Our Family’s Falala Favorites

Mark and I have a tradition of buying one new Christmas CD every December. This is great in theory and certainly fun, but since we only listen to this music for about a month, we don’t necessarily need 15 new songs each year. So I decided to take the albums (Ha! I said “albums.”) we have, add a few classics that we were missing, and make a family favorites mix tape.

Just kidding, it’s a mix CD.

I also had this brilliant idea (now where have we heard that before?) to make copies of this Christmas compilation, craft up some snazzy covers, put them in a festive basket and hand them out to our holiday visitors.

Great idea, except we don’t typically have any visitors. Well, sure, my parents come over for dinner or a few friends spend the evening playing cards with us. But it’s not like we have that Hallmark movie type of house, where neighbors and friends just stop by for hot cocoa and caroling.

So, I junked that idea and burned a CD for us. Wanna know what’s on it? Here you go:

• Jingle Bells (Brian Setzer Orchestra)
• Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee)
• Deck the Halls (SHeDAISY)
• The Little Drummer Boy (Tonic Sol-Fa)
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Harry Connick, Jr.)
• Christmas in Sarajevo (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
• Gloria (Michael W. Smith)
• Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer (Elmo & Patsy)
• Linus & Lucy (Vince Guaraldi Trio)
• Sleigh Ride (Boston Pops Orchestra)
• Winter Wonderland (The Andrews Sisters)
• My Favorite Things (Julie Andrews)
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Barenaked Ladies/Sarah McLachlan)
• Santa Baby (Madonna)
• Santa Claus is Watchin’ You (Ray Stevens)
• You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (Thurl Ravenscroft)
• Christmas, Don’t Be Late (Alvin & the Chipmunks)
• Last Christmas (Wham!)
• Mary’s Boy Child/Oh My Lord (Boney M)
• O Holy Night (Martina McBride)
• Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Jordan)
• White Christmas (Bing Crosby)
• What Child is This (Jim Brickman)
• Carol of the Bells (John Williams)
• The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole)

And the songs that didn’t make the cut but certainly get an honorable mention:

• Do You Hear What I Hear (Whitney Houston)
• Mary, Did You Know (Wynonna Judd/Kenny Rogers)
• The Hanukkah Song (Adam Sandler) - Sorry, it's funny to me every time.
• Wonderful Christmastime (Paul McCartney)
• It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Johnny Mathis)
• Merry Christmas, Darling (The Carpenters)
• Silver Bells (Anne Murray)
• Same Old Lang Syne (Dan Fogelberg) - by far, the saddest Christmas song, but I like it.

This year’s new song that I am looooving (and downloaded and am determined to sing at next year’s church program and have been practicing, iTunes-karaoke-style, so loud one night that I woke up Photobaby) is You’re Here by Francesca Battistelli.

And the Christmas CD I wish we could have bought this year and is on my wish list: Ring the Bells by Travis Cottrell.

Several of you have mentioned your favorites over the past month. Anyone else want to chime in with your top tunes?