The holidays come with such anticipation and excitement. Unfortunately, the weeks leading up can also be filled with chaos and loads of preparation. I’ve found that playing lots of holiday music and popping in a holiday movie puts me back where I need to be. Along with some traditional movies that I’ve watched every year, I’ve recently discovered some new titles:

The Family Holiday is a cute movie starring Dave Coulier from “Full House.” It’s an uplifting family movie that is funny and heartwarming…definitely one that will have your children giggling. You can find it on DVD on Amazon.com.

From Leapfrog, there is A Tad of Christmas Cheer. A child-appropriate twist on “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Tad’s family is expecting another baby and he’s not sure where he’ll fit once he’s no longer the baby. His fairy “god-bug” comes to show him what life in his family and town would look like without him. Not only is it a fun holiday movie for kids, but helps parent introduce the topic of a new baby. You can also find A Tad of Christmas Cheer here.

Another fun and enjoyable film is Holidaze: The Christmas that Almost Didn’t Happen. Rusty the Reindeer leaves the North Pole to help Santa find out who’s been good and who’s been naughty. Along the way, he encounters a support group filled with other holiday icons, like Albert, the Thanksgiving Day turkey and, Candie, the Easter Bunny. Holidaze: The Christmas that Almost Didn’t Happen is a stop-animation film with voices you will recognize, like Fred Savage, Gladys Knight, and John O’Hurley. Click here to pick up your own copy.

I’ve also kept my eyes open for any progamming that could help me introduce other holidays to my son. One of our favorite programs, Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies has an episode dedicated to Kwanzaa. It is airing this weekend on PBS! KIDS and will re-broadcast on December 22 and December 23. In it Mama Mirabelle hosts a Kwanzaa celebration that leads to a discussion on animal families. Be sure to check out your local listings to catch it.