I ended up making it to yoga today! I haven’t taken yoga in months and I felt like the least flexible person in the world (which isn’t really anything new), but it was great to stretch out my hamstrings and practice some relaxing breathing. As always, quieting my mind was a challenge!
The class was an easy class (level one by my gym’s standards) so it wasn’t a difficult workout and was much more of a relaxing stretch class than a sweaty power yoga class. Apparently Monday’s yoga class is a power yoga class. I may have to give it a try next week!
Lunch
After yoga, I met up with Ryan at The Southside Deli for lunch.
Ryan first went to The Southside Deli with his boss for lunch last week and has been talking about it ever since, claiming that their pastrami is unreal.
Naturally we both ordered pastrami sandwiches but while I opted for the regular portion, Ryan ordered the “overstuffed” sandwich.
Check out the beast!
My sandwich was a bit more modest, but still had a generous portion of meat and lots of veggies. I loved the stone-ground mustard, too!
Ryan was right about their pastrami. It was on point. Neither of us left even a bite remaining.
Now for some fun holiday talk!
Best Christmas CDs
Every year I store my all-time favorite Christmas CDs with my Christmas decorations and completely forget about them. It’s like a mini Christmas present to myself every year when I open the box and get to listen to some of my favorite music again.
I know many of you feel the same way about holiday music, so I figured I would put together a little post about my all-time favorite Christmas CDs. If you’re a holiday music fanatic, please leave the name of your favorite holiday CD in the comments section so I can check out some new tunes this year and add more music to my rotation!
Possibly my favorite holiday CD ever and there aren’t any words! This CD is my go-to Christmas CD because I never get sick of the gorgeous instrumental songs and the way the music goes from slow and soft to intense and inspiring is phenomenal. (Just listen to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen!) I stole this CD from my parents when I went to college and they’re never getting it back. ‘Tis the season for giving!
All I want for Christmas is Chris Kirkpatrick’s amazing hair. And a follow-up Christmas album from ‘NSync, but without a weird, creepy song like “Under My Tree” and more a cappella songs like their beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night.”
The voice of an angel. Crisp, beautiful and classic.
Even though attempting to sing along with Whitney makes me want to cry, this Christmas CD is a beautiful compilation of classic Christmas songs. I like how Whitney stays true to the essence of the songs and doesn’t stray from the original songs too much.
Straight No Chaser is one of my all-time favorite groups and I was first introduced to them when I heard their mind-blowing a cappella rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in my car and literally stayed in my car when I reached my destination to hear the song in its entirety. Both of their Christmas albums are creative, uplifting and simply fantastic! (I’m also seeing them in concert again this month and cannot wait.)
Even though my friend Michaela nearly ruined the song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” for me by pointing out that Mariah has a mega-lisp and makes the words sound like “All I want for Christmas isth you,” (it’s all I hear when I hear that song now) this CD is still one of the best Christmas albums out there!
Question of the Afternoon
- What is your all-time favorite Christmas album or Christmas song?
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I love the *NSYNC holiday CD! And of course Michael Buble. I listen to him wayyy too much on Spotify!
Very good CD choices. My favorite has got to be Mariah Carey, but I have been listening to a lot of Michael Bublé. Can’t wait to listen to the Mannheim Steamroller tracks!
Destiny’s Child 8 days of Christmas is one of my favorites!! They do a good job with the classics and throw in a few originals.
Great Christmas CD picks! The Mannheim Steamroller, Mariah Carey, and Michael Buble are definitely a few of my top favorites. I also love Point of Grace’s Christmas CD. They’re a Christian group that have some great traditional Christmas songs, along with a few of their own on the CD. Their voices are so awesome – I love it.
off to google them!
I love Point of Grace 🙂
The Point of Grace one was exactly what I was going to mention! Truly the best Christmas album I’ve ever had.
Uhhh yes buble and nsync, where would christmas be without boy bands?
I want dat bread.
It’s got to be Mariah Carey…I will remove your point above from my mind!
ha! it’s hard to do once you hear it that way! i’m warning you!
Forgot about this Christmas song! Classic…in Ireland at least! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwHyuraau4Q The Pogues…Fairytale of New York!
Great picks! Mine are NSync, Hanson (Snowed In!!) and Mariah Carey. Might start listening to some of them now!
I absolutely love Christmas music, especially the ‘religious’ traditional songs, and I have probably 35 Christmas CDs plus downloaded single songs (and an iTunes ultimate Christmas playlist of nearly 150 songs). I could never pick one favorite Christmas song, but here are a few favorite albums.
Anything Mannheim Steamroller, but especially Christmas Live
Michael Bible – Christmas
Trans-Siberian Orchestra – The Lost Christmas Eve
Aaron Neville – Soulful Christmas
The Home Alone soundtrack
Josh Groan – Noel
Il Divo – The Christmas Collection (the song Rejoice is just breathtaking!)
Um…obviously I meant Josh Groban, not Groan!
Nsync cd!! Hubby would definently NOT agree lol
The Rat Pack Christmas album is seriously my all time fave-includes classics like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin–all voices that make you swooonnnnn 🙂
So I had a #1, and a back-up, and a back-up to the back-up…and they’re all on your list! *N Sync, Michael Buble, Straight No Chaser, and Mariah Carey…can’t beat it. I could listen to them all season long!
Mariah Carey is my absolute favorite Christmas CD, but I do have to say that *NSYNC is a close second, lol. I used to listen to “Under My Tree” over and over and over. It is a totally creepy song, but I was probably about 13 or 14 at the time so I guess that made it way cooler.
I love the NSYNC Christmas album too! Judging from your list, I think you would love Josh Groban’s Christmas album – he is such a talented singer!
OOH, I am so glad you did a post about xmas cds! I definitely needed the guidance. I think buble is the winner. Thanks!
I like any Christmas song played in December…November is waaay too early!
It is December 🙂
Your mini-review of the ‘NSYNC Christmas album seriously cracked me up!! It’s definitely one of my holiday faves (blasting “Merry Christmas Happy Holidays” gets me in the Christmas spirit immediately!) but there’s a track or two that’s pretty creeptastic. Too funny!
Some of my favorite Christmas CDs are really silly, but I love them because they remind me of childhood holidays with my family, and listening to them makes me feel like a kid again! Haha you’ve been fairly warned, but check out the Raffi, Muppets, and Mickey & Friends Christmas albums if you’re feeling like some extra goofy holiday cheer 🙂
Also (sorry for the mega-long comment), have you heard of Sufjan Stevens?! He has the most incredible voice that’s almost haunting it’s so beautiful. His Christmas album has like four discs or something, and includes almost every traditional song you can think of and some originals, with really cool instrumentation and arrangements. Check it out!
This post makes me excited for Christmas! 🙂
My two fave Christmas CDs are both Jessica Simpson ones! Haha. Her first one came out years ago and is so festive…the song arrangements are so fun. Plus there’s a duet with Nick Lachey to “Baby It’s Cold Outside” that I’m still obsessed with. 😉 And her second holiday cd that came out last year is great too!
The mariah Christmas album is Amazons mp3 special today, And everyone is trashing it on their facebook. Glad to see someone other me likes it!
I don’t have any Christmas albums, I’ve just downloaded a bunch of songs over the years that I love, plus I listen to Pandora! I’ll have to check out some of these CDs, you can’t go wrong with Michael Buble!
I love the Michael Buble album, but my all time favorite song is Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey’s version of Baby It’s Cold Outside…sooo good!
Ahhh I love Straight No Chaser! 🙂
The michael Buble album is great! I love David Archuleta’s new album too! SO good 🙂
The *NSync Christmas album is my favorite. Hands down. It’s simply amazing. And I agree that there needs to be a new album – along with a new tour.
I watched *NSync’s Disney Christmas Special (and their other concert specials) until the VHS tapes broke.
I LOVE Il Divo’s Christmas CD! Their voices are incredible….and they’re not too bad to look at it either. 😉
Hanson’s Snowed In is definitely my favorite, with the Bright Eyes Christmas album as a close second.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” is my fave!!
My two favorite Christmas songs are Mariah’s “All I Want For Christmas Isth You!” 🙂 and Josh Groban’s “O Holy Night.” Gives me chills every time!
Merry December to you!
Actually, I meant Faith Hill’s version of “O Holy Night!”, but Groban’s is great too!
Mariah Carey for sure … my dad used to play Elvis Presley and so I hold his Christmas album dear to my heart as well … 🙂
I love Josh Groban! Beautiful voice! and also Amy Grant!
yay I was hoping I would see Michael Buble on the list. I know this is lame but my mom got the Justin Beiber Christmas CD and it is awesome!!
I love power yoga! It normally kicks my butt but I love it!
Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas album is one of my favorites. I also really like this two cd set I got from Victoria Secret back in ’04 or something. It has a nice collection of fun Chirstmas songs!
Years and years ago my mom made a Christmas CD and I am pretty sure it has at least one song from each of the albums you mentioned on there. It is the best. I love the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. And my all time favorite Christmas song is Little Drummer Boy by Jars of Clay. So good.
Jars of Clay rocks!
My favorites are all 3 of Amy Grants Christmas cd’s!
Mariah Carey and Michael Buble are two of my favorites! Lady Antebellum’s Christmas album is wonderful as well as Sarah Mclachlan’s. Her “Song for a Winter’s Night” is beautiful. Also, her duet with Barenaked Ladies on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” on their album, Barenaked for the Holidays, is awesome. Happy listening!
My favorite Christmas cd is a Jessica Simpson cd that I got at 7-11 years ago. It’s true.
Hanson’s Snowed In is one of my Christmas favorites! That, paired with *NSync’s Home for Christmas, and I’m back in middle school! Josh Groban’s Noel is also a must listen to during the holidays! 🙂
Haha I thought I was the only one who loved Hanson’s Christmas Album! Its the best!
I made Mannheim Steamroller my Pandora station today, thanks to your tweet about it!
Have you heard the Bieber Christmas album yet?
Both of Harry Connick Jr’s Christmas CD’s are must listens for me every holiday! Also, Tori Amos’ version of ‘have yourself a merry little christmas’ is hauntingly beautiful.
haha oh my gosh I have never noticed Mariah’s lisp before! Now I’m nervous to listen to it for fear of no longer loving one of my favorites!
I also love Christmas with the Rat Pack, Taylor Swift’s Christmas album (everything she does is just so cute) and this Billboard all-time greatest hits album we had growing up – it has everything: Elvis, the Beach Boys, the Chipmunks!
I LOVE aly and aj michalka’s Greatest Time of Year. Play this in your home during a Christmas party… perfect! also check out reliant k’s Sleigh Ride and 12 Days of Christmas. Oh, may i add Under the Mistletoe( i SO had to throw the Biebs into the mix) 🙂
I grew up listening to Neil Diamond’s Christmas album, so I always associate his music with the holiday’s. A great classic! Oh my, NYSYNC how funny. They were one of my first concerts when I was like 8 haha 😀
Can’t agree more. Vanessa Williams – Star Bright – is seriously the BEST Christmas album EVER! I always thought so. Then I realized that almost every store I go into during the Christmas shopping season is playing it. And every restaurant. And every radio station. Her albums are always great in whatever the genre she chooses – and this one is just over the top amazing. Only one I really need for the whole season!
I am a Christmas music LOVER! I’ve actually been listening to it for a couple of weeks now and added some new tunes to the list!
My favourites include:
Vanessa Williams – Star Bright (seriously best Christmas album EVER – it has been my favourite for years although my brother despises it with how much I used to listen to it! ha)
Jessica Simpson – Rejoyce
Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas
Michael Buble – Christmas
Josh Groban – Noel
Kenny G – Miracles
Glee Cast (both Christmas albums)
Bing Crosby (any album)
a new addition: Justin Bieber – Under the Mistletoe
Celine Dion – These are Special Times
NSYNC is totally the best. Merry Christmas happy holidays is my current cell phone ring tone.
I ahve Michael buble and mariah as well, also good.
Harry connick jr. is good too, and so is faith hill’s cd!
The Glee Christmas album is really fun! I also love Mariah, lisp or not. And my mom always played Amy Grant & the Carpenters at Christmas when we were kids, so those are favorites. Oh, and James Taylor, too! And I can’t forget 98*!!! THE BEST!! Geez, I guess I have a lot! 🙂
I saw the NSYNC cover and immediately thought of Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and now I’m singing it over and over again in my head. I need to find the cd ASAP!!
Lovee Michael Bubles christmas cd! Listening to it right now 🙂
I vote for She & Him’s “A Very She & Him Christmas.” Zooey Deschanel has an awesome voice, and the whole album makes me happy. It just came out this year, too!
Yay Christmas!!!!
And are you related to this girl?!?! I don’t know if you’ll be able to see all her pictures but if you can..omg!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000165428478
That is my absolute fav thing to order at a real NY-style deli!
My go-to Christmas CD is a tie between a mix of some goodies (like Madonna, Britney, and Fall Out Boy), and and the NSYNC one.. <–classic.
great selection!
my go-to Christmas CDs are:
nysnc
mariah carey
glee
and my mom recently bought the michael buble cd that i’m dying to listen to, and the husband bought some R&B christmas CD from Brookstone the other year that’s really good too!