Tag Archives: Christmas

The Christmas House

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This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as The Christmas House, then you MUST READ Sweet Delights. In Sweet Delights Patty-Lynn pines over a house in which she lived in with her parents when she was a little girl. Her childhood home is now owned by somebody else. When the house is put up for sale – her goal is to purchase it. You may find SWEET DELIGHTS at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The link is at the end of this blog post.

Did your parent(s) sell your childhood home? Were you upset when the home was sold?

Phylis and Bill, a married couple, have asked their two adult sons to come home. They need help decorating the house. Phylis and Bill are decorating for their big event – The Christmas House. Every year they have a magical, fantastical public event. Their house is turned into a winter wonderland. This year’s Christmas House is especially important to Phylis and Bill since this will be their last public event before selling their home. Both Phylis and Bill might be splitting as a couple.

Their sons, Brandon and Mike, are stunned to hear that their parents are selling the house. They grew up here and it’s difficult to imagine somebody else living in the Christmas House. Mike is a TV star and he’s recently discovered that his show may be canceled.

Andi, Mike’s high school sweetheart, has returned to town. Mike used to be a magician and Andi was his assistant. Andi has a son, Noah. Mike and Noah pair up so that Mike can show Noah some magic tricks that he can perform during The Christmas House event.

I’ve always been somewhat fascinated with magic. I liked seeing Mike and Noah learning the magic tricks together.

I don’t think I would’ve gotten so upset if my parents were to sell my childhood home. I suppose a home can mean more to some than to others. To me, it’s the people who live in a house – that’s what makes a true home.

I loved seeing The Christmas House. So pretty and magical. I guess I enjoyed looking at it because I like Christmas so much.

So, if/when your parents sell/sold your childhood home, would you be upset?

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as The Christmas House, then you MUST READ Sweet Delights. In Sweet Delights Patty-Lynn pines over a house in which she lived in with her parents when she was a little girl. Her childhood home is now owned by somebody else. When the house is put up for sale – her goal is to purchase it. You may find SWEET DELIGHTS at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The link is at the end of this blog post.

SWEET DELIGHTS BOOK LINK

Every Time A Bell Rings

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This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Every Time A Bell Rings, then you MUST READ Rocky Road Dreams by CECELIA DOWDY at ceceliadowdy.com/books. Rocky Road Dreams is about Kyle, an identical twin who lost his mother when he was three. As an adult, Kyle learns his mother was adopted. Kyle has always felt part of his life was missing – since his mom died when he was young. Should he find his maternal grandmother? What will happen if/when he finds her? Will she accept him, or will she refuse to make him a part of her life? The book link for Rocky Road Dreams is also at the end of this blog post.

Do you know anybody who was adopted?

Every Time A Bell Rings is about three estranged adopted sisters. When the three sisters were children they would get on their bikes and do scavenger hunts orchestrated by their dad. As adults the siblings are not as close as they used to be. Their father is now deceased. His dying wish was for the three of them to come back together for one last scavenger hunt. The hunt leads to a bell which they will ring when they find it.

Charlotte, Emily and Nora are the names of the sisters. Charlotte has found her birth mother. She hesitates to tell her mom and her sisters about connecting with her birth mom because she believes they will not approve. Instead, she confides in Liam. Liam is a childhood friend and he remembers when the sisters used to go on scavenger hunts when they were kids. Liam understands Charlotte’s hesitation. She pushes Liam away – not sure if she’s ready to have romance in her life.

Emily is married. She struggles with telling her husband that she is not ready to start a family. Her husband wants them to have a baby. It’s frustrating for Emily since she wants to further her career and having a family right now might prevent her from doing that.

Nora is currently jobless. Her business flopped and now she’s back at home with her mom. She’s assisting her mother with the woodshop – which is the family business.

The sisters bond as they fulfill their dad’s wish and go on one last scavenger hunt.

I totally understood Charlotte’s desire to find her birth mother. I’d imagine, if I were adopted, I’d want to find my birth mother. I’d be plagued with how she looked – did I look just like her? I’d wonder if she had other children and if I had siblings and other relatives. I’d want to connect with these people. But attempting to connect with a birth parent is a risk – what if the birth parent wants to have no contact with the child that they gave up for adoption?

I also understood Emily’s desire to put her business first. She has a start-up company and I know first hand how hard it can be to start a new business. She wants to be sure her business is up and running before she starts a family and that makes perfect sense. She just needs to convince her husband that waiting to start a family is the best plan for her right now.

Nora is embarrassed because her business flopped. I think she feels like a failure since she had to move back home and she’s now living with her mom. It can be embarrassing when one starts a business and it fails. She learns to focus on new beginnings, which was good.

I enjoyed this Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Christmas film.

So, are you adopted? Do you know anybody who was adopted?

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Every Time A Bell Rings, then you MUST READ Rocky Road Dreams by CECELIA DOWDY at ceceliadowdy.com/books. Rocky Road Dreams is about Kyle, an identical twin who lost his mother when he was three. As an adult, Kyle learns his mother was adopted. Kyle has always felt part of his life was missing – since his mom died when he was young. Should he find his maternal grandmother? What will happen if/when he finds her? Will she accept him, or will she refuse to make him a part of her life? The book link for Rocky Road Dreams is also at the end of this blog post.

ROCKY ROAD DREAMS BOOK LINK

Angels and Ornaments

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This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Angels and Ornaments, then you MUST READ The Bakery Romance Series by Cecelia Dowdy at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The Bakery Romance Series is a heartwarming Amazon bestselling romance series. The book link is also at the end of this blog post.

Have you ever seen an angel?

Corrine works in a music store with her good friend Dave. Dave is the owner of the music store. Dave has a crush on Corrine but has never acted on it. A Help Wanted sign is placed in the window and Harold, a mysterious man, is hired as a new employee of the music store.

Harold tries to orchestrate the romance between Corrine and Dave. He tells Dave that he must show Corrine his romantic side. Harold also instructs Dave to dress in better clothing and to compliment Corrine. Harold believes if Dave does these things, then Corrine will fall in love with him.

Corrine has a wonderful singing voice. She is dealing with Tim, her cheating ex-boyfriend. Tim’s a jerk and she shouldn’t consider giving him another chance. But she considers giving him a chance when he reconnects with her.  Harold stresses that Tim will hurt her again and that she should not give him a second chance.

Corrine is skeptical about Harold. Who is he? She can’t find any information about him on the internet.

Corrine is mesmerized about the lovestory between her deceased grandparents. Her grandfather was deployed and during his absence, he wrote a song for Corrine’s grandmother. He sent her the sheet music, piece by piece. The last piece of music was received by Corrine’s grandmother on Christmas Eve. Corrine is later granted the wonderful opportunity to sing her grandfather’s Christmas song solo at a community center fundraiser.

It’s later determined that Harold is actually Corrine’s grandfather – returning as an ‘angel’. Harold is reunited with his wife, in death, after his angelic assignment is over.

The plot for Angels and Ornaments was similar to the Hallmark movie Five More Minutes. The elements that are in both movies are:

  1. The Help Wanted sign to hire someone for the business.
  2. The angel who shows up as the new hire.
  3. The angel is actually a deceased grandparent.
  4. The angel guides the characters in the movie and assists them in solving their problems.

You may see my views about angels being portrayed as deceased friends or family members by listening to my post about Five More Minutes.  

I thought Angels and Ornaments was a good movie. I didn’t think that the chemistry between Corrine and Dave was very strong. I didn’t pick up on Dave having a crush on Corrine until Harold came along and said something about it. Maybe the chemistry wasn’t strong because Dave worked hard to hide his feelings since he didn’t want to lose Corrine as a friend.

So, have you ever seen an angel? If the answer is ‘yes’ then leave a comment and tell me more about it.

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Angels and Ornaments, then you MUST READ The Bakery Romance Series by Cecelia Dowdy at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The Bakery Romance Series is a heartwarming Amazon bestselling romance series. The book link is also at the end of this blog post.

THE BAKERY ROMANCE SERIES BOOK LINK

Five More Minutes

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This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Five More Minutes, then you MUST READ The Candy Beach Series by Cecelia Dowdy at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The Candy Beach Series are heartwarming romance stories which are centered around candy-themed plots. The book link is also at the end of this blog post.

Have you ever wished for five more minutes with a deceased friend or relative?

Clara and her mom (Bonnie) are running the family’s confectionary shop alone. The reason they are running the business by themselves is because Clara’s grandfather has recently died. This is Bonnie’s and Clara’s first Christmas without him.

Things get interesting when Clara puts up a Help Wanted sign. Her advertisement is answered by a peculiar and quirky young man named Jay. Jay is a perfect fit for their candy shop. He knows how to run the business and proves to be a great asset to Clara and Bonnie.

Clara wishes she had five more minutes with her grandfather. Her wish is granted when she finds her grandfather’s old journal. When Clara reconnects with her old boyfriend (Logan), they read the journal together and discover that her grandfather had a great first love. He was never able to marry his first sweetheart. Together, they are able to find her grandfather’s first girlfriend – discovering the shocking reason why she was never able to respond to her grandfather’s numerous love letters.

Logan feels bad about the way he’s hurt Clara in the past. He apologizes and their feelings blossom as they read through her grandfather’s journal.

We discover the identity of mysterious Jay at the end. Her grandfather has been with them throughout the entire Christmas season.

I liked this movie but thought it odd that they didn’t know that Jay was really her deceased grandfather as a young man. What I mean to say is, didn’t they know what her grandfather looked like when he was younger? I’d imagine that they would have at least thought that Jay was a long-lost relative or something, considering he looks just like their grandfather.

I’ve noticed in books and movies that they have a dead person to appear as an angel, a helper, to a friend, family member, or some other person in need. Actually, angels are beings that are created by God. They are not dead people who reappear later. I believe to see those who are dead kind of bleeds into the realm of ghosts, not angels.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I believe people go to Heaven. I just don’t think that those who die, and then go to Heaven, should be referred to as angels. Angelic beings are not the same as deceased humans who go to heaven.

Angels can appear in human form and they bring messages from God. They can also assist us humans. They can stay with us for periods of time and they can even eat food. Just kind of interesting how movies and books portray angels as lost/deceased loved ones so often.

Five More Minutes is a wonderful movie that your entire family can enjoy for Christmas.

So, have you ever wished for five more minutes with a deceased friend or relative?

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Five More Minutes, then you MUST READ The Candy Beach Series by Cecelia Dowdy at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The Candy Beach Series are heartwarming romance stories which are centered around candy-themed plots. The book link is also at the end of this blog post.

CANDY BEACH SERIES BOOK LINK

My Family Christmas Tree

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My Christmas Family Tree

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. If you like movies such as My Family Christmas Tree then you MUST READ Caramel Kisses by Cecelia Dowdy. Caramel Kisses is a novel about Michael Gray, an elderly man who wants to find the biological daughter of his deceased wife. When his wife was on her deathbed, she admitted to having a child, and giving that child up for adoption, before she met Michael. She wants Michael to find her daughter and make sure she’s okay. You may purchase Caramel Kisses, a best-selling novel, from Amazon. Go to https://ceceliadowdy.com/caramel-kisses/ or simply click on the link at the end of this blog post.

Do you know anybody who has searched for a biological parent?

My Christmas Family Tree is about a woman named Vanessa. Her mom is dead and she’s never known the identity of her biological father. Vanessa lives alone. She celebrates the holidays by herself, along with her dog. It’s nice to see that she does have a good friend, Dee Dee, since she has no family of her own.

Using a DNA service, she’s matched with Richard. Richard is her biological father.

It’s awkward for Richard to tell his family about Vanessa. His kids are puzzled as to how he can have a biological daughter whom they’ve never met.

Since this is a Hallmark Movie you know they MUST have a romance. While visiting her biological father and his family Vanessa bonds with Kris. Kris is a close friend of Richard’s family.

Vanessa does not initially get along with Richard’s children. They are skeptical about her presence in their home.

Questions arise from the DNA service – they wonder if they’ve given Vanessa the correct information. Is she really a match, or, did they make a mistake?

Vanessa feels torn about telling her new family about the phone call from the DNA service. She’s grown to love them – plus she’s fallen in love with Kris – how can she tell them that she might not be a part of their family? She has to find the courage to tell them that the DNA family matching service may have made a mistake.

I really liked this movie because I’ve often wondered what it would be like not to know the identity of one, or both, of your parents. If I’d grown up not knowing who my dad was, I’d feel as if a huge part of myself would be missing. I’d wonder about my dad’s identity and since I’m naturally a curious person, I probably would have done the same as Vanessa. I would have tried to find my dad and reached out to him.

So, do you know anybody who has searched for a biological parent?

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. If you like movies such as My Family Christmas Tree then you MUST READ Caramel Kisses by Cecelia Dowdy. Caramel Kisses is a novel about Michael Gray, an elderly man who wants to find the biological daughter of his deceased wife. When his wife was on her deathbed, she admitted to having a child, and giving that child up for adoption, before she met Michael. She wants Michael to find her daughter and make sure she’s okay. You may purchase Caramel Kisses, a best-selling novel, from Amazon. Go to https://ceceliadowdy.com/caramel-kisses/ or simply click on the link at the end of this blog post.

CARAMEL KISSES BOOK LINK

CARAMEL KISSES AMAZON LINK

North Pole

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This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as North Pole, then you MUST READ our Christmas stories at ceceliadowdy.com/books. Our Christmas titles are family friendly and terrific! The Christmas book link is also at the end of this blog post.

Did you believe in Santa when you were a kid? If so, how old were you when you stopped believing?

North Pole is one of my favorite Hallmark movies. The reason it’s one of my favorites is because of its’ fantastical element. I loved seeing the scenes where Clementine (an elf) talks to Santa and Mrs. Claus. When Kevin visits the North Pole for the first time…wow, so amazing! Those wonderful lights – the place looks to real – makes me want to visit Santa’s village.

Kevin is having a hard time adjusting to life in a new town. His mom, Chelsea, is a reporter and she’s preoccupied by researching a news story.

Clementine is upset because the lights are getting dimmer in Santa’s village. Children no longer believe in Santa – it’s the belief that causes the energy to flow into the village. North Pole is in jeopardy, so she visits Kevin – a strong Santa believer – to commission him to help to spread Christmas cheer in his small town. If the town has more Christmas cheer, then maybe Santa’s village will continue to thrive.

Kevin’s believe in Santa causes great strive between him and his mom. When he tells his mother about his friendship with elf Clementine, his mother almost loses it. She meets Clementine, mistakenly believing that she’s a regular student at Kevin’s school who has joined Kevin’s Christmas committee.

As with all Hallmark movies, they bake cookies and you see lots of Christmas-themed things.

Unlike most Hallmark movies – this one had a romance that was not the main theme of the movie. Kevin’s and Clementine’s friendship, and their quest to create Christmas cheer, is the main theme of this wonderful story.

The romance element is between Kevin’s mom (Chelsea) and his teacher (Ryan). The romance was sweet and endearing.

Did you believe in Santa when you were a kid? If so, how old were you when you stopped believing?

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as North Pole, then you MUST READ our Christmas stories at ceceliadowdy.com/books. Our Christmas titles are family friendly and terrific! The Christmas book link is also at the end of this blog post.

CHRISTMAS BOOK LINK

Tis the Season to be Merry

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TIS THE SEASON TO BE MERRY – A SHORT PODCAST

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Tis the Season to be Merry, then you MUST READ our romance titles at ceceliadowdy.com/books. The link is at the end of this blog post.

Have you ever fallen in love with the sibling of your best friend?

This movie is about a relationship expert named Merry. The twist is – Merry has no boyfriend. I’m led to believe she’s never been in a serious relationship. When she writes a book about her “perfect” relationship with fiancé Dale, her editor (Sonia) wants to publish the book. The only problem is “Dale” is not real. When Sonia finds out the truth, she forces Merry find a way to make the story work. In other words, her editor wants her to somehow salvage the book so that the publisher will not get in trouble for publishing a non-fiction book about fictional Dale.

Merry and her best friend/co-worker, Darlene, travel to Darlene’s family home so that they can figure out a way to salvage Merry’s book. Darlene’s brother, Adam, surprisingly shows up at home for Christmas. Adam has a job with a non-profit/Red-Cross-style company that assists needy communities around the world.

This movie was so sweet. Merry is looking for a perfect romance – but a perfect romance does not exist. She’s drawn to Adam. I can see why. Adam is HOT! He’s SO GOOD-LOOKING! He reminds me of a lumberjack with his beard. And I was swooning while he was showing Merry his family’s Christmas tree farm.

Merry has a heart-to-heart conversation with Adam and discovers a way to make and revamp her book to suit her publisher’s needs. Of course, Adam and Merry fall in love and are together at the end!

This movie is a must-see over the holidays! Especially the scenes with Adam!

So, have you ever fallen in love with the sibling of your best friend? What happened? Did the two of you get married? Leave a comment!

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing, LLC. If you like movies such as Tis the Season to be Merry, then you MUST READ our romance titles at ceceliadowdy.com/books.

ROMANCE BOOK LINK

Boyfriends of Christmas Past

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Boyfriends of Christmas Past Podcast

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. Come and check out our Christmas romance titles. If you like wholesome, old-fashioned love stories then you will enjoy our books!

Have you ever wondered about your past boyfriends? Ever wonder what would have happened if the two of you had stayed together?

Lauren has been friends with Nate for a long time. She’s always had a hard time with love. She’s been in a number of romantic relationships. Her relationships always end when her significant other expresses his true feelings for her. Whenever one of her past boyfriends say “I love you” Lauren ends the relationship.

In a plot reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, Lauren is taken on a journey to her past relationships. Throughout these breakups, Nate has been there for her. He’s her go-to friend for support. But, Nate is hiding a huge secret. He’s in love with Lauren, but, he’s never found the courage to tell her his feelings. I think he sees that Lauren is scared, too scared to commit to love, and Nate doesn’t want to spoil their friendship by telling her the truth.

Lauren has feelings for Nate and when she is faced with a huge decision, she doesn’t like the feeling of seeing Nate with another woman. 

Lauren’s fear stems from her childhood. A long time ago, her mom abandoned her and her dad at Christmas, as a result, Lauren is fearful of romantic commitments. Just stop and think about that for a minute. Can you imagine being abandoned by your mom as a youngster, and never seeing her again? It’s one thing when your mom dies, but, when your mom willingly abandons you? Can you imagine how that’d make you feel? It’s possible that Lauren didn’t feel worthy of love, which is why she pulled away from her past relationships.

Nate has been patient with Lauren for years, but, he reaches a breaking point. He’s tired of being Lauren’s “safe” supportive friend. He wants something more, and Lauren bravely finds the courage to accept Nate’s love.

This movie shows how hard it is to let go of past pains and learn to embrace the future. This movie was a good, heartwarming Christmas story. 

So, have you ever wondered about past relationships? Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you’d stayed with one of your former boyfriends? Leave a comment!

This blog post is sponsored by Divine Desserts Publishing LLC. If you like good wholesome movies like Boyfriends of Christmas Past then try our Christmas romance novels. Tell your friends by sharing this blog post! Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS BOOK LINK

White Christmas

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Hallmarkies, have you ever had a white Christmas?

If you have, I’d love to hear more about it? Where did you experience your white Christmas? I’d like to know the city, state, town, and country. Did you enjoy your white Christmas? Did you play in the snow?

If you love snow and Christmas, be sure to read Loving Luke – Amazon bestselling romance! Rave reviews from readers! Tell your friends!

So, have you ever experienced a white Christmas? Share your favorite white Christmas pics, if possible!