a merry olives christmas with friends 2021

After an entire year of quiet on the blog, we are back to share our first COMMUNAL CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST FOR 2021!!! I had the idea last Christmas and excitedly kept it to myself all year. It almost didn't happen because I've been logged off IG since November, but after coming back for my birthday on the 20th (yay!) and my sister repeatedly asking me when the playlist was coming (love you Michi!!), I decided to go for it and am so so happy I did!

Thank you to everyone for sending in your responses! This is most songs I've had in a playlist yet! It's over 2.5 hours long, covers several genres of music, and has songs in three languages. Can you guess which ones? haha I hope you're as excited as I am to hear your picks!! I rearranged the order of the songs so some of your choices are not back to back, but some are! If you have Spotify Premium the best way to listen is straight through. If you don't, I believe it shuffles the songs for you.

My hope and prayer is that this playlist brings a little bit of cheer to you this season, even in the midst of loss, canceled holiday plans, sickness and pain in our world. 

This is why I am so thankful for Jesus - He is our Light, our Strength and our Song; He is the reason for Christmas and the hope we have and carry in our lives no matter what. Wishing you a very merry Christmas everyone! 

With so much love, The Olives

2021 Contributors: G, Fabz, Hannah, Renata, Priscilla, Kevo, Silvia, Jess, Michelle, Joe, Bianca, Lu, Ana, Ashley,  Tia Ana, Yonna, Merc, Kez, Juju, Julie, Ellie, Melissa, Thressa, 

Greg, Taylor, Kristen, and Milla and Les!

a merry olives christmas 2020!

Miami, 2019

You guys! CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!!

I know some of you have already started celebrating and your house décor has been up for weeks! I cast no judgment this year - we all need a little more joy in our lives and Christmas time tends to bring us just that! We have joy because we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ! And to be honest, I don't know how we would have got through the hardships this year would bring without His real and tangible presence in our lives. Also, lighting up the tree, baking all the sweets, singing and dancing to Christmas tunes, getting together with family and gift giving and receiving also make this time of year full of fun and cheer! See what I did there? lol

Speaking of happy things, on this beautiful and quieter than usual thanksgiving evening, I wanted to share for the very first time, released earlier than ever before, our annual Christmas playlist! Woo!!! This year I went all out, adding bits and pieces of our favorite things into this playlist, and there are a few things to notice that make it even more special! For one, this is our longest song list in 7 years! We have 30 songs in total, honoring a very big 30th birthday coming up for me in a few weeks! Also, this playlist is dominated by female voices, from Tori Kelly to Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton too. It wasn't even intentional at first, but I noticed I was adding more and more female artists and decided to keep going as a celebrating of how far women in this country have come this year. Our first female vice president in 2020! YASSS

Another fun detail comes from Jonathan Groff and Leslie Odom being on the list because last month we FINALLY watched Hamilton on Disney plus and loved it so much! Thanks Julie, Dre & Ellie! I brought back some classic voices and songs I've chosen from previous years that I love so much like Hillsong Worships "Peace Upon The Earth" and added Gungor who is on most playlists I've made, and Bing Crosby too! There's an homage to Home Alone and somehow, I found a Christmas song from Barlow girl, who only a few girls from when I was 10 years old would appreciate! Jess, Angie, Fabz and Michelle...that one's for you!! It shouldn't come as a surprise that I could never go without some folky sounds, so She & Him and Handsome & Gretyl did just the job. Finally, one of the artists that got me through my lowest of the low season that 2020 handed me, Maverick City, released a Christmas album at midnight! And that was the final addition to our very meaningful and grand Christmas playlist.

I hope you enjoy our Merry Olives Christmas picks this year! Soak it up and play it loud, IT'S CHRISTMAS!

Can't get enough? Listen to our previous Christmas playlists here: 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019

a merry olives chritmas 2019

After taking most of this year off from the blogging world, we're back for my FAVORITE time of year! Between celebrating the birth of Jesus, pretty twinkle lights, Holiday movies, Christmas hymns, inspirational services, birthday adventures, and really soaking up the last month of the year while preparing to start the new year strong, I love the month of December. Its really a special time to give and receive love from those around us. So, from us to you, merry December 1st! I hope you celebrate the season with our 6th annual Christmas playlist between your favorite holiday tunes. We love you!

Listen to our previous Christmas Playlists (starting in 2014!) on Spotify!

a merry olives christmas 2018

Its here! Our 5th annual Christmas playlist has arrived, and its a good one. I brought some friend and family recommendations into the mix this year and love how it came out. We have Jessie J for the first time which Julie loves, The Oh Hellos who Michelle recommended, with a few of my favs who came out with Christmas albums this year (YES!) like Ingrid Michaelson and John Legend. I added one song from our Anthro Christmas playlist too! And of course, we have the classics like Nat King Cole, Andy Williams and for the very first time, Lionel Richie! We cant have an olives Christmas playlist without worship and folk music too, giving it a a pretty chill and worshipful vibe overall. Its our longest one yet, full of all the good stuff, and I hope you love it as much as I do and receive the feeling of hope through these songs. 

So many classic "Christmas" tunes have nothing to do with Advent, but my goal with these playlists is always the same, remembering the true joy of the season, Jesus coming and bringing everlasting hope to us all. The first and last songs are always a big deal to me when choosing the order. The first is typically super joyous, while the last encompasses the entire playlist. Here are the lyrics to the last song from our 2018 collection called 

"Baby Son" by the amazing John Mark McMillan:

We thought You'd come with a crown of gold
A string of pearls and a cashmere robe
We thought You’d clinch an iron fist
And rain like fire on the politics

But without a sword, no armored guard
But common born in mother's arms
The government now rests upon
The shoulders of this Baby Son

Have you no room inside your heart
The inn is full, the out is dark
But upon profane shines sacred sun
Not ashamed to be one of us

But without a sword, no armored guard
But common born in mother's arms
The government now rests upon
The shoulders of this Baby Son

Gloria, Allelu
Christ the Lord
We’ve longed for You
Gloria, Allelu
Christ the Lord
We've longed for You
Gloria, Allelu
Christ the Lord
We've longed for You

Enjoy it, blast it, sing your hearts out. Christmas time is here <3

Listen to our past Christmas playlists here: 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

a merry olives christmas 2017

12 days before Christmas seems like a good time to finally share our annual Christmas playlist with the world! (better late than never right?) Truth be told, I had this playlist ready by the first week of December. Then G surprised me with tickets to Jersey to attend my bffs baby shower (I mean, sweetest man EVER) and everything else went out the window until the trip.

So, here it is! This years playlist is a little different than years past. Definitely more mellow and worshipful because personally, thats just been what my hearts needed this year; a lot of worship and surrender before God through so much learning and stretching. I still have questions and sometimes doubts, but now with the end of the year soon approaching, I celebrate the one who has been there with me, with us, through it all. I hope you enjoy...

 

Previous merry olives playlists:

2014 (Shhh, this one might still be my favorite. Just don't tell the others!)

2015

2016

a merry olive christmas 2016

MERRY JOLLY HAPPY

Our annual Christmas playlist has arrived and it's just as Classic with some Folk sounding artists in between, as ever! Listening to Christmas music is an every day thing in our household the month of Christmas, so I hope this mix of tunes will bring some joy to you and your loved ones this year. Maybe over baking Christmas cookies or having dinner, we hope you’re blessed by The Brilliance, Gungor, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and The Carpenters to name a few.

And may we remember daily that Jesus coming to us (THANK YOU LORD) is why we celebrate Christmas.

Listen to our previous Christmas playlists here!

2014

2015

a merry olive christmas 2015

IT'S HERE! Our second annual Christmas Playlist! And people, it's a good one. I think it's a perfect blend of folk music (that's you Gungor) and classical tunes (Frank Sinatra + the Carpenters!) with a little bit of something new (like Pentatonix + Johnnyswim). Overall, I wanted to evoke the hope and joy of celebrating Christ's birth into the world, God with us, with depth and a little whimsy. As well as feature some of the little traditions we have as family that get us SUPER excited for the holidays. So...this years mix has a brand new addition: music and words from classic Christmas movies! I know, I know it sounds too good to be true, but from Home Alone to the Grinch, it's all in there. I love how this years playlist turned out, and I hope you will too. Just take a listen and enjoy the sounds of Christmas. We love you Jesus.

*listen to our 2014 playlist HERE

a merry olives christmas 2014

Just a little final paper procrastination to bring you a sweet Christmas playlist I created for this year! Because, you know, these are the last couple days I have to procrastinate on homework before school life is official over! (I hope so.....only God really knows. Please Lord!) Anywhoooooooo, this is our first annual Christmas playlist & as you'll hear, it has a very mellow tone throughout. So, we hope you enjoy our one hour melody of cozy Christmas tunes - maybe before bed cuddled up next to your hunny, or while cookies are baking in the oven, and maybe while decorating the tree. Whatever you please, Enjoy.