THIS WEEK'S DEAR JOHN LETTER!
Dear John,
First of all, Merry Christmas! As I'm writing this, I'm getting ready to host my whole family for a big gathering that will happen on the day you read this on the show! We have people from several states who fly in and drive in to join us at our home. Many of these people are family, but others are friends who are almost family. We've shared our home with them for about fifteen years. Along the way we have moved into a bigger home a few times and that has always been a consideration. We need to make sure we have room for everyone. I'm planning to retire next year. My husband retires next year as well. I want to travel more and I'd love to downsize. We have a friend who has already told us they want to buy our home if we ever decide to sell. They want is for a vacation rental property. They already have several and this home really would be great for that! So here comes my question. Should I tell everyone that we're going to be moving? I'm planning to work into the deal that we can still rent the home for our holiday party, so I'm not sure that it will really be different for anyone else, but I think we need to let them know. We're going to downsize to a place that has no maintenance at all. That will be nice, but there is not room for this whole crew. I think it's the perfect solution to have this home for the one time of year we really need it. I'm just wondering who we tell everyone, or if we even need to tell them. What do you think?
Signed – Happy Host
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TODAY'S REASON TO PARTY! (special thanks to ListOfNationalDays.com)
Christmas
https://tasty.co/recipe/christmas-tree-cocktail
SURVEYS, STUDIES & SUCH
Rising prices are forcing many parents to rethink holiday spending, with a growing number turning to grandparents for help, according to a new survey. The poll of adults with children in Canada, found that 21% will rely on their own parents to help buy gifts for their kids, and 33% said the grandparents will spend more on the kids’ gifts than the parents are able to. While three-quarters of parents say creating a magical holiday for their kids remains their top priority, many agree it’s getting harder to manage costs. Two-thirds say higher prices are squeezing their budgets, and more than half worry about overspending. Some more findings from the survey…
→ 45% plan to spend under $500 on gifts
→ 25% are budgeting $500–$999
→ 28% expect to spend over $1,000
→ 40% say holidays put them in a financial hole
→ 44% will take until spring to recover financially
AND HERE ARE THE MAIN PROBLEMS WITH GRANDMA AND GRANDPA BEING IN CHARGE OF GIFTS:
• It’s either huge or completely impractical.
• They think ‘educational’ means ‘loud’.
• The batteries are never included – or removable.
• They buy the one toy with 900 pieces.
• They don’t believe in age limits.
• Every gift comes with a 20-minute backstory.
• It needs a garage, a charger, or both.
• No matter what the gift is, it’ll be crocheted!
BIG SCREEN-LITTLE SCREEN
Meryl Streep and Martin Short want to take the next step and get hitched, but her divorce to Don Gummer is still dragging on. That’s according to The Globe, which quotes a source as saying: “Martin is getting impatient. He’s so gaga for Meryl, and he’s a very old-fashioned guy. He wants them to get married and live together.” The story says that Streep also wants to get married but “hasn’t made getting her divorce finalized a priority.” The source adds that Streep’s ex is “dragging his feet”.
“Titanique” is officially setting course for Broadway, and audiences will be laughing all the way to the lifeboats! The parody musical, which hilariously reimagines the 1997 film “Titanic” through the music and perspective of Céline Dion — will dock on Broadway this spring for a 16-week engagement at the St. James Theatre. Powered entirely by Dion’s chart-topping hits, Titanique will offer an unhinged retelling of the Oscar-winning film, with Dion herself stepping in to reveal what (ahem!) REALLY happened to ‘Jack’ and ‘Rose’ on that fateful night. Songs include ‘Because You Loved Me’, ‘All By Myself’, ‘Taking Chances’, and of course, ‘My Heart Will Go On’, all performed with a live band and unapologetic camp…with jokes that hit like an iceberg.
Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal are returning to host a second installment of the “Everybody Loves Raymond” 30th anniversary special on Monday night. “Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2” will see Rosenthal, who wrote and created the series, and Romano, who played everyone’s favorite ‘Ray Barone’, revisit even more key moments from the beloved sitcom, which aired from 1996 until 2005. The second special comes after the success of the first reunion, which aired last month. That show saw Romano and Rosenthal revisit the Raymond set and share memories with stars Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett and more.
DID YA KNOW!?
Did You Know... Lobsters Can Live for Over 100 Years? Lobsters are known for their long lifespans. While the average lobster lives to be about 50 years old, some have been known to live over 100 years. They continue to grow throughout their lives, molting as they get larger, which contributes to their impressive longevity.
JOKE OF THE DAY
(FROM
HEIDI)
SCOOP
OF THE DAY
A new report says the cost of all the gifts listed in ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ is up $ $2,212.65
Some homes are so iconic they feel frozen in time. The famous Chicago-area house from the 1990 holiday classic “Home Alone” is set to return to its on-screen look after years of modern updates. The current owners, who bought the Winnetka property for $5.5 million earlier this year, are funding a major renovation to restore the warm colors and family feel seen in the film. Project manager Scott Price said the goal is to bring back the movie’s “magic.” The house, which once sparked fan backlash for looking too sterile, has previously embraced its fame, including a Home Alone-themed Airbnb stay in 2021.
THE MOVIE QUOTE OF THE DAY
If you have a favorite quote.... you can send it to us at the bottom of the page at JohnAndHeidiShow.com
"I am Iron Man." — Iron Man, Tony Stark, 2008
NEWS TO ME
(FROM HEIDI)
FUN
FACT FOR YOU:
Share
this with your friends... they'll think you're really smart!
✓ ‘Silent Night’ is the most-recorded Christmas song (over 138,000 versions).
✓ Rudolph was almost named Rollo. Other reindeer names before the ones we’re familiar with today were settled upon include: Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Scratcher, Feckless, Ready, Steady and Fireball.
✓ Tinsel was invented in 1610 in Germany — and was originally spun from real silver, making it far from the chintzy decoration it is now.
✓ Christmas Day boasts the fewest relationship breakups – and the most engagements.
WEIRD NEWS
A 63-year-old man has broken a Guinness World Record by singing Christmas songs nonstop for 42 hours without losing his voice. Dave Purchase powered through exhaustion and hallucinations to perform 684 festive tunes, From Mariah Carey to Wham!, at Gloucester’s docks in the UK. Battling sleep deprivation and vocal strain, he was buoyed by cheering crowds, choirs and community support. Purchase said the grueling singathon pushed him to his limits but became a “brilliant” community event. Video evidence has been submitted to Guinness for official verification.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
60% of us will receive THIS gift for Christmas. What is it?
Answer: A gift card
SOMETHING SPECIAL WITH HEIDI SMALL
(FROM HEIDI)
THE LIST
TOP 10 THINGS KIDS GET EXCITED ABOUT DURING THE HOLIDAYS:
According to a survey of millennial parents in the US…
☞ Gifts – 81%
☞ Holiday lights/decorations – 72%
☞ Holiday foods/treats – 67%
☞ Winter break / time off school – 66%
☞ Holiday entertainment – 62%
☞ Family traditions – 60%
☞ Snow – 52%
☞ Outdoor activities – 51%
☞ Staying up past their typical bedtime – 44%
☞ Seeing extended family – 43%
GOOD NEWS
'Nothing Short Of Heroic': Staff Saves All 33 Children After Car Crashes Into Daycare
