Nolan Family Adventures: christmas

I participated in the Idina Menzel Holiday Wishes album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided an album to review but all opinions are my own.

The holidays are here! I can't believe Thanksgiving is already over. I know I'm going to blink and Christmas 2014 will have passed just as fast, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts!!!

I love playing a good Christmas album in the background while decorating the tree, baking cookies, and enjoying family. Have you heard Elsa from Frozen made a holiday album?!?! Ok...maybe not Elsa in cartoon form, but Idina Menzel who voices her in the movie. Idina Menzel's Holiday Wishes album is the perfect addition to your holiday playlist. The songs are classic and her voice is smooth and on point (As you would know from hearing Let It Go a million times...and yet it never gets old!).

Below is a little preview of the songs on YouTube.

One of my favorite songs on the album is Baby It's Cold Outside featuring Michael Bublé. This song in general is one of mine and my hubsand's favorite holiday tunes (Plus, our First Dance song at our wedding was Everything by Michael Bublé). I really enjoyed this version of the song and love the video below even more! The video features two children dancing and lip-synching the song. Too cute!!!

You can order Idina Menzel's Holiday Wishes from iTunes and Amazon!

ABOUT IDINA MENZEL AND HOLIDAY WISHES

Holiday Wishes, a Christmas album recorded by Tony Award-winning singer/actor Idina Menzel, is out now on Warner Bros. Records.

The album was produced by Grammy Award-winner Walter Afanasieff (Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey) and features such classic favorites as “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” as well as Joni Mitchell’s Christmas-themed “River,” one of Menzel’s favorites.

Another highlight is a duet with international superstar Michael Bublé on “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” An exclusive Target edition of Holiday Wishes features two bonus tracks, including “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”.

Idina’s career has traversed stage, film, television, and music. She was most recently heard as Elsa in Disney’s global box-office smash Frozen, in which she sings the film’s Oscar-winning song “Let It Go.” After her performance of the multi-platinum song at the 86th annual Academy Awards, she made history as the first person with both a Billboard Top 10 hit and a Tony Award for acting.

Idina currently stars as Elizabeth in the original Broadway production of If/Then.

Holiday Wishes Track Listing

Do You Hear What I Hear

The Christmas Song

Baby It’s Cold Outside (Duet with Michael Buble)

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

All I Want For Christmas

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

December Prayer

When You Wish Upon A Star

Silent Night

River

Holly Jolly Christmas

White Christmas

Bonus Tracks on Target Exclusive

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Mothers Spiritual

I can't believe December is almost over...and Christmas is two days away!!! Since I'm REALLY behind on posting pictures I thought I would post a couple from each event in December. Our biggest news is that Eric graduated & got a job, so we are moving to Georgia! But don't worry...I will ALWAYS be a Gator fan! lol.

*Annual Pond Lighting at the North Florida Regional Medical Center, Gainesville
This is a fun event for anyone to go see during the Christmas season. They have a count down to light up the whole area surrounding the pond! It was really pretty. They also had free hot chocolate and cookies, Santa and Mrs. Clause, The Grinch, Frosty the Snowman, and live entertainment (mostly singing).

*SeaWorld with Kristina, Jenna, and Owen
I was so glad to FINALLY get to hang out with my old roomies (and Owen) again! I have always loved SeaWorld! The Clyde and Seamore show with the sea lions is my favorite! The sea lions have such great personality's! The (fairly) new roller coaster, Manta, is a lot of fun. You are sitting upright, but right before you take off they turn the seats, so you are in a position as if you were flying like Superman. The only downside was that the Shamu show just isn't the same since the trainers no longer get in the water with the killer whales. :(

They decorate SeaWorld nice for the holiday. They have Christmas trees all in the water, decorations, and lots of lights. I even received a little glass dolphin ornament for being a season passholder. Also, I think the Christmas ice skating show is new...and was fun to watch! I love seeing all the costume changes...and of course the ice skating itself!

---SEAWORLD HINT--- Jenna & Owen found out that if you are a Florida Resident, instead of buying a single day ticket you can get a "Fun Card" for the same price...which allows you to come back to SeaWorld as many times as you want until the end of 2011!!! We got ours upgraded at the counter since we originally bought single day tickets.

*Alpha-1 Christmas Party

Great food and company at our annual Christmas party!

*Epcot and Hollywood Studios with the Fam
For lunch we ate at Restaurant Marraskesh, which had Moroccan food (think couscous, cinnamon, thin pastries, lamb, and kebabs). They have live music and a belly dancer perform on a stage in the middle of the restaurant. Afterwards, we got to see Whoopi Goldberg tell the Christmas story at the Candlelight Processional. The story of Jesus' birth is told in between Christmas songs from a choir and orchestra.
--EPCOT CHRISTMAS PROCESSIONAL HINT-- We got the dinner package where you eat a meal at one of the restaurants in Epcot and then get guaranteed seating for the Candlelight Processional show. I would highly advise you doing this package if you want to see the show, because it fills up QUICK. The whole seating area seemed to almost be completely filled by the time the special guests and dinner package peeps got in.

After Epcot, we headed over to HollyWood Studios to see the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. The whole street is filled with lights that dance to the music. Sadly, these were the last pictures taken by my precious Canon camera. :( I think there was some kind of electrical charge in the area that just killed it because my mom and I took a picture at the same time, my camera turned off (forever) and her screen went all wacky and had lines on it. So...I'm under the impression that Disney killed my camera.

*Paula Deen's Restaurant, The Lady & Sons- Savannah, GA

If I had a bucket list...eating at Paula Deen's restaurant would be on it! I guess admiring her butter loving recipes from afar has deeply intrigued me to want to try some of them first hand. I finally got my chance this month! I had seen mixed reviews on the restaurant, so I wasn't expecting too much....but we were pleasantly surprised! Eric and I both got the buffet and it was SO delicious! EVERYTHING was good! Great hoe cakes and cheese biscuits, creamed corn, sweet tea (was SO good!), yams, fried chicken, collared greens, mashed potatoes....I mean I could go on and on.

I would definitely say it is worth the wait...which by the way--you have to do in the morning! The restaurant does not take reservations unless you have a party of 10 or more (except on special holidays like Valentine's Day). To get a seat for the day you have to go by the hostess station the morning you want to go and get a time slot to eat. I hear that during the tourist season the line can start a couple of hours before the hostess even starts taking names. I think the hostess starts taking names at 9:30am. I was there at 9:15am and was the first in line. Shortly after, people started lining up behind me. I think the line was so short because it was freezing outside! Lucky us! lol.