1. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, my Lord and Savior and I love hearing him celebrated almost everywhere I go!
2. My dad is a Christmas music addict. He has hundreds of Christmas albums and he starts playing Christmas music on October 1 of each year so that he can listen through each album once. His love for Christmas music has been passed down to me, though my collection is more selective.
3. Christmas music is joyful! Whether it is talking about the birth of Christ or Santa Claus, Christmas music is full of joy.

MercyMe-Pizza Ranch Partnership

This year MercyMe has partnered with Pizza Ranch, a well-known, Christian-owned pizza company based in Iowa.

Cultivating its mission “To give every guest a legendary experience” since its inception in 1981, Pizza Ranch connects with its communities in a way that provides bridges for friends, family and colleagues to come together. Today, Pizza Ranch is based in Orange City, Iowa and owns, operates and franchises over 190 locations in 13 states. Consistent growth has been a Pizza Ranch staple, as the brand has become a beacon of community involvement and exceptional food. The Pizza Ranch buffet features legendary pizzas, salads and desserts, and is delivered with an unmatched service quality. “We are extremely blessed to have a very close connection with our guests,” said Adrie Groeneweg, co-founder and president of Pizza Ranch. “This project extends the brand’s essence to a new dimension beyond our four walls and into their lives. It’s a new kind of way for us to relate to our loyal fans.”

The ​MercyMe “It’s Christmas​” CD will be available in Pizza Ranch locations beginning November 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. It has 4 exclusive songs that can only be found on the CD version being sold by Pizza Ranch. Each CD will be sold for $5 plus tax. Pizza Ranch will give away the CD with a $25 gift card purchase as well as sell the full album at each of its 200 locations throughout the Midwest and Great Plains states. “We are so excited to debut our new Christmas album, MercyMe, “It’s Christmas”, with Pizza Ranch” said Bart Millard with MercyMe. “Pizza Ranch is a fantastic restaurant with a great mission to glorify God. It’s the perfect gift to give this Christmas season and the perfect CD to get you in the Christmas spirit.”

About the MercyMe Christmas Album “It’s Christmas”

“It’s Christmas” is a wonderful Christmas album filled with a mix of new arrangements of classic songs and several brand new pieces soon to be Christmas classics. I have had a hard time choosing a favorite song on this album so I will give you 4 O Come, O Come, Our Lullaby, Go Tell it on the Mountain and Do You Hear What I Hear. Honestly, this entire album is great and I have been listening to it on repeat since it arrived.

“It’s Christmas” Track List:

1. Newborn
2. Christmastime Again
3. Sleigh Ride
4. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
5. Hold On Christmas
6. A Holly Jolly Christmas
7. Go Tell It On The Mountain
8. Do You Hear What I Hear
9. Our Lullaby
10. Joy
11. O Come, O Come
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Exclusive Bonus Track for Pizza Ranch)
13. O Holy Night (Exclusive Bonus Track for Pizza Ranch)
14. Silent Night (Exclusive Bonus Track for Pizza Ranch)
15. Joseph’s Lullaby (Exclusive Bonus Track for Pizza Ranch)

If you have a Pizza Ranch near you, go get your copy of the full CD, you don’t want to miss the bonus tracks. If you aren’t near a Pizza Ranch, and you don’t win this giveaway, go to iTunes and download the first 10 tracks of this album, you won’t be disappointed.

Mercy Me “It’s Christmas” Giveaway

One winner will receive the full 14 track CD “It’s Christmas” by MercyMe. This giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and verified. The winner will be notified via email and they will have 48 hours to claim their prize. The Mom Maven is not responsible for prize fulfillment, that is the responsibility of the giveaway sponsor. This giveaway ends at 12:00am on 11-20-15. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Merry Christmas!

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Christmas by Francesca Battistelli

Track Listing:
1. “The Christmas Song”
2. “Heaven Everywhere”
3. “Christmas Is”
4. “What Child Is This? (First Noel Prelude)”
5. “Marshmallow World”
6. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
7. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
8. “You’re Here”
9. “Joy To The World”
10. “Christmas Dreams”
11. “Go Tell It On The Mountain”

I think my favorite track is “You’re Here” but “Heaven Everywhere” is a close second. This entire album is soulful and very well arranged and produced. If you are looking for an addition to your Christmas music collection I recommend Christmas by Francesca Battistelli, it will be a family favorite for years to come.

In case you aren’t familiar with Francesca and her music she won the 2011 Dove Awards for “Artist of the Year,” “Female Vocalist of the Year” and“Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year” and received a 2009 Grammy nomination for “Best Gospel Performance” for her single “Free To Be Me” off her debut album My Paper Heart.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the CD for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

The post Holiday Guide-Christmas by Francesca Battistelli appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Pop vocal group FFH has released thirteen projects, sold more than two million albums, and garnered 24 radio hits, including seven No. 1 singles and ten Top 5 radio singles. In addition to multiple Dove Award nominations, FFH has been recognized at the Inspirational Life Awards as well as the Billboard Music Video Awards. The group has performed more than 1000 dates since 2000 and continues to be a favorite on the tour circuit. FFH is also known for its work with the “Make-A-Wish Foundation,” Kurt Warner’s “First Things First Foundation,” and for its contributions to national ad campaigns for Coca Cola and IBM.

One Silent Night, FFH’s first Christmas CD, available Oct. 18, is a mix of original songs and Christmas classics.

Produced by FFH founding member Jeromy Deibler, One Silent Night has been four years in the making. Giving in to the persistent appeals of loyal fans, FFH has crafted a project worthy of your holiday music collection.

Listeners will recognize favorites like “Winter Wonderland,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” and “Jingle Bell Rock,” among others, while being introduced to new tracks including “The Birthday of a King,” “Glorious Impossible,” and “One Silent Night.”

Deibler comments, “We just feel blessed to be able to make this record and wanted to do the kind of Christmas music we like to listen to, something that’s not trendy but more of a classic style. For us Christmas is about remembering… slowing down to see what is important. And being reminded of the glorious impossible that was the birth of Christ. We hope this album reflects that desire and inspires others to do the same.”

One Silent Night is a beautiful, mellow Christmas CD. It is perfect for listening to while relaxing by the light of the Christmas tree. I especially love “One Silent Night” as it talks about the night our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born and “Glorious Impossible” the worshipful, passionate song about the life of Christ. I really enjoy the entire album but at times I wish they hadn’t added the 4 fun Christmas tracks because the other 6 make an awesome Christmas worship/reflection CD. This would be where technology comes into play because I’ve separated the worship songs from the fun songs into two separate playlists so that depending on what I’m in the mood to listen to, I have my songs organized.

 One Silent Night would make a great addition to your Christmas music library or a great gift for a friend or family member. You can Like FFH on Facebook and follow them on Twitter  or visit their website to stay up to date on all things FFH.

Disclosure: i received a digital download copy of the CD for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

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