Here are the top 10 Hallmark feel-good movies of the holiday season. Tune in to the Hallmark channel now until January to catch them all. 

1. “The Christmas Card”

“The Christmas Card” is a classic simply because of the unique and cheesy plot line. A soldier named Cody Cullen – played by John Newton – starts receiving letters while he’s deployed for the holiday season. Then when he returns to the United States he happens to settle down in the same town as the girl who wrote the letters, Faith Spelman – played by Alice Evans. As fate would have it, he discovers the letter girl and falls deeply in love with her. Of course there’s a love triangle, as Spelman decides whether she wants to give her heart to the soldier or the man she’s been dating for the past three years. 

2. “Let It Snow”

“Let It Snow” is about a self-proclaimed grinch, played by Candace Cameron Bure, who leaves her home to bring life back to a lodge property in Maine. What I enjoy the most about this movie is that Bure plays a strong business woman who is too driven by her job to be caught up in the magic of Christmas – a true power move. But with the help of some fresh snow, mistletoe and a certain handsome love interest – played by Jesse Hutch– she discovers her Christmas spirit and is wrapped into tradition and love. This classic goes to show that any heart can be thawed by a boy in a flannel vest combo. 

3. “Switched at Christmas” 

“Switched at Christmas” follows two twins, both played by Candace Cameron Bure, as they decide to switch roles for the season. This movie reminded me a lot of “The Holiday” – but with the signature “everything is painted in snow” Hallmark spin. The women simultaneously figure out that the grass is in fact greener on the other side as they both respectively fall in love with people from each other’s lives. 

4. “A Christmas Getaway”

“A Christmas Getaway” is one of those movies you watch and know is unrealistic, but it kind of makes you want that life even more. Bridget Regan plays a travel writer who ventures out on her first Christmas vacation. She ends up getting her plans confused and gets stuck staying with a beautifully chiseled-jaw widower – played by Travis Van Winkle – and his young daughter. This inconvenience turns into amazing luck as they spend Christmas together and she realizes that chaos can shed light on what’s truly important, and he learns that love is not lost for good.

5. “Christmas Under Wraps”

Yet another Candace Cameron Bure movie, but who’s counting – or complaining. “Christmas Under Wraps” is about rolling with the punches – even if that means moving to a small remote town in Alaska. Bure plays a talented doctor – another strong female lead – whose plans go haywire, only to lead her somewhere unexpectedly wonderful. 

6. “A Winter Princess”

“A Winter Princess” is all about two people from completely different backgrounds finding love. Princess Carlotta – played by Natalie Hall – is an incognito royal who works at a ski resort to hide her true identity. A really great feature of this film is that Calotta pulls the love interest – played by Chris McNally – out of the way from oncoming traffic to save his life, which is something in a lot of films that the male character is seen doing – way to go Hallmark. The plot thickens as the romance gets stronger and McNally gets closer and closer to finding out Carlotta’s true identity. 

7. “The Sweetest Christmas”

This movie is actually the cutest and sweetest thing you will ever see. Struggling chef Kylie Watson – played by Lacey Chabert – makes it into the finals for a gingerbread house making competition. She is ready to start the bake, but her oven breaks at the last second. She then decides to reach out to her ex-boyfriend – played by Leo Coco – for some assistance in achieving her dream. Through rekindling the oven’s flame they also rekindle their own and find an old spark. 

8. “Northpole: Open for Christmas”

“Northpole: Open for Christmas” is a drama – or as dramatic as a Hallmark Christmas movie can get. The Northpole is losing its Christmas energy because everyone is failing to believe in the magic of the season. A young elf – played by Bailee Madison – takes up the task and travels to a small town to assist a family in rebuilding an inn to try to bring back Christmas joy. This one’s a real feel-good family movie, as Madison reunites the town and the inn family through holiday magic. 

9. “A Royal Christmas”

Lacey Chabert plays a loving and caring seamstress who happens to fall in love with an undercover prince – played by Stephan Hogan. Hogan drops the bomb on Chabert and happily tries to incorporate her into his royal life, but his mother is not too happy about a non-royal entering the court. Will their love succumb to the wrath of a mother-in-law, or is the power of Christmas strong enough to conquer all? Tune in and find out. 

10. “My Christmas Love”

Hallmark gives another unrealistic hope to every hopeless romantic out there through “My Christmas Love.” A girl – played by Meredith Hager – who sets high expectations for her true love starts anonymously receiving “12 Days of Christmas” gifts. Hager gets wrapped up in the excitement of it all and finally starts believing that maybe there is a true love for her after all – only to have things not turn out the way she wanted them to. Be prepared to have hopes and dreams crushed in this one, I’m warning you now.

A cup of Christmas cocoa.

I am definitely one of those people who considers it the holiday season as soon as November begins, and this year was no different.

I broke out my heavier sweaters the day the temperature dropped, recklessly layering up only to suffer in Jewell Hall’s warm classrooms.

Nevertheless, it was worth it.

I love the copious amounts of Christmas decorations. I adore Christmas trees and lights. This time of year, I drink a lot of hot chocolate and eat mince pies.

My favorite part of pre-holiday celebrations, though, is bad Christmas movies.

I have a particular favorite. Several, actually, depending on my mood. There’s something particularly endearing and awful about Christmas movies in general, but the worst – the most cliché, random, over-the-top – are my absolute favorite.

Part of the appeal lies in the sheer amusement I get out of watching bad Christmas films. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a fan of the classics, like “The Grinch” or “Home Alone,” but those obscure Christmas movies at the bottom of Netflix or Hulu’s suggestions? Those are the best.

I can’t completely explain why they appeal to me beyond their capacity to entertain.

Maybe it’s refreshing and comforting to see something embellish the Christmas experience? Or maybe it’s nice to see alternate realities where the holidays are joyful gatherings unimpeded by the overarching dread of discussing or considering our nation’s political state.

Maybe it’s really not that deep.

Regardless, if you’re getting sick of the cold, or reluctant to leave your dorm, and you don’t want to face the heaping piles of assignments on your desk, I highly recommend watching cheesy Christmas movies.

The best movie-watching experience for these, in my opinion, is with the lights off, wearing Christmas sweaters and drinking hot chocolate. Ideally, there’d be no classwork to consider, but who am I kidding? Jewell stops for no one, not even the snow.

If you’re looking for some good hot chocolate, Target has an excellent selection wherein you can find, among other brands, Starbucks hot chocolate. The store also features a range of gaudy Christmas sweaters, perfect for setting the mood –and for hoarding sweaters, if you’re anything like me.

There are plenty of bad Christmas movies out there ready for your enjoyment – and you don’t have to do much to find them.

If you’re looking for an absolutely atrocious holiday film, I’d recommend “The Back-Up Bride,” featured on Amazon Prime. If you’re a student, you can get six months free for the first time you sign up!

Photo courtesy of Italian Sons & Daughters of America.