Keeping my brain lightened up for the #holidays

Holidays make me kind of edgy. There's more stuff to cram into an already busy schedule, expectations of what life should look like (and usually doesn't), and memories of past holidays to compare to. My brain goes on overdrive, if I'm not careful. After a steady diet of thrillers, killers, and general mayhem on our TV viewing, I need to lighten up anyway, so the honey, the cat and I curled up for a couple of feel-good movies. 

One must watch at least one Christmas romance, and Holidaze was the winner for me this year. The premise was fairly typical; woman has fast-paced career in the city, gets a chance to see what would life would have been like if she'd stayed in her hometown and married her sweetheart. The acting is not overdone and what makes this one worth staying awake for, there's enough of a twist on this familiar trope to keep it fun and moving along nicely. You don't get bogged down in a pit of heavy drama.

Pixels really has nothing to do with the holidays, so it's a welcome break if you're ready to scream the next time you hear a Christmas carol.  Adam Sandler plays the lead nicely without going overboard. Kevin James does a good job as costar, and Peter Dinklage is a hoot to watch as a narcissistic gamer. The subtle romance made me giggle, and you know the two total opposites are going to get together in the end. The best part? All the '80's pop culture references. Anybody else remember Pac Man, Centipede, and Donkey Kong? If you do, you'll enjoy the sing-along music too.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, put a little soft fuzzy into your brain with a couple of light movies and don't stress out this holiday season.

http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/80037476?trkid=