Ornament Review: Cookie Cutter Christmas #15 - Making Stockings - 2026 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Another cute scene in a fun frame

Cons: Scenes isn’t obvious at first

The Bottom Line:

Getting stockings set

Creates charming Christmas scene

Does need second look

The Stocking Were Made by the Chimney with Care

It’s fun to see what Hallmark’s artists come up with each year for the series I track.  While I don’t always buy them, I do enjoy seeing the creativity.  One of the most creative is the Cookie Cutter Christmas series, and this year’s entry is another fun one.

Each ornament in the series features a Christmas scene starring a mouse inside a cookie cutter shape.  This year, the shape is a Christmas tree.  The mouse inside?  He’s working on a stocking.  We can already see the red stocking hung by the fireplace, and he’s now working on a green stocking.  It looks like he’s putting the white bow on top.  We can see the fire in the background, and gingerbread walls.  And the mouse has a blue blanket on his lap.  The arms of his chair?  Candy canes, of course.

I’ll admit, I had to look closely at this one to figure out what was going on.  The candy canes looked a bit like the posts on a bed, and the blanket made me think this was a bed scene at first.  But that’s my only complaint.  Once you look closely, you can see the cute scene unfolding.  We’ve only ever seen this mouse by himself, so the idea that he has someone else makes me smile.

While the Christmas tree shape does have a bit sticking out at the bottom, the base is still nice a sturdy.  You can set this out to be displayed if you want.

The loop for hanging the ornament is at the top of the star.  No surprise that it hangs straight.

As always, the back of the ornament features the series marker.  And, in a detail I love, it also includes a handle for the cookie cutter part of the design.

While the scene took a second look, overall, this addition to the Cookie Cutter Christmas series is fun.

Enjoy more of the Cookie Cutter Christmas ornaments.

Ornament Review: Sandal the Sandman #5 - A Christmas Trees of Shells - 2026 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Classy looking and creative final entry

Cons: A bit monochromatic; noticeable tilt

The Bottom Line:

Building a shell tree

As series comes to an end

Have warm memories

Sandal Sadly Says Goodbye with Another Tree

I wasn’t surprised when Hallmark announced that this year would be the last for the Sandal the Sandman ornament series.  While I have really enjoyed the series, it’s beach theme was going to be a hard sell for a lot of people.  But I do love the symmetry since it goes out with Sandal creating another tree.

As the name implies, the series has featured a beach twist on the classic Christmas character.  Instead of a snowman, we have a sandman.  Sandal wears a blue and white striped scarf (or is that a beach towel?) and a wide beach hat.  And he has beach friends.  In this case, Sandal is joined by a turtle.

The first year, Sandal was decorating a palm tree to get in the Christmas spirit.  This year, he’s creating a tree, but it’s out of beach shells.  It’s white and gold and in a traditional Christmas tree shape.  And he’s putting a star fish on the top.

The animals in this series have always been a bit cartoony, and that holds true of the turtle in this ornament.  It’s also one of the few splashes of color.  The ornament is very white between the sand and the majority of the shells being a silver color.

But I do like it.  It is very classy looking and such a fun twist on the traditional Christmas images.  As a Southern California resident, it’s these little touches that I’ve been enjoying for the entire series.  Again, I get that not everyone would like it, but I love it.

As always, the ornament features a nice flat base, so the ornament can be put out for display on any flat surface if you want to add it to a scene.  You’ll also find the 5 in a Christmas tree on the bottom.

The ornament does tip a little to the right, which isn’t a surprise given where the loop is.  I wonder why it wasn’t shifted a bit to the right to help balance things.  Maybe the hat brim isn’t as strong as I’m thinking it is.

I do wish this series had gotten to go on longer, but I’m glad that Hallmark tried something different with it.  Sandal’s fans will be happy with this last entry in the series.

Warm up with the rest of the Sandal the Sandman ornaments.

Book Review: The Glass Thief by Gigi Pandian (Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries #6)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Another engrossing story

Cons: All cons shattered like glass

The Bottom Line:

A locked room murder

Plus a missing statue make

For compelling book

Treasure, a Ghost Story, and a Locked Room Murder

In recent years, author Gigi Pandian has become known for locked room mysteries.  That wasn’t as much the case with her early Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries, but she did weave a locked room into the excellent sixth entry, The Glass Thief.

In case you aren’t familiar with the series, Jaya is a history professor living in San Francisco, but she’s discovered a talent for finding historical treasures lost to time.  In fact, she’s made a name for herself doing that.  But it is still a surprise when she gets a package from reclusive author Rick Coronado.  Her love of his best-selling Gabriela Glass novels is well known, but he hasn’t written anything in seven years.  Now, he’s working on his next book and wants Jaya’s feedback on it since it is written in her honor.

The story involves a man murdered twice in the family’s supposedly haunted mansion days before Christmas.  Along with the impossible crime, the statue of the Serpent King was stolen.  Yet, no additional footprints were found in the snow.  As Jaya begins to realize the story is heavily based on something that really happened, a dead body turns up in San Francisco.  Can Jaya sort truth from fiction, solve two murders, and figure out what happened to the missing statue?

If my teaser was a little confusing for you, don’t worry.  My summary may not be good, but the way the book unfolds, everything happening is very clear.  I was caught up in the story from the beginning and there are some twists along the way that just upped the stakes.  I couldn’t wait to see how it would all unfold.  Yes, a couple of twists were a little sudden in their reveal, but we do get explanations and everything does make sense if you are paying attention.

As always, this book is part travelogue, with stops in Paris and Cambodia.  I enjoy that part of the book as well.  It makes me want to go visit those places.

And yes, we do get some updates on the supporting players in the series, although I would have liked more than a brief mention for one of the characters.  A subplot involving Jaya’s personal life feels earned.  Meanwhile, the new characters feel real no matter how much page time they get.

Despite the story being set at Christmas time, that element isn’t a huge feature of the book.  So don’t expect a cozy Christmas story.  But the few touches that were there made me smile.

While I do still have a collection of Jaya Jones short stories to go, this does feel like a nice ending for the character.  If her adventures did end here, I would have been satisfied.  However, knowing that Jaya will be back in a new book next summer makes me very happy.  I can’t wait to see what she and her friends are up to next.

The Glass Thief mixes elements so seamlessly, you won’t even think about it.  Instead, you’ll be caught up in another whirlwind story.

Enjoy the rest of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries.

Ornament Review: The Perfect Gift - Spotlight on Snoopy #29 - 2026 Hallmark Release

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Cute scene with good friends

Cons: Could be part of regular line

The Bottom Line:

Friend giving a gift

Makes for a cute ornament

But a series piece?

Not a Perfect Addition to the Series

As I’ve long stated, I’ve been collecting the Spotlight on Snoopy series long before I started collecting Hallmark ornaments in general.  It’s why the newest addition to the series is always the first one I review each year.  But not every ornament grabs me, and The Perfect Gift, the 2026 entry in the series, is one of those.

As always, the ornament features Snoopy and Woodstock.  They are both wearing red hats, and Snoopy has a red and white striped scarf on as well.  Woodstock is holding a present wrapped in green paper with a tiny red bow on it.

Now, it isn’t that the ornament is bad.  It’s a cute scene.  But it is a bit simple, and that’s definitely one thing that doesn’t make it stand out.  Granted, the ornaments don’t always include something big to help tell the story, but I do enjoy the ones that do.

But I think my biggest issue is that this feels like it would be a regular line ornament and not part of the series.  Yes, we have had ornaments with a Christmas theme over the years, like the very first ornament.  But most of them have other themes, and that’s what makes the series so fun for me.

Again, it’s not that the ornament is bad, but it isn’t a top ornament in the series.

Snoopy and Woodstock are standing out in the snow, so the ornament has a nice flat base.  You could set this out to be displayed without any worries about it falling over.  And you’ll find the 29 in a Christmas tree series marker on the back.

Looking at the picture, I thought the ornament would tilt.  I was basing this on where the hook for hanging the ornament is.  But I am happy to report that it hangs straight.

The Perfect Gift is cute.  But it’s not going to be an ornament I regularly pull out from this series.

Shine the light on the rest of the Spotlight on Snoopy series.

Ornament Review: Christmas Is...a Warm Hug - Christmas Is #2 - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Cute Peanuts ornament

Cons: A bit simple for the price; size; tips

The Bottom Line:

Hug that brings a smile

Ornament does have issues

Still appeals to fans

Simple…but Still Warm

I caved.  I wasn’t going to get the second in Hallmark’s Christmas Is… ornament series.  In fact, I was ready to start reviewing 2026 ornaments this week (watch for that first 2026 ornament review to come next week).  But I decided to go ahead and get Christmas Is…a Warm Hug, the second ornament in the series.

This series features Peanuts characters enjoying heartwarming Christmas traditions.  Not all of them are the traditional traditions.  And that’s what we’ve got here.  Lucy is kneeling on the floor giving Snoopy a huge hug.  Her arms are around his neck, and both of them have smiles on their faces.

Considering how little use Lucy has for Snoopy, this is especially heartwarming.  It’s enough to make this Peanuts fan smile.

So, why didn’t I get it right away?  Part of that is price.  With the jump in prices last year, I cut back.  (I should stop since I was out of room years ago, but that’s another discussion).  The other reason is that this one is very simple.  It’s just the two of them.  And the ornaments in this series are a little larger than I would like.  Plus, outside the writing on the base, there is nothing to connect this to Christmas at all.

But that hug.  It’s just so cute.  It even warmed my heart.

Lucy and Snoopy are on a large circular base.  Around the front, we have “Christmas is…a Warm Hug” written.  And, on the bottom, we not only have the series marker, but a graphic celebrating the 75^th anniversary of Peanuts, which was in 2025, when the ornament came out.

Unfortunately, when you go to hang this ornament, it does tip quite a bit to the left.  Yes, you can use a tree branch to support it, but it’s a shame they couldn’t figure out a way to balance the ornament fully.

Christmas Is…a Warm Hug is a cute ornament.  Any Peanuts fan will find themselves warmed by getting it.

See more of the Christmas Is… series.

Ornament Review: Two Turtle Doves - Twelve Days of Christmas #2 - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great looking ornament 

Cons: A bit bigger than I like

The Bottom Line:

Turtle doves couple

Basis for series second

Still large but looks good

Loving This Second Twelve Days Ornament

I’m laughing at myself. First, I said I wasn’t starting the new Twelve Days of Christmas series that Hallmark started in 2024. Then, I got the first ornament after Christmas and I told myself I would see how I felt the next year whether I continued it or not. At least I waited until after Christmas to buy Two Turtle Doves. 

This new take on the series is using papercraft elements. The shape of the ornament is a giant window shape. Right in the middle, we have the two birds. One is in front of the other, but they are positioned in their nest so that they are looking at each other. Surrounding them we have music and evergreen tree branches. And up at the top is a hole that lets some light into the ornament, depending on how you position it. 

I really do like the style of this series. I’m not sold on papercraft for everything, but as another stylized take on the familiar song, it works well. The birds are a pretty lavender color. 

My issue with the series continues to be the size. This is the larger size ornaments that Hallmark sometimes does. I can see why they went with it here, but still, it takes up a lot of area on my trees. 

In addition to the series marker, but back of the ornament contains the full verse of the song.

The ornament comes with a ribbon already in it. No surprise that it hangs straight. The base is wide enough that you could set this out to be displayed if you wanted.  A good bump could cause it to tip over, but it should be stable in most situations.

Yeah, I think I’m in for the next ten years to get the rest of this series. With the increases in price we got last year, that’s going to be expensive.

But that’s future me’s problem. For now, I’m glad I snagged Two Turtle Doves. 

Check out the rest of this Twelve Days of Christmas series. 

Ornament Review: Gardener Mickey - All About Mickey #4 - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Mickey representing gardeners

Cons: I can’t garden as well as Mickey

The Bottom Line:

Highlighting hobby

Mickey shows off his green thumb

Its appeal grows

I Hope Mickey Has a Greener Thumb Than I Do 

I was planning to only buy the ornaments in the All About Mickey series that I really connected with. Yet, somehow, I wound up with Gardener Mickey after Christmas. And I’m glad I got it. 

Each ornament in this series features Mickey enjoying a hobby or interest outside of his movie career. And this year, he’s showing off his gardening skills. He’s dressed in blue overalls with a hat on his head. In one hand, he has a trowel. In the other, he’s holding a potted plant. There aren’t any flowers on it, but it is green and looks healthy. 

And I’m sure all the gardening Disney fans were anxious to get it. Why did I hesitate? Because my attempts at gardening end in a dead plant. Usually, I forget to water, but sometimes I water too much. And the planters I had on my balcony were killed off by a squirrel and I couldn’t get him to leave my planters alone. I wish I could grow some flowers. But I just can’t get them to stay alive. 

But this is about Mickey and not me. 

As I was saying, gardeners will love this one. It’s a cute homage to an important skill and rewarding hobby. 

Mickey is standing for this ornament, but his feet are position such that he is balanced precariously if you set him out. He will likely fall over easily, but it’s best to plan to hang him from your tree.

When you do that, you’ll find he hangs a little to the right, but not enough to be a big issue.  Tree branches will easily hide it.

You’ll find the series marker on the bottom of his feet. 

Gardener Mickey really is a cute ornament. Which is why I am glad it wound up being added to my collection. 

You know it’s All About Mickey, so get more of the ornaments. 

Ornament Review: Sandal the Sandman #4 - Eating a Sandwich - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Sandal is still cute

Cons: How is this Christmassy?

The Bottom Line:

Enjoying picnic

Doesn’t tie to holiday

Ornament is cute

Picnic at the Beach

I was planning on passing on the fourth Sandal the Sandman ornament from Hallmark until I saw the series was ending with the fifth this year. So, I went ahead and snagged the fourth at a discount so I can have the entire series. 

For this entry, Sandal is enjoying a sandwich. He’s split it with his seagull friend. He’s about to take a bite, and from the look on his face, and he’s very happy about it. The Seagull? He doesn’t look quite as convinced. 

Here’s my issue with this ornament - how is it Christmas? What I’ve enjoyed about the series is the beach twist on Christmas traditions. This feels more like a picnic that could happen any time of the year. Now, I did like the ornament that featured Sandal paddleboarding, but that was an extra ornament, not an official part of the series. 

I do like that Sandal is wearing a beach hat and has a beach towel as a scarf. Those touches are fun. 

Since Sandal and his friend are on the beach, this has a nice flat base, so you can set it out to be displayed year-round. And the series marker is on the bottom of the ornament. 

When you go to hang the ornament, you’ll find that it tips slightly forward, but this isn’t anything that can’t be hidden by a few branches. 

The ornament itself is cute, But I wish this entry in the Sandal the Sandman series had a better holiday activity. 

Warm up with the rest of the Sandal the Sandman ornaments.

Ornament Review: From Sketch to Screen - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun ornament of Mickey as an animator

Cons: Significant tip

The Bottom Line:

Mickey is drawing

In creative ornament

But really does lean

Mickey Tries His Hand at Animation

I really liked last year’s From Sketch to Screen ornament from Hallmark, but with the price increases, it was hard to justify getting it.  But I jumped on it when it went on sale after Christmas, and I’m glad I did.

This ornament features Mickey as an animator.  He’s wearing a cap and sitting at a large desk.  He’s holding a pad of paper in one hand, and you can tell he is concentrating at drawing Chip.

There are so many great details to this ornament, like the reference drawings or the cup of coffee.  I just love those details.

Since the biggest part of this ornament is a desk, it’s no surprise to me that it could easily be set out to be displayed.  In fact, since there is nothing truly Christmassy about it, you could enjoy it year-round.  I’ve had mine out for the last couple of weeks, and I’m really enjoying it.

However, when you go to hang it, you’ll find it tips significantly to the left.  Yes, you could use tree branches to disguise or support it, but it is rather surprising just how much it leans if you can’t do that.

But that’s the only flaw in this ornament for me.  Disney fans will love having From Sketch to Screen in their collection.

Ornament Review: A World Within #11 - Grandma in a Cupcake - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Sweet miniature ornament

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

Visiting grandma

Is sweeter than usual

When house is cupcake

A Sweet Ornament

I did pretty well in 2025 cutting back on ornaments. And yes, that was cutting back. And yes, I should still do more. However, I couldn’t quite resist getting a few more ornaments after Christmas when they went on sale. The first of those was last year’s entry in the A World Within series. 

This ornament features a grandmother. She’s standing in her doorway waving at us. she’s dressed in green with a red and white apron. And what’s her house? Why, it’s a cupcake, of course. It’s got a red foil, white frosting, and green sprinkles. 

Just a reminder that this is a miniature series, so the ornament is only an inch and a half tall. As long as you remember that, you’ll be fine. 

Even though it wasn’t one of the ornaments I knew I had to get, I still thought it was cute. I’m glad it was left over after Christmas so I could get it added to my collection. 

Since this is essentially a miniature cupcake, it has a nice flat bottom. You can set it out to be displayed as long as it isn’t going to get lost from your display. 

And you’ll find the 11 in a Christmas tree series marker on the bottom. 

The ornament hangs straight, which is no surprise since it’s a cupcake. 

This entry in the World Within series is sweet. I’m glad I was able to track it down. 

Enjoy the rest of the A World Within series. 

Book Review: Birth of the Black Orchids by M. R. Dimond (Black Orchid Enterprises #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters I already love

Cons: The mysteries are after thoughts

The Bottom Line:

Meet trio of friends

Enjoyable to visit

But plots are not strong

Two Cozy Stories Introduce Us to a Fun New Trio

Every so often, it’s fun to dig around and see just what you might uncover from your to be read pile. That’s how I picked Birth of the Black Orchids. While this wasn’t what I was hoping for, I can see how others would enjoy it. 

This book is really two separate longish short stories that introduce us to JD Thomas and his friends Dianne Cortez and Johnny Ly. They have moved into a mansion in the town of Beauchamp, Texas. They have separate rooms upstairs and are opening businesses downstairs, lawyer, accountant, and vet. Days before Christmas, they hold an open house to show off the renovations and promote their businesses. Might something go wrong? Then, a couple of weeks later, a neighbor they are supposed to be helping vanishes. Where might she have gone?

Let me be perfectly clear. I really like this trio. They are fun, and their dynamic is great. While we don’t get the full background on them, you can feel the bonds between them. I enjoyed spending time with them. 

However, neither story had much going on in it. This is especially true of the first story, but even the second was uneven. Yes, there is a crime that the trio is able to solve both times, but it felt more like an after through than a main focus. 

But again, if you are looking for cozy vibes, you’ll find this book perfectly draws you in. And the Christmas setting of the first story helps add to the charm. 

So, if you are looking for a book light on the mystery but strong on the cozy, you’ll be glad you picked up Birth of the Black Orchids. 

Ornament Review: Ride Around the Kingdom - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun piece for Disneyland’s carrousel

Cons: Doesn’t stand, tips slightly

The Bottom Line:

Trip on carrousel

Mickey enjoying magic

Fun for fans of ride

Mickey is Enjoying a Royal Trip

Being the DisNerd that I am, I really do enjoy this unofficial series of Mickey Mouse on various rides around the Disney theme parks.  For 2025, he took a ride on King Arthur Carrousel with Ride Around the Kingdom.

Yes, this ornament is pretty much what you’d expect.  Mickey is sitting on a highly decorated carrousel horse.  It’s a mostly white horse, but it’s got multiple colors painted on it to represent saddle, bridle, and various other ribbons and decorations.  It looks very nice and festive, which is always good.  Mickey is turned so he is waving and smiling at us.

I learned a couple of years ago that the carrousels in the two parks here in the US have different names.  Yes, I know that this ornament is for Disneyland’s King Arthur Carrousel because it is right there on the box.  Unless Hallmark printed different boxes for the Eastern part of the country, which I don’t think happened in this case.

I don’t tend to ride the carrousel when I’m in the park, so this isn’t quite the draw for me that some of the others have been.  But I do still like it.  It’s a fun reminder of Disney’s take on a classic theme park attraction.

Given the nature of the ornament, I’m sure it’s no surprise to say it doesn’t stand on its own.  The pole is actually sticking out at the bottom, and it’s too narrow to balance the ornament.  Even if it weren’t there, the horse’s hooves aren’t positioned in a way that would allow the ornament to stand.

Which means you have to hang the ornament.  The loop is at the top of the pole, and when you slip a hook through it, you’ll find that the ornament tips back slightly.  It is noticeable if you are looking for it, but it isn’t too bad.  The ornament still looks good, and you’ll never notice once you get some tree branches around it.

This may not be my favorite ride, but I know others who do enjoy it.  They will love Ride Around the Kingdom even more than I do.  And yes, I am still glad to have it in my collection.

Ornament Review: Winter Fun with Snoopy #28 - Shoveling Snow - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Cute scene

Cons: But is it fun?

The Bottom Line:

Doing wintry chore

Snoopy, Woodstock make cute scene

But does not seem fun

You’ve Got a Weird Definition of Fun

Snoopy has enjoyed quite a few fun things over the course of the Winter Fun with Snoopy series.  I do have to seriously question if he’s really have fun in the twenty-eighth entry in the series since he’s shoveling snow.

The ornament itself is great as always.  Snoopy has a shovel that is about half his size, but he’s using it to push the show that has recently fallen.  Woodstock is along for the ride as always.  And, in this case, literally.  You see, he’s sitting on the snow in front of the shovel that Snoopy is pushing.  Snoopy is wearing a purple cap and blue scarf while he does this work. 

Now, I’ll be the first to confess I’m not a cold weather or snow person.  But seriously, who finds shoveling snow fun?  I feel like this might be a sign that the series is running out of ideas.

That aside, I do like the ornament itself.  It’s a cute scene and I just love the idea of Woodstock catching a ride instead of working.

Do remember that this is one of Hallmark’s miniature series.  The ornament is only about an inch tall.  So keep that in mind before you buy it.

Because Snoopy is standing on a snowy path, the ornament has a nice, solid base, so you can easily set it out to be displayed if you so desire.  You’ll find the 28 in a Christmas tree on the bottom of this base.

When you go to hang the ornament, you’ll find it tips just a little to the left.  But you have to be watching for it.

While I might have my issues with whether this is fun or not, I do enjoy this Winter Fun with Snoopy ornament overall.  If you are a Peanuts and mini ornament fan, you’ll like it, too.

Check out the rest of the Winter Fun with Snoopy ornaments.

Ornament Review: Season's Treatings #17 - Charcuterie Board - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Festive salty treats

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

Lay out salty treats

Diff’rent focus for series

But it’s still a treat

Some Treats for Your Salty Tooth

So far, the ornaments in the Season’s Treatings series have focused on sweet treats.  And, when it comes to Christmas, I usually do think of those sweet treats.  But this year, the series took a turn and is presenting something for those who enjoy salty snacks with a festive charcuterie board.

The board is shaped like a Christmas tree.  While the face of the board is white, it has a fun green border.  Up at the top of the tree, I mean board, we have a spread ball decked out to look like Rudolph complete with a red nose.  His antlers are pretzels and his eyes are olives.  Also on the board, we have a snowman spreader, crackers, a piece of Swiss cheese, and another spread.

The good ornaments in this series always make my mouth water, and this one is no exception.  Obviously, it’s watering for appetizers instead of dessert with this one, but the result is the same.  I love the creativity of the Rudolph ball.  And the rest look good enough to eat.  I have to keep reminding myself it’s fake.

As with most of the ornaments in this series, you can lay it out, but it is fairly flat.  It makes sense given when it is supposed to represent.  But this wouldn’t look that good even as part of a display if it isn’t hanging.

Fortunately, the hook is in the Rudolph spread, and the ornament hangs straight.  It’s looking very good on my tree.

And you’ll find the 17 in a Christmas tree on the back of the ornament.

Those who enjoy salty snacks and have been waiting their turn in the Season’s Treatings series will be thrilled with this charcuterie board.  Since I’m an equal opportunity snacker, I’m enjoying it as well.

Enjoy the rest of the Season’s Treatings ornaments.

Book Review: Five Golden Wings by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #38)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great characters, laughs, and Christmas spirit

Cons: Mystery could have been a little stronger, but it’s a minor issue

The Bottom Line:

Two Christmas weddings

Bring chaos before murder

Laughs, holiday cheer

Dueling Weddings and Murder at Christmas

At this point, it’s a tradition for me to read Donna Andrews’s latest Meg Langslow Christmas Mystery in the middle of December. While the mysteries don’t always revolve around the holiday these days, the Christmas spirit is still strong. The latest, Five Golden Wings, is a perfect example of that. 

If you have missed this long running series, it follows Meg and her extended circle of family and friends. They are mostly set is a small college town in Virginia. While this is book 38 in the series, you can mostly pick these up in random order and enjoy time with these characters. 

This book finds Meg and her mother helping to organize two weddings for two of Meg’s younger cousins set to take place the Saturday before Christmas. Unfortunately, these young women are constantly feuding, so the weddings are taking place back-to-back, even though they are sharing the venues. The two brides bring nothing but drama in the days leading up to their events, and that’s before Meg finds the wedding photographer dead. Unfortunately, the suspect list is long, including members of the bridal party. Can Meg figure out what happened?

As you can see, the plot doesn’t really revolve around Christmas. Having said that, I have had friends who got married this time of year, so Christmas weddings are a thing. And the book still infuses Christmas into the story with some subplots and talk about Christmas traditions. At this point, mentioning some of these things are enough to make me smile since they’ve played larger parts in previous books. They feel like my traditions, too.

The mystery itself got over shadowed a bit by the wedding drama. The resolution, while logical was a bit abrupt. 

But I didn’t mind because I was having fun. Any fan of the series will tell you these books will make you smile and laugh, and this one is no exception. Some of the wedding stuff was pure gold. 

And there are the characters. At this point, Meg’s family, at least the ones we see regularly, feels like my family, and it’s so wonderful to spend time around them. The new characters are just as entertaining. There may not be too much growth from one book to the next, but I don’t mind. They work for this series, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Visiting these characters, especially this time of year, is like wrapping up in a warm blanket. If you are looking for a great cozy mystery to enjoy this time of year, you won’t go wrong with Five Golden Wings. 

Here are the rest of the Meg Langslow Mysteries. 

Book Review: Home for the Homicides by Rosalie Spielman (Hometown Mysteries #4)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good Christmas set mystery

Cons: Some of the characters’ ages didn’t work for me

The Bottom Line:

Mayhem at Christmas

Who is behind the attacks?

Great seasonal read

Who is the Christmas Grinch?

At the beginning of the year, I hadn’t read any of Rosalie Spielman’s Hometown Mysteries.  And here I am finishing up book four, Home for the Homicides.  Obviously, I’m enjoying the series, and this book was no exception.

The first book introduced us to Tessa Treslow, who has just retired from a career in the United States Army.  In that first book, she just intended to return to her hometown of New Oslo, Idaho, for a short visit until she decided where to move permanently, but she wound up deciding to stay.

This book opens in the middle of December.  New Oslo has been subjected to some pranks in the last few days, but things are about to escalate.  First, Tessa and her aunt Edna find a man who was car jacked and left on the side of the road.  Then, various businesses in town are being vandalized.  But when a murder victim is found at the sight of a fire, Tessa really steps up her sleuthing.  Can she figure out who is responsible before things take a second deadly turn?

Because of the seemingly random nature of the attacks, it’s hard to zero in on a suspect or motive.  That frustrates the police and Tessa, who isn’t exactly working with them but isn’t exactly discouraged from doing a little sleuthing on her own.  Quite often, I would find a story like this frustrating since I don’t feel like the story is really moving forward.  That wasn’t the case here.  Yes, I did think about it, but the way the story was evolving did make it feel like we were moving forward even if it was slowly.  While we do reach a logical conclusion, a couple of things are still a little ambiguous at the end.  In this case, it does work, but it’s not quite the tight solution I’m used to and prefer.

My bigger issue with the book was the ages of the characters we met along the way.  I feel like we were missing a generation in the family tree, which kept bugging me.

On the other hand, it was great to spend more time with Tessa, Edna, and the rest of the regulars.  I love Tessa’s family, and we got to meet more of them in this book, which was great.  The relationships feel real, and this is a family I would love to spend more time with.  We’ve gotten to know others in the community, and while we didn’t see quite as much of some of them as in books past, I did enjoy their page time as well.

And this book has a nice Christmas vibe going for it.  It adds to the story in some creative ways and is definitely a story we could only get at this time of the year.

If you haven’t started this series yet, you are in for a treat.  Home for the Homicides gives us a nice holiday visit that fans will enjoy.

Plan for return visits to the Hometown Mysteries.

Ornament Review: Deck the Shelves - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun ornament for book lovers

Cons: Green books tend to blend into the tree

The Bottom Line:

Books stacked like a tree

Making readers’ spirits bright

A fun ornament

How Could This Book Lover Resist?

If you’ve noticed, I typically get pop culture or series ornaments from Hallmark.  But I do look at the rest of the line.  Even though I was cutting back on ornaments this year, Deck the Shelves caught my eye, and I knew I had to get it.

As the title suggests, this is an ornament for book lovers.  The ornament is framed like a Christmas tree, with the sides being painted to look like wood.  Inside, we have three shelves, each filled with books that are various shades of green.  There’s a star on top.  And each shelf has a decoration of some sort.  Two of them have ornaments, and one has a second star.

I mean, really, how could I not get this ornament?  It’s cute and fun and makes me smile.  I’ll confess that many of my Hallmark ornaments don’t wind up on my tree each year, but I have a feeling this one will need to be part of my permanent rotation.

I do wish the books weren’t all green.  I get it, they are supposed to help represent the tree.  And they are various shades of green, which makes the ornament more interesting to look at.  But it does tend to blend into the tree a bit.  I prefer ornaments in other colors so they stand out more.  And this is coming from someone who loves green.  But that’s my only complaint.

The base of the tree is nice and wide and flat, so you can set this out to display year-round if you wanted to.  And when you go to hang the ornament, you’ll find that it hangs straight.

When I bought this ornament in November (I spread out my purchases), I bought the last one in my store, so I’m not the only one who likes this one.  If you want to add Deck the Shelves to your collection, I suggest you do so quickly.

Ornament Review: Kronk and the Squirrel - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Captures Kronk and a squirrel friend perfectly

Cons: You owe me no cons

The Bottom Line:

Kronk and a squirrel

Movie fans will love this pose

It’s making me smile

This Ornament is so Squeaky!

Hallmark released two ornaments this year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Emperor’s New Groove. While the ornament of the emperor was a regular line release, they also released this limited-edition ornament of Kronk and the Squirrel. 

Any fan of the series will recognize him right off the bat since he looks exactly like he does in the movie. He’s standing with his arms crossed under his chest. He’s looking out of the corner of his eye at the squirrel on his shoulder. The squirrel is looking at him, obviously engaged in conversation. 

While I did cut back on ornaments this year, I had to get this one. Kronk and his talking to squirrels is such a funny part of the movie, and the ornament captures that perfectly. 

And my review title is playing on those moments as well. This is not a magic ornament in any way. There are no sound clips. But I couldn’t pass up the reference for my title. 

While Kronk is standing on his feet, he’s top heavy. If you set him out to be displayed, you’ll find he tips over easily. I’d recommend you hang him on your tree. And when you do, you’ll find he tips forward slightly, but nothing that will be obvious when you have him surrounded by branches. 

Kronk would not have been at the top of the list of characters I would have expected to represent this movie, but I’m glad Hallmark selected him. Any fan of the movie will agree with me - he’s perfect. 

Ornament Review: Emperor Kuzco

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: A lessor known character captured from the beginning of his movie

Cons: A bit on the big size for my taste

The Bottom Line:

Kuzco and his throne

Annivers’ry ornament

Bit big but still good

No Touchy This Ornament!

2025 marks the 25th anniversary for The Emperor’s New Groove. While I admit I didn’t quite get it the first time I watched it, the has since grown into a favorite of mine. Naturally, that meant I was going to snag the two ornaments Hallmark released to honor the anniversary. 

The first, and bigger, is of Emperor Kuzco himself. He’s sitting on his massive gold throne from the beginning of the movie although it’s not quite as big as it was in the movie. He’s sitting on his blue cushion on the throne with an unhappy look on his face. 

I’ve been disappointed in Hallmark’s recent trend to make their ornaments bigger, especially the pop culture ornaments. And this ornament follows the trend. Fortunately, it’s not as big as it could be, but still, a little smaller would have helped me fit more ornaments on my tree. 

That’s my only complaint with the ornament. It expertly captures Kuzco and his attitude at the beginning of the movie. I had no hesitation in adding this ornament to my collection. 

Since the ornament is really a throne, it’s no surprise to me that it sits just fine, so if you want to display it, you can. Also, I wasn’t surprised to see that it hangs straight. 

The Emperor’s New Groove doesn’t get as much love in merchandise as many of Disney’s other movies, so I was thrilled to see this ornament of Emperor Kuzco in this year’s Hallmark ornament line up. Fans of the movie will be glad to add it to their collection. 

TV Show Review: Mistletoe Murders - Season 2

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun mystery and great characters

Cons: None worth dwelling on

The Bottom Line:

More Christmas murder

Plus Emily’s backstory

Equal great season

“Look at Us, Teaming Up Again.”  “Not a Team Up.”

Since I didn’t watch season 1 of Mistletoe Murders until it premiered on the Hallmark Channel, I rolled right into season 2 of this fun, seasonal murder mystery show.  There was no slump here.  The second season was just as fun as the first.

The first season introduced us to Emily (Sarah Drew), a Christmas shop owner with a secret past who is hiding out in a small town.  Over the course of that first season, we watched her get to know her new neighbors, making friends along the way.  One of those friends was Sam (Peter Mooney), the local detective.  They worked together on three different murders that happened in the weeks leading up to Christmas while slowly being drawn together.  Oh, and Sam’s daughter, Violet (Sierra Marilyn Riley) is Emily’s employee at the store.

Season two picks up with a scene right after the season one cliffhanger.  But after that, we jump ahead a year.  Violet is no longer employed by Emily, and Emily and Sam have hardly spoken in that time.  But it’s Christmas, and unfortunately, there are about to be more murders in town.  Up first, the English teacher and chess coach at the high school is murdered.  Then, Sam’s ex-partner and mentor is killed.  What does it have to do with the art show happening in the area?  Finally, the new fine dining restaurant in town brings murder with it.

I think if I had to wait a year for season two, I would have been frustrated.  They teased Emily’s backstory, but didn’t really tell us much about it.  But since I rolled right into season two, I was okay with it. And we were rewarded here.  Yes, I suspect that there is more to Emily’s backstory, but I am okay with the information we got in this season.  It’s filled in some big gaps, and I appreciate that.  That’s not to say we don’t get a massive cliffhanger.  I need to know what happens next.  It’s going to be a long wait to season 3.  I just hope it gets renewed.

But that storyline in sprinkled into the six episodes we got for season two.  Just like season 1, each mystery plot was given two episodes to unfold.  And since we got two episodes each week, it was really more like we got three mystery movies.

Each mystery was well plotted with plenty of suspects and twists to keep us engaged.  That kept me guessing until Emily figured things out at the end.

And we got more of the supporting characters, as well.  I enjoyed seeing them again as much as the three leads.  They help add to the charm of the series.

As does all the Christmas.  While the plots aren’t as tied to the holiday as they were in the first season, we still got plenty of Christmas over the course of the season.  It’s a perfect blend of Hallmark’s mystery and Christmas movies.

The actors also do a good job of bringing their characters to life.  Even the over-the-top characters are grounded enough here to be entertaining and not obnoxious.

Overall, I found this season to have a low dose of Hallmark cheese, which is always nice.

Since I watched the two seasons back-to-back, I have to comment on something.  I often notice a change between seasons of a TV show.  That’s not the case here.  The tone, the writing, the characters – everything stayed consistent between the two.  So if you liked season 1, you’ll enjoy season 2 just as much.

Seriously, if Hallmark wants to give a gift to their fans, they’ll announce that season three of Mistletoe Murders is coming.  If you are a fan of the channel, do give this show a try.  You’ll quickly be hooked on these charming holiday mysteries.