Movie Review: Northpole Open for Business

Doesn't this look fun??

This is an awesome movie about an elf who is tasked with saving Christmas. The challenge: restore the Christmas spirit to one of Santa's fuel stations. The double challenge: the one who needs her Christmas spirit restored begins the movie planning to sell the Christmas Magic fuel station.

I was lucky enough to find a copy of this movie hidden by the paper towels at Dollar General--like fate! and because it was July when I found it, I got a nice discount on it.








My Nice list: I love the interpretation of the North Pole in this movie, as well as the idea of South Pole Elves, AND all the Christmassy lingo that's used (that I NEED to find a way to slip into every day conversation).

New traditions: Well, I guess it's actually quite an antiquated tradition but making a 'follow the string' game. My dream is to hold a Christmas party in a large enough banquet hall and play this game with all of the guests.

Doesn't this look fun?


Overall, this is a really great movie to watch while opening stockings or making cookies.

Movie Review: Christmas in the Air

Christmas in the Air came out on Hallmark movies and mysteries in 2017. Catherine Bell is my all time fave, so of course I saw it right away. I now own a digital copy of this movie thanks to Google, so I can watch it whenever and wherever I want. Catherine plays a professional organizer named Lydia, and plays the part of the knight in shining armor to Jake, a very unorganized father of two.











On the Nice list: Collecting snow globes instead of Christmas Village items. It's a lovely long term tradition that doesn't leave you with an awkward looking village for the first five years. Here's a collection I started in 2018:

I also love all the actual useful tips in the movie, like keeping poinsettias around longer by not letting the leaves touch window glass, and what order to decorate a tree in.

On the naughty list: I mean, Lydia clearly has relationship issues and for all her organization prowess isn't the best at communication. I'm also just slightly upset I can't buy the awesome looking toys featured in this movie (yet). But for those being my biggest complaints, this movie didn't do badly at all.

Full disclosure: I will probably love Catherine Bell in anything. But definitely watch the movie for yourself!

Movie review: Moonlight and Mistletoe

In 'Saint' Nick Crosby's old-fashioned year-round Christmas village Santaville, working as an elf on Christmas preparations all year killed his daughter Holly's seasonal spirit. So she moved out, feeling neglected since her mother's death, to become a Boston toy firm's hardest-working sales executive. When Nick has a bad injury she returns to help out and finds Santaville outdated and near bankruptcy despite much generous help, especially from shy Peter. She tries to save it, counting on a plan proposed by charming financial adviser Ben Richards.














First of all, a year round Christmas shop is my dream. I also like being a no nonsense manager at my day job the way Candace Cameron Bure is portrayed. So I was curious how the two worlds would collide.

What made my nice list: Holly and Peter. First, Holly. She plays a bad hand very well. Sure, she cracks a bit from the stress but that what helps make her real. And the Peter. Patient Peter. Peter who has found the chill this family so desperately needs. Peter who bucks up and sacrifices his *minor obsessions* to save the day. He's great. I'd hire him.

What made my naughty list: First of all, what is wrong with Holly's dad? He's such a manipulative grinch! First, he has Holly growing up with him basically saying "I'm not your dad when I wear the suit" which can give people some serious daddy issues. Then, he calls her home, crying for support, assuring Holly that Christmas finds a way and then blowing up at her when she can't magically make 50 thousand dollars appear. Apparently Holly's dad goes through some kind of redemption arc, but I don't buy it. I don't forgive him, even if Holly did.


Overall, this movie made me feel a lot of things. Out of five candy canes, I'd give it a solid 3.5.

Tangle's Hot Chocolate Spotlight: how to make your base

A good hot chocolate comes from a good foundation. When thinking about the base of your drink, you want to consider the pot, the chocolate, and the milk. Remember, different things will work for different people so get creative and try out different combinations until you find one that works for you.









Step one: The pot
Now there's not a whole lot of variations in the type of pot or kettle you can use, but you do have options.

• First, the clay pot. You'll find these online and in some Asian groceries. Clay pots tend to absorb flavors, and can make bitter tastes more mild. If you use very dark chocolate for the health benefits, or add tahini, miso, or espresso into your drink this will help highlight the underlying flavors by dialing down all that bitterness. Remember clay pots hold onto flavor profiles, so it's best if you use one dedicated to hot chocolate instead of using one for all your hot drinks.
• Then we have the ceramic pot. Ceramic pots don't have a lot of influence on flavor, but are great for presenting your drink to guests. They tend to be breakable and chip easy, though so it's best used for special occasions
• Metal pots such as copper or stainless steel also have no affect on flavor, but they do retain heat very well. If you have a long day inside and don't want to have to reheat your hot chocolate as often, then using a metal pot would be best.
• Finally, glass pots have little to no affect on heat or taste, but are great for aesthetic drinks like the ones that are blue or pink, or maybe have berries floating in them.

Step two: The chocolate

There are different types of chocolates you can use based on flavor, sweetness, health benefits, or even price. The big four are:

• White chocolate. Many will argue that white chocolate is not real chocolate, just like white itself is not a real color. I say it's all semantics. White chocolate is usually made with cocoa butter instead of the cocoa plant, and has a lot of milk and sugar in it. Great to use if you want a specific color for your hot chocolate, or don't want too many flavors competing with your mix ins.
• Semi Sweet dark chocolate. This is basically dark chocolate with more sugar in it. It's usually used for baking but is a budget friendly option due to it's easy availability in grocery stores.
• Milk chocolate: every kid's favorite. Milk chocolate usually has at least 25% cocoa solids in it, and the amount of actual chocolate to milk depends on the company and brand. This chocolate is typically softer and melts easier, so it's great if you're short on time.
• Dark chocolate: This chocolate is the most bitter because there is no milk added. Depending on the brand, you'll find anywhere from 30% - 80% actual cocoa in it. The more pure it is, the drier/chalkier it will be. It tends to have a bitter aftertaste but can lower blood sugar when consumed in moderate amounts.

Step three: The milk

It's hard to wrap your head around all of the different options you have for the liquid foundation of your hot chocolate these days. A few decades ago your choices were basically cow's milk or water. Well, here's what we have now:

• Almond milk: You can get this sweetened, unsweetened, or flavored. It makes the drink nice and creamy, and has the barest hint of almond taste so it pairs great with other nut-based items like hazelnut mix-ins or chopped nut toppings.
• Cow's milk: The original. Good source of protein and brain vitamins.
• Oat milk: great for someone with a lot of allergies. There are no nuts, no soy, and no lactose.
• Hemp milk: makes your drink incredibly creamy, and can lower blood pressure when consumed in moderation.
• Rice milk: The sweetest milk by far, and also good for blood pressure.
• Soy milk: has a lot of nutrients, but also has plant-based estrogen so not a great idea if you're already sensitive to hormone imbalances or on a hormone treatment plan.
• Coconut milk: lower in calories than the other milk options, has a subtle sweet taste so it won't overpower anything, and can raise good cholesterol.
• Water: zero affect on taste, but also zero calories and free of cost in most places.

Figure out what combinations work best with your personality and your budget. There are so many possibilities, I think you could spend a good couple of months just perfecting the foundation of your hot chocolate alone!

Christmas nails for beginners

Like pretty nails? I do. Except I don't like spending money on a nail salon, and I definitely don't want to spend a whole lot of time making and maintaining my nails. So here's a few ideas to have festive nails that don't take too much time or money.

1. The accent nail 
Grab two colors. Make 8 nails one color, and use the second color to draw attention to the other two. The accent trend started with newly engaged women wanting to draw attention to their engagement ring. It caught popularity, became a trend, and now anyone can use it.

2. Dots

Want a more complex look without the complex tools? With a steady hand, dot art could be your thing.

3. Add some glitter

The dollar General by me usually has some silver and gold glitter top coats, so it's super easy to just add a solid color and cover it in glitter. It takes all of five minutes to repair chipped nail polish with these, so it's definitely a go-to for busy weeks.

So try a few of these out and see what you think! I primarily use the third strategy and people at work ask where I get my nails done. Little do they know, it's nail polish that costs a dollar and I can do it while watching Christmas movies.

Christmas lifestyle: What's your 'thing'?

Christmas means so many things to many different people. As much as we might want to do everything every year, there's just no space. Even working all year, there isn't always time. So it's helpful to choose a theme.

For my mom, it's snowmen. She jokes that starting a collection of snowmen was an accident--she put a decorative snowman on her desk once and people started giving her snowmen as gifts.

For my sister, it's cats. Cat backpacks, cat snowglobes, cat ornaments, actual cats... yes, it's not necessarily Christmas-related, but it's special to her and makes her happy. Isn't that what it's all about?

For myself, I realized last year I had a thing for snowglobes. I got my first in 2017, and had it on my desk all year. I worked in a call center, so if I was on a particularly difficult call, shaking the snowglobe and trying to land the flakes on the snowman's hat kept me calm. In 2018 I added a couple more onto my desk and just like my mom said, people started gifting them to me.

My daughter hasn't quite landed on anything yet, but I get a feeling she'll be accruing crafts. We have a trunk in the closet full of her artwork, and we'll already need a new one this year (she's four years old, for reference).

So what's your thing? What makes you happiest? Is it hunting for that special ornament or Christmas village piece? Is it finding a new experience to have or leveling up your Christmas baking? Whatever it is, I hope it makes this year perfect for you. And if you haven't found your thing yet, don't worry--it'll come to you. I'll be showcasing a lot of different traditions this year so try a few of them out and see what resonates.

Meet the elves: Tangle

Name: Tangle
Talent: Hot Chocolate Elf
Mate: Tingle (toy maker)

What makes her special: Tangle is the only Christmas elf that can cry, and she can use alchemy.
Naughty or nice: Mostly nice
Secret: Tangle may or may not be half-fairy.










Hi! I'm Tangle. We met earlier in the year, and I'd like to give you a better idea of what Christmas is like at the north pole. My special talent is making the perfect cup of Hot Chocolate. Everybody is different, so what might taste amazing to one person might not work so much for someone else.

My favorite drink has milk chocolate melted with almond milk. I stir in a bit of hazelnut cream like nutella and top it with cinnamon. It tastes so warm, and goes great with cookies!

Anyway, there isn't a lot of sun in the North sometimes, so usually one of the cookie elves comes to wake me up so I can make nice warm drinks for the elves that like to work in the morning. After that, I like to wander into the library and listen to storyweavers, or I might stay in the kitchen and taste new cookies so I can tell what goes best with different cups of cocoa.

My favorite place in the world is the toy lodge. My partner Tingle likes to work later in the day, so we walk there together as he starts creating. Tingle is so great with electricity, he can make just about anything light up or dance!

After Tingle and I say goodbye at the toy lodge, I like to help clean up in the kitchen and settle down in bed with a glass of water and a book. Sometimes one of the baby elves will come in my room to listen to a story, and when they fall asleep I take them back to the nursery so I can rest up for another early day.

So that's me, Tangle! throughout the year you'll get to meet all of my best friends and we'll even answer some questions that we find in the mail room.