“Merry Christmas to all, and a happy, happy new year,” the Salsoul Orchestra sang from the speakers. My mother’s mom played this record when she was growing up, and it became a part of my childhood. I grew up in an Italian-American household. The elders gifted as much as they could to the next generation, ...

The days are endless as you prepare to house the children who never call home and host the cousin you don’t like, since she stole your prized diamond stud. But you do it with a smile, because it’s Christmas. Everything has to be perfect. The nights stretch on as you string the tangled lights, decorate ...

Each Christmas, I anticipate spending quality time with people whose lives have touched mine through traditions. From decorating the house, baking cookies and pies, to cooking meals, I sense my dead relatives whispering words of encouragement. Not only do I look forward to it, but I believe they do, too. The creativity of placing ornaments ...

It’s Christmas day, and as the kids grumble about the gifts they didn’t receive, you’re in the kitchen, surrounded by the sharp aroma of minced onions while completing the repetitive task of removing the thick, robust skin of the potatoes. The kitchen is filled with the pungent and sweet fragrance of herbs as the flavors ...

Just a few hours before a writing deadline, and here I am, staring at a blank page like a kitten asked to do math. What’s the problem? The problem is that this time of year is crazy busy and my brain is working on 862,000 different items, causing the worst case of brain fog I’ve ...

Christmas is so overrated. Make sure to disband all merry making and refuse to participate in any of the family and friend activities.

Olaf’s Frozen Adventure premiered on ABC Family earlier this month. With my Disney-crazy family, we obviously settled in to watch it that night. With great songs and our favorite Frozen characters, it was hard not to enjoy another addition to our favorite Christmas movies. For those who haven’t seen it (or don’t want to), the movie centers around everyone’s second favorite snowman, Olaf. After ...