Merry Christmastime!
If you’re like us, one of the traditions you look forward to the most is the return of the Hallmark Christmas movie countdown. Could it be the nail-biting suspense and cliffhanger endings? The Oscar-worthy acting?
Even though every Hallmark movie has essentially the same exact storyline, we can’t get enough. A high-powered exec going back to her hometown for Christmas? We’re there. Two twins switch places for the holiday season? Record. A Christmas inn/bookstore/bakery is in trouble? Yes, please.
We’re sure you have many holiday traditions, but we want to share our favorite Hallmark movie- watching tips. Whether you have researched how to be an extra on set (guilty) or can’t stand to watch a single minute of these wonderful and cheesy movies, we humbly believe we sisters have perfected the Hallmark Christmas movie watching experience. Here’s our tips to enhance your viewing:
Tip #1 - Are you comfortable?
Begin by asking yourself this question. Do your pants have buttons and zippers? If so, take them off immediately and find your coziest pair of sweats. Do you have a blanket? This is very important. You must have a blanket. If you have a fireplace, is it lit? If you don’t have a fireplace, can you find a youtube video of a fireplace roaring to life in the background? What about a nice mug of hot cocoa? A Hallmark movie should be watched in the coziest of environments! We only want the best for you.
Tip #2 - Narrow it Down
Looking at the list of Hallmark movies can be overwhelming! We have found our favorites by narrowing down our preferred storylines. For example, we aren’t a huge fan of any movie that has to do with Santa’s extended family, but we usually love anything about shop owners and small towns. Any movie with palaces could be a toss-up – it really depends on the actors. We recommend perusing the Hallmark website or app to find a short synopsis of the new movies coming out this season and make your selections. This year, we are SO excited about Hallmark casting their first movies with Black leads. ABOUT TIME!
A few notable movies to recommend: last year we loved Marry Me at Christmas, one of our favorites this year has been Christmas Joy, and one of our all-time favorites is Sundays at Tiffany’s. Technically, this last one aired on Lifetime, but it’s about an imaginary friend that becomes a real life person in adulthood so...it fits the genre and it’s magical.
Tip #3 - Let the Games Begin!
Have you ever played Hallmark BINGO? Reading the board alone makes us crack up! You’ve got to check it out. We also started a new tradition last year of doing our own “Hallmark Guessing.” We’ll bet small amounts to one another of 25 cents or less, that is unless we’re feeling like high rollers in which case we’ll bet a full dollar. Examples of such bets are: “I bet she will have her hair down for the rest of the movie,” “Someone will have icing on their face by the end of this scene,” or “There will be a laughing montage with music in the background while they’re riding the horse-drawn carriage.” It really contributes to the suspense factor!
We wholeheartedly believe you can enjoy both critically-acclaimed films whilst also holding Hallmark movies near and dear to your hearts. We like to call this being WELL-ROUNDED.
So, cheers to us all in this Christmas season! Let us know if you want to watch a few Hallmark movies with us and our mom this season, we’d love to have you join us!
Meet The Authors!
Makenzie Magnus graduated from Wheaton College where she majored in Christian Ministry, Urban Studies, and Photography and somehow managed to apply all of her degrees to work in the real world! She has a passion for community development after years working in urban ministry in Chicago, non-profits in Austin, and part-time roles at CRBC the past 4&1/2 years. She loves being able to equip and serve the church and recently stepped into the full-time role as Minister of Missions at CRBC which includes both local and global partnerships. Despite being the missions minister, she is quite the homebody. She is an avid Harry Potter fan, loves Oklahoma City, and loves to be with her friends, family, and ADORABLE weenie dog, May.
Malorie Magnus works as an Adoption Specialist at Deaconess Pregnancy & Adoption, where she loves to walk alongside birth moms and adoptive families. Along with living with her sister and little pup, some of her favorite things include: a themed party, clever abbrevs (abbreviations), and spending time with friends and fam…usually laughing.