Hallmark Holiday Movies are my Happy Place

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The truth of the matter is this: I want my life to be like a Hallmark movie.

Now, I know this is impossible. Obviously. Life is not a movie, much less one adapted for a cable television network.

But, I dare to dream.

The reality of the matter is this: we’re living in some scary times, friends.

Turn on your TV, and chances are you are going to see something horrific, fact or fiction. Now, I used to be the person who could easily separate the two and watch just about any fictional show without batting an eye, especially hour-long television dramas. After all, it’s not real – these are just characters, right? 

And then I became a mom.   

I can no longer be a casual viewer or an objective observer of anything with sick kids, missing kids, or kids in danger. It makes me nervous, anxious, and downright scared. As you can imagine, this takes a lot of pop culture off the table for me, and I’m okay with that. 

Enter the magical paradise that is the Hallmark Channel.

Right now we are in the midst of Hallmark’s Christmas Extravaganza. Is it a little over the top that it technically kicked off before Halloween? Perhaps. Do I care? Not one bit.

In Hallmark movies, there are quaint towns where everyone knows your name and coffee order. There are town festivals and tried and true rituals. There are wacky neighbors, quirky best friends, and hometown hunks. There are local shops that are always well patronized by a supportive community. There are picturesque backdrops that are clearly green screens, but hey, that’s okay! There are fairytale love stories that happen in just the course of days. 

But best of all, everything gets wrapped into a neat package complete with a pretty bow and one chaste kiss at the end of 90 minutes.

It’s not a stressful viewing experience, and I’m not on the edge of my seat wondering what plot twist will happen next. Hallmark movies are easy, light-hearted, and fun. Are they cheesy? Of course. Way too predictable? Undoubtedly. But they are exactly what this mama needs – especially in times like these.

As a parent, I wish I could protect my sweet daughter’s innocence in bubble wrap and shelter her from the big, bad world. Of course, I know that this, too, is impossible. There is nothing I can do to shield her from all of the scary things she will one day see that are so very real. It may sound silly, but losing myself in a fluffy feel-good movie makes me feel just a little bit better about the state of the world. 

How wonderful would life be if we were Hallmark happy all of the time? I know this is but a pretend land with rainbows and unicorns in my over-active imagination, but you better believe I intend to enjoy all the festive movies with my feet kicked up and a peppermint hot cocoa. No one can rain on my fa-la-la-la-la parade.

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Mallory Skidmore
Hello! My name is Mallory, and I am a Troy native. I now live in Beavercreek with my husband, our daughter, Greer (May 2016) and son, Smith (Feb. 2019). The first few years of parenthood have taught me that I still have so much to learn! I’m trying to figure it out with a little bit of humor and a lot of humility. I believe that we are our best selves when we are on vacation, that life should be more like a Hallmark movie, that local restaurants are far superior to chains, that birthdays should be week long celebrations, and that you can never have too many library cards.

1 COMMENT

  1. I’m totally with you! Hallmark Christmas movies are my fave! They make me feel happy and festive. My husband might think I’m crazy, but I don’t care. I’ll never quit my Hallmark habit! 😉

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