⭐️🎄Merry Christmas, from me to you

🎅 Merry Christmas, {{first_name | friend}}! My gift to you today is a short and sweet newsletter. I know your house is likely a whirlwind of wrapping paper and excitement right now, so I put together a few quick tips to help your new gadgets (and your family) run smoothly today.

🎶 Looking for holiday cheer? Tune into our special Mannheim Steamroller show, An American Christmas, for music and merriment that’ll make your season bright! Let the timeless melodies, stories of Christmas and spirit fill your home with joy. It’s the perfect soundtrack for your Christmas Day! If you listen very carefully, you’ll hear my son, Ian, when he was 5 years old, say, “God bless us, every one!” Find your local station here. — Kim

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Christmas Day is here. It’s a day to slow down, reflect and be grateful.

When I think back to Christmas as a kid, it wasn’t only about the gifts. It was the glow of the lights on a real tree, the smell of my mom’s turkey in the oven, and my dad’s laugh filling the house. Those are the moments that stay with you.

Mass is a quiet, grounding way to start the day and a reminder of why it matters so much. Sitting there, hearing familiar prayers and music always helps me reset and focus on gratitude, faith and the simple gift of being together. And yes, tears always come as I think about the people, especially my parents, who are no longer with me.

Today, I’m making a turkey and the fixings for eight adults and 10 kids, along with my grandmother’s stuffing. And just so we’re clear, there is never sausage in that stuffing. Ever. I’ll set the table with my Christmas plates, the ones my mom gave me when I first got married. Every year I use them, I think of her, and I hope someday Ian will use them with his own family.

We’ll raise a glass of champagne and say, “Na zdorovya,” which means “to your health,” like my Ukrainian dad did every year. And we’ll eat apple and cherry pies from Costco because they’re the best!

No matter how old Ian gets, there’s always one gift Santa accidentally drops by the front door for him. When he was 16, it was the keys to a new car that I carefully hid in the garage with a big red bow on it. He still says that was his best Christmas ever. No doubt, right?

Here’s a short video of Ian reciting Longfellow’s Christmas poem, which he memorized as a child. It brings such a smile to my face. It’s one of those moments that reminds you how fast time goes and how lucky we are to hold on to these memories.

As we sit down together, I’m especially aware that not everyone gets to slow down today. While many of us are home, millions of people are working, so the rest of us can celebrate safely and comfortably.

Doctors, nurses and hospital staff caring for patients. First responders, firefighters, police officers and EMTs on call. Utility crews keeping the lights and heat on. Retail workers and delivery drivers. Pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers reuniting families. Broadcasters, engineers and technicians making sure we’re connected. And the men and women of our military, serving here and around the world to protect our freedom. If that’s you today, thank you.

And thank you for being here with me. When you write and say it feels like I’m talking directly to you, that means everything to me. It really is me, every day, cutting through the noise so you have information you can trust.

If today is joyful, I’m glad you’re soaking it in. If it’s hard, please know this. You are not alone, this feeling will not last forever, and there are people who care about you more than you may realize right now.

From my family to yours, I wish you peace, comfort and love today.

Stuck talking to a customer service bot this Christmas? Here are the tips to outsmart it and avoid those endless loops.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now wherever you get your podcasts, search for “Komando.”

1. The Instant Jukebox Trick 🎶 Don't be the solo DJ. Let everyone add their favorite holiday tracks to a shared playlist.

2. Stop the Soap Opera Effect 📺 New TVs often make movies look like a cheap daytime soap because of Motion Smoothing.

3. Use the Hidden Shutter Button 📸 Avoid the awkward stretch for the screen button during a group photo.

4. The Silent Gift Hack 🎧 Talk to the family without taking off your new noise-canceling earbuds or headphones.

5. Your Phone is the Remote 📱 Stop clicking individual letters on a TV screen to enter long passwords.

6. Wide-Angle for the Win 🖼️ Fit the whole family in front of the tree without standing in the next room.

7. Create a Shared Memory Bucket 📁 Stop the “text me that photo” madness.

8. The Kid-Proof Tablet Lock 🛡️ Keep the toddlers from exploring your apps while they play.

9. The Visual Search Shopping Trick 🔍 Identify that cool gift someone else opened or figure out how much a gift cost.

10. The AI Recipe Assistant 🍖 Instant help for holiday cooking disasters.

⚡️ One for the road: This is the most meaningful use of your phone today. Instead of another photo of the food, use your Voice Memo app to interview the oldest person in the room. Ask them one question: “What was the one gift you wanted most when you were 10 years old?”

🎄 Merry Christmas, friend. Thank you for spending a little part of your day with me. I never take that for granted. I hope today brings you moments of peace, laughter and connection, whether your house is full or quiet. 

I’ll be back tomorrow with more news and tips to help you stay informed and confident. Until then, enjoy today. You’ve earned it. ❤️ — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Kim Komando

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