Christmas brings about added chores to do such as decorating the tree, wrapping gifts and baking cookies (especially Resse’s cookies! ). Why not put some Christmas tunes into your cd player or ipod to help you do these tasks faster? (or at least you do them in a ‘festive’ mood).

And of course, we can’t forget Christmas music for family parties. Depending on the age group of your party goers, you can play a quantity of the compilation Christmas cd’s or some of the classics from decades ago. Even the younger members will know the older Christmas “number ones”.

For a more formal gathering or dinner party, your Christmas music should be a bit more subdued. Try Il Divo’s The Christmas Collection or Martinis and Mistletoe by various artists. These will set a festive mood for your dinner party but still allow your guests to enjoy their converstations. And of course, we can’t forget about the classics such as Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby or Judy Garland (I absolutely LOVE her version of “Have yourself a Merry Christmas”).

We’re pretty busy and have a tendency to be on the go quite a bit- the holidays are no exception (they’re actually busier as most of you can agree with). Between work and errands, we seem to spend a lot of time in the car. To keep the Christmas spirit while you’re on your way to work (or simply out and about), choose some upbeat Christmas songs to give you a little “pick me up” for the day. I always switch to more soothing music for the way home ( we used to call it “nightime” music when my kids were little….hoping they’d fall asleep in the car!).

You can easily desing your own playlists through iTunes of all your favorite songs, then burn them to a cd and enjoy them during your commute (or just on your iPod at home). What’s great about creating your own playlists is that you can create your own “upbeat” or “soothing” cd’s!

We all get tired of the phone ringing……(at least I know I do), so the holidays certainly dictate a new ring tone on your cell phone (you can even change some home phones). There are a ton of free ring tones in addition to regular Christmas songs that you can use as ringotnes. My personal favorite for my cell phone at Christmas is Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas”….great song!

And last but not least, don’t forget the kids! My kids LOVE the holidays and each have their own favorite Christmas songs (I tend to stay away from the cd’s of kids singing…I prefer the original). Let your kids create their own playlists and be sure to bring their cd’s in the car too!