We're So Xmas

It's important to us to let you know that you're not alone.

If you're struggling, we know that it's hard to reach out for help.

Please, know that there are people waiting to talk to you or text with you 24/7.

There are resources to support you.

There is no shame in asking for help.

There is no level of sadness too small to ask for help.

Your feelings are valid.

If you feel less than good, things that used to bring you joy aren't or you simply notice you have a "shorter fuse" than normal...Please take a step towards help.

Text START to 741 741

Call 1-800-273-8255

LGBT National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564

https://www.glbthotline.org/

If you have spoken to the hotlines or used the texts and it's not enough: Call 911 or go to a hospital if you feel overwhelmed or are in crisis.

We love you. Sincerely. Think of it this way: The love that WE feel for those we've lost needs a home...and we chose to send it to you.

Every year, a huge amount of people all over the world go out and chop down a Christmas tree, take it home and decorate it. Ok, to be honest, you probably go to a Christmas tree lot and someone slices off the bottom inch with a chainsaw. But have you ever wondered when the tradition started?

Apparently it started forever ago...FUR-EVERGREEN ago, get it? LOL!

It's taken three whole years, but the king and queen of Aldovia are having a baby! But will the baby be cursed if the missing treaty can't be found?!? Of course we are talking about the just-released-on-Netflix "A Christmas Prince 3: The Royal Baby"! We LOVE this trilogy.

Cliff was a little bit worried when he realized that he didn't know whether or not Chrysanthemums were actually a traditional Christmas flower or not. Luckily, they actually are, in both German and Japanese cultures!

We also get the lowdown behind other Christmas flowers including poinsettias, holly, yew, mistletoe and Christmas cactus.

Everyone knows you can get a Christmas tree pretty easily this time of year, but what if you are looking for something a little more long term? Seattle has a program where residents can get up to four trees a year for free! It's a great idea because not only do you make your yard more green, but it also gives you a place to hang your Christmas lights! If you think it's a cool program, definitely check if your city does something similar (or maybe see if you can start something!)

Would YOU like to quit smoking? Is Your New Year's Resolution to Eat Better? Check out the Pavlok Bracelet. Our only real suggestion is that if you are going to buy it for someone else for Christmas that you get the two pack and keep one yourself. Nobody wants to get a shock bracelet for Christmas unless their best friend or spouse is getting shocked too.

We all know that guy (or girl!) that breaks up with their significant other right before Christmas just because they don't want to buy a gift right? The only real way to get back at that kinda person is to name a salmon after them and watch a bear eat it . That's exactly what the Wildlife Images Rehabilitation & Education Center in Oregon did for Valentine's Day and we need to figure out a way to make this happen again for Christmas. I mean, there are at least three zoos in Seattle...

Have you ever wondered why we leave cookies out for Santa? It turns out that it goes all the way back to ancient Norse mythology! Kids would leave treats out for Odin's 8 legged horse Sleipnir in hopes that Odin would leave gifts them.

Taylor Swift AND Katy Perry both have new Christmas songs out this year and they are both terrific! According to Taylor Swift's Instagram she “...actually did grow up on a Christmas tree farm. In a gingerbread house, deep within the yummy gummy gumdrop forest.” Her new song "Christmas Tree Farm" seems to back that up, and the video is full of adorable home movie footage from her childhood.

Katy Perry's new song "Cozy Little Christmas " also has a video, but where Taylor Swift went for Christmas nostalgia, Katy Perry definitely went for Christmas glitz!

Both songs are terrific additions to our Christmas music catalog and we're pretty sure they'll be playing on repeat for a lot of holidays to come!

Noelle isn't Disney's first Christmas movie (as we discussed in Episode 5 ), but it is the first Christmas movie created specifically for Disney's new Disney+ streaming service. Noelle stars Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader as the son and daughter of Santa Claus. Nick Kringle (Hader) has been training his entire life to take over the family business but everyone's plans are interupted when he disapears. It's up to his sister Noelle (Kendrick) to find him and save Christmas! Cliff watched Noelle (because of course he did) and really enjoyed it and highly recommends it if you have Disney+ (and also recommends subscribing to Disney+ if you haven't!)

It's Christmas time and that means it's time for Christmas presents! You probably have gifts planned for your family, but what about the people that make your life better the rest of the year? Do you give your barista, dog walker or pharmacist a gift or holiday tip? Heather and Cliff run through the list and talk about what the "appropriate" tips are and whether or not they make sense.

Plus, how to run for PTA President without really trying.

Heather was incredibly angry (and betrayed!) to find out that...SNOW IS NOT WHITE!

Even more disturbing: Polar Bears aren't WHITE they are actually BLACK with clear fur! Cliff was pretty sure about this one, but we verified it because we want our podcast to always reflect the utmost in accuracy!

Also, in case a polar bear commits a crime in your area, apparently polar bear's DNA can be extracted from their footprints, so the folks from CSI will be able to track it down.

Polar Bears are 10x the man your ex will EVER be (and Heather and I are going to write the Hallmark Movie to prove it!)

So we said that we were going to talk about "A Knight For Christmas", but apparently it's actually called "The Knight Before Christmas". Whoops! Regardless of the title, it's on Netflix, stars Vanessa Hudgens and is very, very good!

Heather is fresh off announcing the Jingle Bell Run and Cliff is just happy he didn't have to run.

Looking for a way to relax this afternoon with a new Christmas movie? Skip the Hallmark Channel for now, fire up Netflix and watch Klaus ! Cliff thinks this might be his favorite new movie of the year and he desperately wants you to watch it. He gives it 9 out of 10 Elves on a Shelf and it only misses a ten because it's not a "Christmas Classic"...yet.

Have old cookie cutters in your drawer (or looking for a reason to make a Goodwill run?) Heather is going to tell you how to can take your old, less then perfect cookie cutters and turn them into amazing ornaments! It's the perfect activity for a holiday crafternoon.

Finally, you usually think of hot chocolate when you think of the holidays, but sometimes what you really need to make it through the day is coffee. And if you are like Heather, you sometimes need to literally breathe it in. First person to invent a combination Kuerig/sauna is going to make a FORTUNE.

Christy with PacMed shares her holiday recipes and HACKS to keep your meals both healthy and delicious! Learn holiday shopping strategies, ways that you can increase the amount of healthy veggies in your holiday meals and healthy substitutions that will make make that side dish you take to the holiday potluck both delicious and nutritious!

Here are some of Christy's favorite recipes that you are definitely going to want to try!

Vegan and Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

Golden Beet Veggie Balls with Almond Sage Cranberry Crema

24k Gold Vanilla Turmeric Latte

You can learn more about Christy and the Living Well Alliance at http://livingwellalliance.org/ and more about PacMed at https://www.pacificmedicalcenters.org/.

Cleaning your house for the holidays isn't fun. And honestly, if you are going to visit someone else over the holidays they aren't going to enjoy cleaning their house either. And this is all made significantly worse because we all have mile long todo lists right before Christmas, full of shopping and decorating and planning and so much more.

So why not give yourself (or the people you are staying with) the gift of a clean house! Getting to cross "Clean the house" off of your list will make everyone happier and it might be cheaper than you think. We gave a shout out to Tidy because we liked that you could do the entire process, from choosing how many hours of cleaning you need, to getting a local estimate, entirely online.

Ok, now that you have your house cleaning scheduled, it's the perfect time to put out your holiday village (because you are going to get someone else to dust it!) But if for some reason you don't already own a Christmas Village, now might be the perfect time to buy one, because Department 56 has released a National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation village! You can buy everything from Clark's overly decorated house, to his new swimming pool, to Cousin Eddie's RV and they are all incredible!