath your air, I touch your ground, I see your light

1.       “Have yourself a merry little Christmas” – performed by Christina Perri (A Very Merry Perri Christmas)

I can’t get over how beautiful her voice is. This song heals my soul and is perfect for 2020 when we all must make ourselves a LITTLE Christmas.

2.       “I’ll be Home for Christmas” – performed by Joey McIntyre (Come Home for Christmas)

As someone who is never “home” for Christmas, I listen to this song to cry and feel better all at once.

3.       “Merry Christmas Baby” – performed by Hanson (Snowed In)

Boyband Christmas songs are just the best, ok.

4.       “Merry Christmas Everyone” – performed by Warwick Davis (A Magical Time of Year)

It’s a quirky version because his voice is so not what one expects of beautifully sung Christmas songs, but that is what I love about it.

5.       “Sleigh Ride” – performed by the Spice Girls (2 Become 1)

Crazy happy song. I need it sometimes.

Special Mention: “Unwrap You” – performed by New Kids on the Block (Thankful Unwrapped)

1.       “My only wish” – performed by (not Britney) Jessica Simpson (Rejoice the Christmas Album)

A not very known song, but believe me, you’ll want to add it to your playlist! She has a lovely voice, the song is very dancy and super cute.

2.       “It’s Christmas Time Again” – performed by The Backstreet Boys (It’s Christmas Time Again)

Christmas songs should be invitations to dance and sing along. This one definitely is!

3.       “Mistletoe” – performed by Justin Bieber (Under the Mistletoe)

Such a cool little song! I don’t need to explain why I love it, ok.

4.       “Last Christmas” – Glee (The Music Glee – The Christmas Album)

It’s not Christmas until one has heard “Last Christmas” on the radio. But this version is much much better than the original!

5.       “All I want for Christmas is You” – Mariah Carrey (Merry Christmas)

The mother of all Christmas songs. Maybe we’ve all heard it too often, but it must be on the list.

Special mention: “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl (Fairytale of New York)

1.       “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” – performed by Justin Bieber (Under the Mistletoe)

His album has a couple of pearls but this song is brilliantly arranged. All I have to say is: Shake it, shake it, baby!

2.       “Jingle Bells” – performed by Michael Bublé featuring The Puppini Sisters (Christmas)

I was very close to choosing Joey McIntyre’s version for this song (so Broadway!), but stuck with Bublé because it’s so reminiscent of Bing Crosby’s classic version with the Andrew Sister (which I also love!).

3.       “Let it Snow” – performed by Jessica Simpson (Rejoice the Christmas Album)

Her voice and this arrangement get me singing and dancing every time.

4.       “Winter Wonderland” – performed by Joey McIntyre (Come Home for Christmas)

Bublé’s version is also great, but Joey and Rob Lewis got the right amount of jazz there.

5.       “White Christmas” – performed by the New Kids on the Block (Merry Merry Christmas)

Kitsch, I know, but I just love this smooth version. It pulls all my teenage heartstrings.

Special mention:  “Deck the Rooftop” – performed by the Cast of Glee (The Music Glee The Christmas Album)

1.       „O Holy Night” – performed by Joey McIntyre (Come Home for Christmas)

This whole album is brilliant! The arrangements are simple but beautiful and Joey’s performance is amazing.

2.       “O Come, All Ye Faithful” – performed by the Cast of Camelot (Carols for a Cure vol. 13/2011)

The carol calls for a powerful performance and Broadway singers deliver it. I get goose bumps every time.

3.       “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” – performed by the Cast of Glee (The Music Glee, The Christmas Album)

Another powerful performance for a beautiful carol. The cast of Glee albums are a must-have for Christmas songs lovers.

4.       “Joy to the World” – performed by Merry Carol Singers (Músicas para um Natal Especial)

This is an obscure album published in Brazil in the 90’s. This version is sung by a choir and has a cheery arrangement. Jingle bells a plenty. Love it!

5.       “Silent Night” – performed by Michael Bublé (Michael Bublé Christmas)

It’s hard to find a version of this carol that I like as most tend to be over the top. Mr. Bublé’s album has become synonymous with Christmas and his take on Silent Night is just *chef’s kiss*.

Special mention: “Ave Maria” – performed by Christina Perri (A Very Merry Perri Christmas)

Bloggers and YouTubers do this every year. 2020 has been so weird! I thought it would be nice to review and write about the things that helped me through it.

1. Masks - I have worked on my sewing pattern until I achieved the perfect fit! My masks are made only from fabric that was left over from other projects and I always have one to match my outfits. That makes me super happy.

2. Audible - I know we should not be giving Amazon any money, but Audible has been a blessing in my life. This year I have “read” 38 books so far and only two of them weren’t audio books. Audiobooks have helped me get through my boring house chores AND allowed me to experience authors such as Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Neil Gaimann, Douglas Adams and Ursula K. le Guin for the very first time in 2020.

3. Bluetooth ear buds from Sony - To listen to all these books and be able to work around the flat without worrying about cords was amazing. But the earbuds were also very helpful in all those zoom conferences. Very well spent 40 bucks.

4. Escape books and games - As lockdown hit in the spring, I ordered a couple of these to fill the time (we never play against the clock) and unite the family. Many a lovely hour has been spent solving puzzles together. Can’t recommend enough.

5. Disney+ - The launch of the streaming platform coincided with the beginning of lockdown in Germany. I had the goal of watching ALL of the Marvel movies in order of release (for the first time with rare exceptions!) and boy, did I do it! This alone was worth the money I paid for the year subscription. Will I ever watch them again? No. But now I know. Their Halloween movies were also a highlight in our family: not too scary, just right for us. Of course, The Mandalorian is the reason why we got the service in the first place and it continues to be amazing.

6. Osteopathy - This is very specific, but it was the best money I have spent in 2020. For years my neck had bothered me and I had very sensitive teeth as well as strong head and face aches. This is now all gone! It took 7 sessions (three of them were in 2019 to be fair) but my life has improved significantly. Very thankful!