Lifestyle of a Fashionista

Five on Friday

December 8, 2023

“Maybe Christmas (he thought) doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.” — The Grinch 

One: Gift Lists and Guides

The Grinch realizes gifts from the heart mean more than gifts from a store, but if you are buying gifts from a store, I’m going to share some gift lists. I will also share ideas on gifts you can make.

Check out the gift lists: https://lifestyleofafashionista.com/2023/12/08/2023-gift-guides/

Two: What to Watch

Christmas Countdown:

The Christmas Countdown is in full swing. Each week, I will let you know about the premieres of the new Christmas movies.

Hallmark (Peacock):

See the full list from ET, Hallmark Channel’s 2023 Counting Down to Christmas Movie Lineup: See the Schedule!

Magic in Mistletoe (Dec. 8th), Harrington (Campbell) is the author of a popular book series but commercial success has left him a bitter recluse. As he returns to his hometown for an annual Christmas festival celebrating his books, he’s joined by April (Greenwood), a publicist for the major publishing house he works with. April is there for damage control after Harrington’s recent comments on social media have ruffled some feathers. But as she gets to know him better, hope springs that April can unlock Harrington’s guarded heart and help him rediscover the spirit of the holiday.

Christmas on Cherry Lane (Dec. 9th), A young couple preparing to welcome their first child (Brotherton, Cahill); an empty-nester (Bell) and her fiancé (Denton) ready to start a new chapter; and a couple (Bennett, Rodriguez III) who unexpectedly have the chance to expand their family on Christmas Eve celebrate the holiday as they navigate these turning points in their lives.

Round and Round (Dec. 10th), Rachel’s (Michaelis) stuck in a time loop, reliving the night of her parents’ Hanukkah party. Can Zach (Greenberg), the “nice boy” Grandma’s trying to set her up with, help her make it to tomorrow?

Lifetime: (Watch live on Hulu if you have that type of subscription, stream it after it airs)

For the full list: Lifetime to release 12 new Christmas movies starring Teri Hatcher, Tia Mowry, and more — see the schedule

A Cowboy Christmas Romance (Dec. 9th), One week before Christmas, a huge business deal sends real estate “closer” Lexie Crenshaw (Kramer) back to a place she swore she’d never return to: her hometown of  Tubac,  Arizona. Back on the range, Lexie must convince Coby Mason (Senn), a horse-whispering rancher, to part ways with his family’s land, while navigating her relationship with her father (Bruce Thomas) and brothers she left behind, leading her to reconsider the life she gave up 10 years ago. 

Yes, Chef! Christmas (Dec. 10th), Alicia Gellar (Mowry) is a culinary school instructor who has put both her true career aspirations and personal life on the back burner. But this holiday season, fate is on her side. She is invited to compete in the city’s annual Kringle Cook Off and learns a family secret that could change everything and be the big break she needs to become a respected chef like her former boss Bobby (Valastro). There to mentor her through the competition is the fiery chef and Kringle protégé, Logan (Humphrey), who Alicia builds a real connection with, despite their rocky start. But can Alicia win the cook-off and prove to herself that she is the capable head chef that Logan believes her to be? And will she be accepted by the Kringles if she shares the truth with them? She will have to put it all on the line to find out. 

Netflix:

Read: December new releases from Tulum and from Vulture.

Leave the World Behind (2023 film), A family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices — and two strangers appear at their door. Based on a book by Rumaan Alam

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays, season 6

Christmas as Usual, To celebrate their engagement, Thea takes Jashan home — but his Indian roots and her family’s Norwegian traditions clash in a chaotic Christmas.

Obliterated (thriller/comedy series), An elite special forces team thwarts a deadly threat to Las Vegas; after a celebratory party, the team discovers that the bomb they deactivated was a fake; now intoxicated, the team has to find the real bomb and save the world. From PureWow, The #2 Show on Netflix Is Funny, Action-Packed and a Must-Watch—and We Binged All 8 Episodes in a Weekend

Max (HBO):

December 2023 from PureWow.

Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage and Reckoning (documentary), The three-part documentary examines the investigation that followed Charles “Chuck” Stuart’s now-famous 911 call after he and his wife were allegedly shot by a Black man in Boston. It also explores the complex history of race relations in America.

Hulu:

New on Hulu: December 2023 from Vulture.

We Live Here: The Midwest (documentary series premiere, Hulu Original), Families hope to stay in a part of the country they love and where they have established deep roots; values of all midwestern families are put to the ultimate test when anti-queer legislation and sentiment are rapidly multiplying across the country.

Disney+:

New on Disney+: December 2023 from Vulture.

Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder and Doctor Who: The Giggle (series, Dec 2nd and 9th), The Tardis takes the Doctor and Donna to the furthest edge of adventure. To escape, they must face the most desperate fight of their lives, with the fate of the universe at stake.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (film), After getting stuck with his family in the snow during his winter vacation, Greg worries about getting the new console.

Amazon Prime:

New on Amazon Prime Video: December 2023 from Vulture.

Your Christmas or Mine 2 (comedy film), Hayley and James’ relationship is tested by another turbulent family Christmas. Your Christmas or Mine was one of my favorite new Christmas movies from 2022, I look forward to watching the sequel.

Merry Little Batman (action/animation), Damian Wayne must defend his home from the supervillains intent on destroying the holidays.

Peacock:

New on Peacock: December 2023 from Vulture.

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Film), Monk steps out of retirement as his stepdaughter’s wedding turns tragic when her fiancé dies in a bungee jumping accident.

Apple TV+:

John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial (documentary), Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland narrates the three-part docuseries that includes previously unseen crime scene photos that led to the conviction of Chapman, who confessed to murdering Lennon.

Paramount+:

New On Paramount+ December 2023

Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too? (documentary series), Rush bassist Geddy Lee travels to the homes of some of music’s most renowned bass players and digs into the stories that make these musicians stand out.

Baby Shark’s Big Movie

In Theaters:

Fast Charlie (action/thriller), Charlie has worked for Orlando mob boss Stan for 20 years as a quick, neat and efficient hit man. When a rival boss from Miami decides to eliminate Stan and his entire team, Charlie finds himself hard pressed to find a loyal cohort.

Poor Things (fantasy/sci-fi), Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

Origin (drama), While grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, Isabel sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery. Despite the colossal scope of her project, she finds beauty and bravery while crafting one of the defining American books of our time. Based on the book Caste.

Waitress (musical), Waitress is a 2023 American musical comedy-drama film consisting of a live stage recording of Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson’s 2015 musical of the same name, based on the 2007 film of the same name written by Adrienne Shelly.

Three: What to Wear

Retro Sneakers:

Wearing comfortable shoes is important while you’re shopping. Retro sneaker styles are still trending. Grab your dad sneakers and head out to the mall.

From Who, What, Wear: Yep, the Coolest Winter Outfits All Feature These 8 Pieces

Four: What to Try

A Gift Swap:

White Elephant swap:

I’ve been participating in these types of swaps for many years. There are different ways for you to organize these types of swaps, with or without a theme, or with homemade gifts.

Secret Santa swap

My family and I tried a secret santa swap the past two years. We used Elfster to sign up, assign gift givers, and send out the gifts. We zoomed on Christmas day to unwrap together. The benefits of swaps is it reduces the amount of gifts you have to buy, and using Elfster allows you to create a wishlist, so you can get gifts that you want.

The basic concept of the Secret Santa game is simple. All of the participants’ names are placed into a hat, box, etc. and mixed up. Each person then chooses one name from the box, but doesn’t tell anyone which name was picked. He/she is now responsible for buying a gift for the person selected. When the Secret Santa wraps his/her gift, he/she should label it with the recipient’s name but doesn’t indicate whom the present is from. (Remember, most of the fun is in the secrecy.) All the gifts are then placed in a general area for opening at a designated time. When the gift-giving time arrives, each recipient finds his/her gift and must guess who their Secret Santa is. If they can’t guess, their Secret Santa eventually confesses. SecretSanta.com

Five: What to Do

Celebrate Hanukkah:

Chanukah (Hanukkah) 2023 starts at nightfall on December 7, 2023 and ends with nightfall on December 15, 2023.

Read, Hanukkah 2023: When Is Hanukkah and Why Is It Celebrated?

Make your own gifts:

Do you want to give a more personalized gift? If you have time, make them for friends and family.

Looking for ideas:

I love giving photo gifts using Shutterfly, Creative DIY Gift Ideas For Everyone In Your Life. You can easily upload photos from your phone using the Shutterfly app.

Read from A Beautiful Mess, Homemade Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your List

Read from Country Living, 116 DIY Christmas Gifts to Spread Christmas Cheer

From Good Housekeeping, 100 Best Homemade Christmas Gifts You Can Easily DIY Last-Minute for Family and Friends