I've compiled this for my wife's mother for the holidays. Christmas/Holiday music, most of the time it seems, is something you put up with like bad peanut brittle or over-watered hot chocolate. My goal is to make a good holiday mix that I don't mind hearing over and over, but mostly, this is a compilation that I hoped would please mom. She loves this time of year and loves music, which is a bonus.

Two years ago, I had made a 2-disc holiday set, with the first set being a general anyone-in-my-family-can-enjoy-it mix. Mom mentioned to me at Thanksgiving time that she enjoyed that mix, but had misplaced her copy. So, I'm making her an updated mix.

The second disc had gems from Run DMC, STP, The Waitresses and The Kinks "Father Christmas". This mix doesn't try and sneak any of that in for mom's mix, though it is tempting to add TV on the Radio covering TMBG's "Dead", which is brilliant and has sleigh bells.

My mother-in-law has yet to hear this mix, because she is out of town until this weekend, but it has been ready for her for several weeks. I'll let you know what her reaction is. P.S. This is not the cover I used. Happy Holidays.