Forever Friends A Christmas Wish For You CD

Forever Friends launches its first Christmas themed album with Sony Music

Forever Friends has teamed up with Sony to launch a  festive themed album, ‘A Christmas Wish …For You’ which includes a sleigh load of especially chosen Christmas songs.

With 63 tracks featuring a blend of Christmas classics, nostalgic charm and contemporary tracks, this CD will get the whole family in the festive mood and dancing around the living room!  There is something for everyone from the kids to the grandparents, covering all styles and musical tastes.

The CD is available to download from iTunes or to buy from major supermarkets, BHS, HMV or Amazon for about £5.

I was sent a copy to have a listen.  It is definitely a great selection of Christmas songs with artists from Wham! to Bob Dylan to Dean Martin.  It will be perfect background music to play and sing along to while I wrap my presents or prepare Christmas dinner.  It'll also be great for the car to get us all in the Christmas spirit.

 The box is lovely, featuring a cute Forever Friends Bear, wrapped up in a snuggly scarf and mittens. This CD would make a lovely gift or stocking filler and is a great buy for just £5.  

Track Listing

Disc One

1 Westlife - I Have A Dream

2 John Legend - What A Wonderful World

3 Train - Shake Up Christmas

4 Jessica Simpson  - What Christmas Means To Me

5 Christina Aguilera - This Christmas

6 N Sync - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

7 Britney Spears - My Only Wish (This Year)

8 Fiona Apple - Frosty The Snowman

9 Mary Chapin Carpenter - Bells Are Ringing

10 Sara Bareilles - Love Is Christmas

11 Sarah Mclachlan - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

12 Harry Nilsson - Remember (Christmas)

13 Keb' Mo' - We Call It Christmas

14 John Denver - Christmas For Cowboys

15 Dolly Parton - We Three Kings

16 Martina McBride - What Child Is This

17 Charlotte Church - Dream A Dream

18 Jackie Evancho - Believe

19 Peter Autry & Howard Blake - Walking In The Air

20 The Priests - Come All Ye Faithful

21 Plácido Domingo & Luciano Pavarotti - Cantique de nöel (O Holy Night)

 Disc Two

1 Wham! - Last Christmas - Single Version

2 Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone - Single Version - Re-Mastered 2004

3 The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride

4 Bob Dylan - It Must Be Santa

5 Hall & Oates - Jingle Bell Rock

6 Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

7 Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born

8 Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas

9 Gladys Night & The Pips - Do You Hear What I Hear?

10 Boney M - Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord

11 Dana - It's Gonna Be A Cold, Cold Christmas

12 Cyndi Lauper - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

13 Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad

14 The Crystals - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

15 Bette Midler - Cool Yule

16 Aretha Franklin -Kissin By The Mistletoe

17 Michael Bolton - Joy To The World

18 Barry Manilow - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

19 Gloria Estefan - Christmas Through Your Eyes

20 Steve Tyrell -   I'll Be Home For Christmas 

21 Carly Simon  -  Let it Snow

 Disc Three

1 Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2 Doris Day - Winter Wonderland

3 Mel Torme - The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)

4  Perry Como - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

5 The Drifters - White Christmas

6 Patti Page - Christmas Bells

7 Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby - Remastered 2001

8 Dinah Shore & Buddy Clark - Baby, It's Cold Outside 

9  Vic Damone - Deck The Halls

10 Percy Faith & His Orchestra & Chorus - Happy Holiday

11 Tony Bennett - My Favourite Things

12 Dean Martin - A Marshmallow World

13 Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas

14 Johnny Cash - The Little Drummer Boy

15 Jerry Vale - Silver Bells

16 Gene Autry - Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)

17 Jim Reeves - C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S

18 Burl Ives - Santa Mouse

19 Harry Belafonte - I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

20 Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

21 Mahalia Jackson - Silent Night Holy Night

Christmas Traditions Inside the Wendy House 2012

We are now less than 50 sleeps away from Christmas.  Time to start planning for the big day!  For the past few years we have been away on holiday over Christmas.  We enjoyed having someone else do the cooking and washing-up for us, and having activities on hand for everyone to enjoy.  This year however, we are at home.  My grandchild is due on the 18th December so we don't want to be too far away when the baby is born.  So it's the perfect year to give the kids a wonderful Christmas at home and resurrect some of our family traditions.

One of the things we love doing in the run up to Christmas is a whole lot of baking and crafting.  Now Freddy is three he enjoys joining in with his big sisters making cakes or cookies, or getting crafty with glue and glitter.  It is messy but it's so much fun.

The children all get brand new PJ's on Christmas Eve so they can wake up with them on, on Christmas Day in order to pile into our king size bed to open their stockings first thing in the morning.  This is my favourite part of the day, our first taste of Christmas.  It's magical!

Ella will be playing Christmas songs on her guitar and we will all be singing along. Having a houseful of music is such a wonderful gift.  Freddy loves dancing when Ella plays and it is just a beautiful thing to witness.  

Santa will be tracked via NORAD and he will be left his usual snack and tipple along with a carrot for Rudolph.  One year we set up a 'secret camera' and caught Santa partaking in his festive port and mince pie. The children were delighted with the print out of our 'evidence' that we gathered, proving the Big Man had indeed stopped by!  We'll be rigging up the spy camera in the Christmas tree again this year.
 

Evidence that Santa stopped by!


We haven't had a real Christmas tree for the past few years because of Freddy.  I didn't think having the sharp needles around were a good idea with a toddler in the house, but this year he is old enough to appreciate a tree.  We go to a local farm, where a tractor ride takes you out into the field to choose the perfect tree.  I'm looking forward to introducing Freddy to this tradition.  We have some very special baubles that we have bought for the children over the years and they help decorate the tree.

Before me and Ian go to bed, we cover the opening to the living room door with wrapping paper from a big roll.  In the morning the children can burst through it to find the room magically transformed into a wonderland with pressies under the tree and festive goodies arranged on the windowsills.  However old they get, they love the anticipation and excitement of this tradition!

We always try to take time with the present unwrapping to avoid the frenzy of activity that always results in the kids not knowing who they got their presents from.  Gift tags not even looked at in the urgency to rip off the paper!  So, we make sure we stop and think of the person who gave us each present before we dive in.  It makes the children appreciate the value of gift giving.

The rest of our day involves around playing with the latest games and watching the new DVD acquisitions, while surrounded by tins of Celebrations and Heroes!  It's just lovely to relax with the children and simply have fun without any pressure to do anything.

Christmas dinner changes every year as being vegetarian means traditional turkey is off the menu.  I don't know what I'll be serving up, but I know it's going to be good vegetarian fayre!  We also enjoy a special meal on December 21st to celebrate the Winter Solstice, so we get two festive feasts!

Chestnut Bourginogne Pie with a trio of Mashes and Sprouts!

On Christmas Eve we prepare all the vegetables so I don't have to spend too much time stuck in the kitchen on Christmas day.  Prepping everything together with the kids while we sing Christmas tunes is a highlight of the whole Christmas period.

Just thinking about all these traditions has made me feel very excited about Christmas 2012.  Freddy will be able to really enjoy everything this year and Megan will be coming home to spend some time with us. Plus my baby grandson will be born resulting in an impromptu trip to Northampton at some point!  I'm definitely starting to feel festive!

I'm linking up to Circus Mums Christmas Traditions Linky!