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?
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I’m so glad you mentioned the NSYNC CD…I still look forward to listening to it every year!
Maybe if NSYNC does a follow-up holiday CD, they could include “Dick in a Box”.
My favorite religious Christmas song is “O Come All Ye Faithful”. My favorite nonreligious Christmas song is “All I Want for Christmas”. I hope you didn’t just ruin it for me, too!
mariahs the best!!! i like the Now christmas cd’s too they’re good. country xmas songs are great too..pretty much any xmas music i love! except little drummer boy…boo
I just heard that 12 days of christmas by straight no chaser and was jaw dropped during the whole car ride! it was amazinggggg! can’t wait to find more songs!
NSYNC Christmas is the BEST!! I listen to the CD every year and my family expects it now. I also recorded every single Christmas concert they did on TV on a VHS tape. We don’t even have a VCR now, but I refuse to throw it away. My husband thinks I’m nuts!!
Definitely going to look the others up!
Hanson’s Snowed In! Hands.Down.
I recently picked up “A Very She&Him Christmas” and it is hands down my new favourite go-to Christmas CD.
I am a HUGE Zoey Deschenel fan (just love “New Girl” and “500 Days of Summer”)and she doesn’t disappoint. I just love her folky/sultry voice. Many of the songs on the album sound like they could have come from the 60s/70s – and that’s a good thing! Awesome, awesome album. 🙂
i have been known to have a sandwich or deli meats as an excuse for (or carrier of) good mustard.
I love Frank Sinatra’s Christmas CD & both of Amy Grant’s…old school, but brings back so many memories.
My all-time favorite Christmas album is definitely Amy Grant’s “A Christmas Album” – just listening to it brings me back to my parents’ living room decorating a ginormous tree. And since you also like boy band holiday cheer I’m not embarrassed to add my other favorite: Hanson – “Snowed In.” Don’t judge me, just download it!
Have you seen this yet? Mariah Carey and the Biebs…
http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/129519/justin_bieber_mariah_careys_duet?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=thestir_fanpage
Love Buble. Love Mariah. Love Glee. BUT…Christina Aguilera does an INCREDIBLE rendition of O Holy Night. Gives me chills every time.
YESSS! NSYNC is my favorite Christmas album of all time! It’s on my ipod so I listen to it year round 🙂
I haven’t listened to ANYTHING but Michael Buble so far! I am obsessssssssed!
OK, not sure if it’s the same, but there’s a Southside Deli in Sarasota (I know y’all have family there, too) that is stellar! Have similar looking sandwiches, loads of fresh delicious toppings, and this particular one in Sarasota has a little gelato area inside, too. My husband and I love going when we visit my fam in SRQ!
James Taylor at Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas (Vince Guaraldi Trio) are 2 of my favorites . . . perhaps a little more mellow than the ones you mentioned but I love them!
oh i LOVE anything James Taylor, so I definitely second this!
Both versions of a Charlie Brown Christmas, Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby albums(the names escape me at the moment,) The Messiah and the Nutcracker(any version.)
The best Christmas album HAS to be Michael W. Smith’s Christmastime. I play that CD even when it isn’t December 😉
Love NSYNC Christmas! “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” is currently on my running playlist!
Aside from that, I really like the songs sung by the old school singers. Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, etc. I made a playlist of all the oldies and play it every year.
Oh, Allen Jackson’s Christmas Album is actually good (totally random)
Amy Grant is where the Christmas Spirit is at!!
NSync and Mariah Carey are my fave xmas albums of all time! Also love old school Andy Williams 🙂
At my old dance school, we had these awesome choreographed routines to All I Want for Christmas Is You. I can still bust out a mean kickline to that song!
I love the first Glee Christmas CD, my favorite song on it is Deck the Rooftop. I just found out there is a volume 2 out that I have to buy!
I know it’s old school, but I love love love Amy Grant, The Christmas Album. I’ve been listening to it since I was little and still love it. 🙂
I was totally a 98 degrees girl! I use to blast their Christmas album and my family hated me for it 🙂 Mariah Carey’s is of course a favorite as well!
Haha oh jeez now I’m just going to hear the lisp too! You hit the nail on the head with the best Christmas albums! Speaking of people ruining songs – we have a station in California that switches to all Christmas music for December and they totally ruined “Santa Baby” for me by pointing out all the innuendos! That is NOT how people should be thinking about Santa! Haha!
Celine Dion Christmas album haha my mom would have it playing through the house at christmas i could even remember what number songs are my fav. Mariah Carey is a good choice too
BING CROSBY!! (White Christmas)
this is what my family listened to when we decorated the tree.
Josh Groban’s “NOEL” is my favourite. That’s if it is possible to pick one favourite.
My absolute favorite christmas album is called ‘The Christmas Album (20 Great Christmas Favorites Performed By 20 Great Artists)’ its got an amazing version of Jingle Bells by Barbara Streisand. Its not christmas until I belt that song out.
Great Christmas CD roundup! I laughed when I saw Nsync…blast from the past!
That pastrami sandwich looks delicioso!
I feel like such a creep because I’ve been reading for a few weeks now and haven’t commented.. I guess that’s not as bad as the blogs I’ve read for a year and haven’t commented yet. I just had to say that I looked up Straight No Chaser and I LOVE!!!! Also, the Michael Bublé album is AWESOME… love “All I Want For Christmas”.. do you like his version or Mariah’s better???
The new Jbiebs Christmas album is THE BEST! Also Andrea Bocelli has a great Christmas album.. my favourite track being “What Child is This” feat Mary J. Blige!! SO good! Youtube it! 🙂
Josh Groban’s Christmas album is the best. He stays true to the songs and has an amazing voice!
I dont have a favorite, but on a side note. Straight No Chaser is here in Indy Tomorrow night and am surprising the finance by taking her to their Christmas Show tomorrow night.
Have you listened to the She & Him Christmas album? I think you’d like it. I’m also a fan of the Justin Bieber Christmas album. 😉
I love Christmas with the Rat Pack!
I love anything Bing Crosby…and of course Nsync…loved that album!
Josh Groban’s Noel album. Oh my gosh it makes me MELT…he has the most gorgeous voice, and they’re all classic recordings of traditional songs.
Is it sad that I listen to the Straight No Chaser cd year round? It seriously stayed in my car cd player for 365 days this year… and still trucking…
A Very She & Him Christmas–awesome!
Nsync is seriously the best christmas album! My sister and I would play it every year and decorate the house together listening to it. Now that we live apart (and she’s married and has a family) every time I hear it I think of her. I also love Mariah’s all I want for Christmas is you. My favorite christmas song!
You MUST check out any or all of the Very Special Christmas CD’s. They are compilation CD’s and just great!
It’s Christmas All Over Again by Tom Petty!
Although I do love Mariah as well….
I was listening to NSYNC and 98 Degrees all morning! Bringing in Christmas 90’s style!
I love NSync’s & Mariah Carey’s too! Mariah’s latest is pretty good too, she has a great rendition of the New Year’s song on there. I also love The Rat Pack’s Christmas CD & Charlie Brown Christmas CD, most of those are instrumental but it’s nice for background wrapping music!
I love “Now that’s what I call Christmas music.” It’s a 2-disc set – one with older artists, and one with newer artists. A great mix!!!
LOVE N*SYNC Christmas!! I know its gonna sound terrible but the Hanson Christmas CD is the bomb! Lots of classic covers and so fun….just being honest! (hangs head in shame…lol)
I LOVE that you put the N’Sync christmas album!!! Its my fave! haha I’m lame!
Oh my gosh, most of my favorites are the same as yours! I love the NSYNC Christmas CD hahaha!
For an old school CD, I like the Carpenters’ Christmas. It’s a classic! 😉