1. Fancy Holiday Party
   This is the pick for a refined holiday gathering. No jello shots, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, or paper plates allowed. Throw this one on when you’re serving drinks poured from a silver cocktail shaker. Your guests will enjoy these holiday-lightful tunes while they pluck appetizers from serving trays and think, “Dang, this is one classy holiday soirée.”

2. Holidays on the Screen
   Nostalgia rules this collection of songs from television and movie holiday classics. Whether your holiday memories are more Christmas Vacation or It's a Wonderful Life, these tunes will transport you back to the screen gems that have woven their way into our hearts.

3. Holiday Hip Hoppin'
   When your holiday gathering is all about shakin' it like those jingle bells, this is the playlist you need. When the folks at your party prefer droppin' it like it's hot to hot toddies, you want these beats thumping through your speaker. Who says holiday music can't make you want to get up and get down? Turn down for what? Not for this holiday season!

1. Eggnog (with or without a splash of rum) 
   Darigold Old Fashioned Eggnog is my absolute favorite store-bought option. I also love making Coquito, a Puerto Rican coconut eggnog.

2. Frasier Fir Scent (diffusers or candles)

   This smell immediately takes me back to my childhood, a reminder
   of the real Christmas trees we would cut fresh and bring home to decorate.

3. Holiday Lights 
   White or multi-color, steady or flashing, I love them all. Whether they’re hung in a doorway or wrapped around a cedar bough or houseplant, the more sparkle the better.

1. Go (1999)

   This fast-paced cult classic centers around a Christmas-themed rave, shifting perspectives among characters with interconnected stories. It’s a wild ride featuring an incredible cast, including Timothy Olyphant's breakout role and Melissa McCarthy in her film debut.

2. LA Confidential (1997)

   Set in 1953 Los Angeles around the holidays, this noir crime classic was robbed of the Best Picture Oscar by some movie about a sinking ship. With flawless art direction and stellar performances from a loaded cast, this one holds up beautifully 27 years later.

3. Die Hard 2 (1990)
   The first Die Hard is excellent — and yes, it’s a Christmas movie. The sequel set on Christmas Eve at Dulles airport falls into the category of “so bad it’s good.” Everything about this movie is bonkers, which is what makes it a Peterson family favorite.

1. Unexpected Guest
   One Christmas morning, my older sister brought a hitchhiker home, and we all assumed he was her new boyfriend. My mom even felt bad she hadn’t gotten him a gift. Later, my sister casually revealed that he was just some random guy she picked up on the highway.

2. Panic at the Pageant

   In second grade, I peed my pants during Christmas pageant practice because I didn’t want to ask to leave. I was mortified, but my friend helped me feel better the next day.

3. Santa Sabotage 
   As a kid, I spilled the beans to my neighbor friend that Santa wasn’t real. She burst into tears, and her parents were so mad that they banned me from their house. I basically became the Grinch who ruined their Christmas.

1. Moisturize
   It’s dry out there, folks. When winter arrives, I like to use Poppy & Pout Lip Scrub to rejuvenate dry flaky lips. Try out the Candy Cane Fluff flavor for the holidays and Pink Grapefruit for a bright start to the New Year.

2. Protect
   Hitting the slopes? The cold, dry, and sometimes sunny conditions can do a number on your lips. I like to use the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm with SPF 25. Apply some before you start shredding to stay safe from those pesky UV rays.

3. Make a Statement
   Whether you’re headed out to a party or a festive night on the town, a bold red lipstick is always in fashion. Two of my favorites are “Unauthorized” from the NARS Explicit Lipstick collection and Selena Gomez’s go-to choice, “Inspire” by Rare Beauty.

1. Find the Christmas Pickle
   Always good for some sibling rivalry, this German-based family tradition is a race to find the hidden green pickle ornament somewhere in the Christmas tree. Upon finding the pickle, the winner gets an extra gift or prize!

2. Christmas PJs
   On Christmas Eve before going to bed, every member of my family gets a special set of pajamas to wear the next morning. It’s so fun to see everyone in matching PJs as we open presents!

3. Swedish Potato Sausage
   Eating potato sausage for Christmas dinner, also known as Potatis Korv, is a Swedish family tradition. Made from ground pork, beef, onions, and potatoes, this delicacy can be purchased from a local butcher and is traditionally boiled, but it can be grilled or smoked, too.

1. Spanish Coffees at Huber’s
   The week before Christmas, I always visit Huber’s in downtown Portland for their famous Spanish coffees. The space is cozy and festive, and as a bonus, this activity often falls on my birthday! Pro tip: Arrive early to grab a seat at the bar to hang out with the friendliest bartenders in town.

2. The Not-Advent Calendar
   Every December, my husband (Ed) and I hang up 25 little envelopes clipped to a garland — our creative take on the Advent calendar. We open one a day, and each envelope contains little notes or stories for each other about memories from the year, things we love about each other — cheesy stuff like that!

3. A Calendar for the Year to Come
   Years ago, Ed and I unwittingly gave each other a calendar as a gift. Then we did it again. And then again. Now it’s a tradition to try to find the most ridiculous, goofy, or sentimental calendar.

1. A Very Special Christmas
   Really, all the AVSC compilation albums throughout the years are rad. This is the original from 1987, and it was my family's fave. Think dance party + holiday classics + a history of music from past eras. I’m a sucker for nostalgia, and I promise this album will be a conversation starter.

2. Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
   This is perfect when I'm in a holiday mood, but I also need some chill downtime. I grew up in the desert, so snowy weather in the winter is pretty foreign to me. Somehow this album makes me want to cozy up with hot cocoa by the fireplace, and pretend it’s snowing outside.

3. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - It's a Holiday Soul Party
   Feeling blue? Sharon & the Dap Kings is the answer. This funk, soul, and R&B throwback collection of music spans multiple dominations and will put a little pep in your step. This is also a great holiday gift for any vinyl collection.

1. Wrapping Presents
   I could spend hours and even days wrapping presents, and I often do. I love organizing and color-coding all my accoutrements, so I can easily find the perfect ribbon(s) and tag to pair with the wrapping paper. I also cannot live without my trusty Scotch tape pop-up wrist dispenser. 

2. Non-Traditional Holiday Colors
   I love to lean into blue, turquoise, metallics, and even pink. Growing up, one of my grandmas always used blue and green lights and decorations. Her house usually had snow and a flocked Christmas tree, the perfect backdrop for the glow of her cool tones. It's fun to recreate that vibe on my vintage aluminum tree and our presents.

3. Stovetop Mulling Spices 24/7 (J/K)
   To get that holiday smell throughout the house, I keep a pot of water and mulling spices warming on the stovetop as often as possible. It’s easy to make your own with a combination of cinnamon sticks, cloves, dried orange peel, star anise, allspice berries, and candied ginger.

1. Christmas Unicorn - Sufjan Stevens
   “I’m a Christmas Unicorn, You’re a Christmas Unicorn. It’s all right, I love you.” I’m a fan of gentle absurdity, and this song has that and more —for 12+ minutes. I’ve heard it dozens of times and still have no clue what it’s about. Guess I could Google it, but why spoil the wonder?

2. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
   Any song that begins with, “It was Christmas Eve babe, in the drunk tank” has my attention. The back-and-forth dialogue in this Irish ballad featuring a hapless couple bickering about pain and loss somehow becomes, by the end, an expression of hope and love (without being sappy). That feels right this, or any, time of the year.

3. Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
   I only heard this song for the first time a few years ago, but it’s been around since the ’80s. This charming, bouncy tune with funky horn-riffs feels less like a holiday song than a new-wave ’80s track, which it is. All-Music Guide called it "one of the best holiday pop tunes ever recorded.”

1. Wishing You Peace, Love, and a Very Hairy Christmas!
   Raid your costume closet (or Amazon) for beards and/or wigs for the whole family. One fun and maybe a little embarrassing photo shoot later, you'll be all set!

2. Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
   Pick a rock genre and go hard! My family chose the peak madness of ’80s hair metal, but the concept would work no matter how you like to rock.

3. From Our Beautiful Family to Yours... Happy Holidays
   Find a large silver reflective ball ornament, and hang it on your tree. Then gather the family 'round and make all the ugly silly faces you can while photographing your reflection in the ornament.
   
   Check out the final results and get more tips!

​

1. Edibles
   No, not that kind. Edible gifts like jams or cookies are always a great choice. People gotta eat, right? And they’ll be able to tell that you added a special ingredient: love. 

2. Ornaments
   Making ornaments out of felt or other materials is crafty way of showing that you were thinking about someone while risking glue gun burns. Plus, it’s a good way to ensure your personal ornament has a spot on someone’s tree. They’ll think of you every year, fondly. Probably.

3. Paper Goods
   Who wants to wrap all their presents with SpongeBob paper again? How about some variety, Carol? Make your own wrapping paper using butcher paper and cute little stamps. The handmade feel stands out among the polished, mass-produced papers under the tree.