Top 5 Holiday Decorated Businesses in Laguna Beach

Want to get in the holiday spirit? You don't have to go to the snow for that! You can do it right here in Laguna Beach. Here's my list of the top 5 holiday decorated businesses in Laguna (excluding hotels).

5. Laguna Cyclery – 240 Thalia Street. Bicycle shop – sales, service, rentals. Near Glenneyre. Really cool icicle lights, colored lights, Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays painted on windows, really colorful. The regular look of the building has a lot to do with it too, because it looks like a building you’d see in Vermont or somewhere, so the holiday look really brings you to a colder climate.

4. Madison Square & Garden Café – 320 N. Coast Hwy. Based on what you see right now, this would have scored much higher, BUT they have a ton of stuff decorating the front of the restaurant all year round. They did add toy soldiers, trees, lit up wreaths, etc. Definitely worth a look.

3. Anything Canine Concierge Boutique – 357 S. Coast Hwy. Near Main Beach. Wins the cute factor contest! The whole window is full of adorable dogs – stuffed animals, Dalmatian wearing a Santa hat, an umbrella covering a bunch of dogs. A tree decorated completely with dog toys. Other window – Hanukkah display. They get extra points for that! A big menorah, more dogs, Jewish stars, lights. And then you have Frosty the Snowman blown up holding a big candy cane that says North Pole on it. You may miss it driving by, so park the car or take a stroll and check it out.

2. The English Garden – 1199 S. Coast Hwy. Specialize in exquisite floral designs. Just beautiful. Classy. Snow-covered trees, deer, snowflakes, trees in background covered in all red lights, tiny little houses glistening with glitter, silver bows. So peaceful and tastefully done.

1. The Black Iris – 2950 S. Coast Hwy. Florist and fine gifts. NO CONTEST! Winner hands down. Takes over a good portion of the block. A few windows have snow-covered trees, but the front is truly magical! It’s like being in Santa’s Workshop. We see Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a moving ferris wheel, tons of trees and lights everywhere. It’s an entire village. In another window, another Santa – looks real. Huge, beautiful ornaments. So intricate. Simply gorgeous. So impressive! It’s better than any department store display I’ve ever seen.

I suggest checking these businesses out at night, because the lights really add a lot to the displays. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

To Heck with Christmas Tradition!

You know the traditional Christmas movies that come to mind every December, but there are countless feature films that take place around Christmas that aren't really about the holiday or have Christmas as the backdrop for certain scenes. Here's a list of some of them that are available on DVD for your viewing pleasure (and displeasure - let's face it... some of them are not so good!). Be sure to add YOUR favorites to the list! Happy holidays!!!

Die Hard
Gremlins
Lethal Weapon
Trading Places
Batman Returns
The Family Man
Beautiful Girls (A young Natalie Portman is the standout in this ensemble cast of adults.)
Bridget Jones's Diary
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
LA Confidential
Brazil
Powder Blue
The Last Boy Scout
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Go
I Am Legend
First Blood
Screwed
Surviving Christmas
Psycho
Ghostbusters II
The Ice Harvest
The Proposition
The Ref
Reindeer Games
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Just Friends
Diner
The Thin Man
Metropolitan
Eyes Wide Shut
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
When Harry Met Sally...
Man on the Moon
Little Women
Serendipity
Cast Away
Sleepless in Seattle
You've Got Mail

A Christmas Gift List For You

With Christmas only a few days away and most of you hopefully getting some well-deserved time off and family time, I thought I'd give you a list of Christmas movies(feature films) available on DVD. If your favorite is missing, I'd love it if you'd add it. Thanks... and ho ho ho! I'll do a non-traditional Christmas movie list tomorrow!

A Christmas Story (My personal favorite - Peter Billingsley rocks!)
Love Actually (A heartwarming movie for any time of year.)
It's a Wonderful Life
Home Alone
Elf ("Santa! I know him!!!")
The Santa Clause
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street (The original is best, but you can watch both!)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
The Polar Express
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Scrooged
The Muppet Christmas Carol
White Christmas
Four Christmases
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
The Family Stone
The Holiday
Bad Santa
A Christmas Carol (So many versions to choose from!)
All I Want for Christmas
Holiday Inn
Christmas in Connecticut
Holiday Affair
We're No Angels
Black Christmas (Scary!)

And to get in the spirit of Hanukkah, there's always Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights