For everyone’s favorite Christmas song, at least according to this week’s holiday chart, the late night host grabs a few children’s toys like a colorful mini-xylophone and bongos to spread a little holiday joy.

The song would not be complete without Mariah herself though, who just so happens to be in the neighborhood to join the guys in a very festive full-length red gown and matching heels.

But wait, the already adorable cover gets even more adorable with the help of four little girls who become Mariah’s angelic back-up singers for the holiday classic.

Watch the video that is so cute it should be on a Christmas card below.

Going over-budget around the holidays is easy to do. So the most important thing is to actually SET a budget in the first place, and not just put everything on credit cards. Here are the five things you need to AVOID if you want to stay WITHIN that budget.

#1.) Overspending Just to Impress Someone. This one’s really common with young adults, who feel like they have to prove to their parents that they’re doing okay financially. But boyfriends and husbands tend to do it a lot too.

#2.) Buying Presents for Too Many People. Sometimes it feels like you have to give a gift to every co-worker, neighbor, and friend you have. But that’s not REALLY expected, and it’s definitely not necessary. Especially if you’re on a budget.

#3.) Spending the Same Amount on Each of Your Kids. It might seem FAIR, but the fact is, you just don’t have to spend as much to make a four-year-old happy as you do with a 12-year-old. As long as you don’t TELL them, young kids usually don’t know the difference.

#4.) Forgetting to Factor the Little Things Into Your Budget. The obvious things you budget for are the presents, the plane tickets, and any other travel expenses you might have. A lot of people FORGET to factor in things like decorations, shipping costs, higher utility bills, and the money to cover any parties or get-togethers they’re hosting.

#5.) Doing All Your Shopping at the Last Minute. It can put you over-budget because it doesn’t give you enough time to pick out anything THOUGHTFUL. So you end up overspending to compensate. Ideally, you should get all your shopping done by the middle of the month, so you won’t have to pay extra shipping to make sure they get it on time.

Every year, Ellen DeGeneres dons her Santa hat and hosts “12 Days of Giveaways,” which is very similar to Oprah’s “Favorite Things.” However, Ellen’s version lasts for twelve days. In an email to fans sent on Dec. 2, DeGeneres announced that the highly anticipated TV event begins on Dec. 3 and viewers can register to win many of the prizes at home.

On Sunday night, Ellen DeGeneres said…

My 12 Days of Giveaways begin on Monday! I couldn’t be more excited. Mama always said it’s better to give than to receive, which is probably why she always made me give my presents to my brother.

The 12 Days of Giveaways is my favorite time of year. Every season, I give away bigger and better prizes, and Season 10 is gonna be biggerer and betterer. But why should my audience have all the fun? I always make sure y’all at home can get in on all of the giveaways too, and this year we’ve got lots of fun ways to do it.
In 2012, Ellen is giving TV viewers at home a chance to win the prizes from her “12 Days of Giveaways.” Below is how you can participate.

Facebook: Ellen’s Facebook followers get a chance to win each of the 12 Days of Giveaways.
Twitter: Follow Ellen on Twitter. You never know when she’ll tweet a chance to win.
EllenTV.com: Every day, ten winners will win the giveaways from that day’s show.
Instagram: Follow Ellen on Instagram for fun and exciting ways to win a full day’s worth of 12 Days prizes.

On Monday, Dec. 3, Ellen DeGeneres is kicking off “12 Days of Giveaways” by giving away the following gifts to every member in her audience:

MasterCard gift card
Executive Headphones from Beats
Nike Fuel Band
Gemesis Diamond necklace
Two-year subscription to Netflix
Playstation Vita

Ellen’s fans always look forward to her “12 Days of Giveaways.” Here’s what a few said about it on Monday on the Ellen DeGeneres Show’s Facebook page, which currently has more than 8 million followers…
“Love the 12 days…so great to see how happy everyone is that is there. Definitely gets you in the Holiday Spirit.” – Jennifer OCarroll Friday
“We just love the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Would love to be a winner!” – Donna Perkins Holladay
“Ellen – love you, please be our Santa this year!!!” – Brandy El
“Merry Christmas Ellen…you’re doing a great job…you make so many people happy! Love your show!” – Susan Simon
“Ellen – it’s so nice to see someone like you being so blessed and hardworking giving back to everyone. You are so very special.” – Kathleen Marie Borkowski

Ellen’s “12 Days of Giveaways” continues through Tuesday, Dec. 18, but she could throw in an extra day for good measure. To watch Ellen’s favorite moments from past years, be sure to check out the above video.

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” airs every weekday on NBC. Check local listings for airtimes. This week’s guests include Jessica Biel (Monday), Gerard Butler (Tuesday), John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (Wednesday), Corey Monteith (Thursday), and Christina Aguilera (Friday).

Black Friday Chaos! Some stores had some fierce fighting over the best deals! Check out some of the crazy events.

Here’s the reason I choose to sleep in and enjoy my holiday weekend in bed.

Stressless Magic Chair & Ottoman from $2695

- Available at The Shirt Box in Farmington Hills

Made In Detroit shirts: 100% Cotton t-shirts, all with Detroit themes. Drive shift, Made in Detroit, caps, stickers, etc. Retail from $25 – $38.

Tiger Stadium Cuff links
Authentic green chairs from Tiger Stadium made into a pair of cuff links. Retail $150

Dominic Pangborn Ties
100% silk ties from local designer/artist. Retail $95

Michigan/Michigan State Cuff links
Cuff links from the two big ten schools in Michigan. Retail $60

Wurkin Stiffs
Real wood fits iPad 2nd & 3rd generation. Retail $122
Also available, real wood iPhone4 covers. Retail $77

Reversible Shorts from Berle Vintage 1946 Clothing
Washed & stone-beaten shorts, individually hand-dyed. Sale $88

- Available at Summit Sports

Camping gear. ($50+)
Sunglasses. (starting about $100)

- Available at book sellers and Amazon.com

Sirens of Chrome by Margergy Krevsky (BOOK). Sale $24.95

- Available at Jeremy Restaurant (Keego Harbor)

Cooking classes for Dad with a professional chef ($65)
Gift cards for dinner with Dad (or cooking classes) (Cost varies)

- Available at Verizon Wireless

Droid Maxx Smartphone. $299.99 with new two-year customer agreement
Mophie Juice Pack. $79.99
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. $449.99 with two-year agreement

Is Christmas a joyous time for you? Or are you stressed?

Overspending on presents, pressure from kids and other loved ones, prolonged and close proximity to difficult family members and loneliness can all build up your stress levels. Christmas can also be very demanding on your relationship as you spend a lot of time together with family and in-laws.
 

However, it doesn’t have to be so. Christmas is meant to be fun and joyous. This year take charge and make it work for you.

 
Make this Christmas the best ever for you and the family. Sit down right now for half an hour and decide for yourself what you can do this year to make it so.

1. Choose to believe that everything will go well. If you believe the office Christmas party is going to be boring, then think instead that it will be a lot of fun. Think only positively, and Christmas will be so much more joyous for you.

2. Watch that credit card. Do not overspend to have a good time. Hide it for the next two weeks and use your cash only as and when you wish to do so, without any outside influence.

3. Work out a sensible budget, so it doesn’t undermine the whole of 2009 for you. Christmas is only as “commercialised” as you let it be, and it can work on any budget. It is the things you do with people and the way you are with people that matter the most, not how much you spend on them. YOU are the greatest gift you can ever give – it requires no money whatsoever.

Do everyone in your life a massive favour and suggest they curb their gift expectations. Go even further, and suggest that they give some cash to your chosen charity instead of a gift to you. After all you may already have everything you want, and you will be avoiding build up of clutter.

If you must give a gift and you are uncertain about what to buy for whom, then give a gift voucher. Avoid that extra stress of anticipating whether they will/won’t like your gift.

4. Make the best of yourself for all those exciting parties and dinners. You deserve to look your best and now is the time to get that wardrobe in shape and to get a groovy hair cut.

5. Stop worrying about how the house is going to look when you have visitors and family around. They will not even notice if say the net curtains are not washed. There is no need to create that perfect Christmas as seen in all those ads. The best way to make everyone feel welcome is to be a happy relaxed host.

6. Accept your relations just as they are. They mean well and they are doing the best they can with their current level of awareness, knowledge and understanding. Enjoy their special company and eccentricities today – no one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, never mind by next Christmas.

7. Do something different this year. Perhaps change the venue of your Christmas party or dinner, or make it a Christmas full of activities such as walking.

8. Create an alternative Christmas lunch – rather than slaving over the usual cooked lunch, have a “free for all” whereby everyone can have their favourite food. Allow anything as long as it is quick, easy and they can prepare or cook it themselves. You can then eat as and when you want and bask in front of the TV, if that’s what you like. Then have your Christmas lunch a few days later, once everything has settled down.

9. If you are going to be on your own over Christmas, then see it as an opportunity for freedom and space to enjoy the festivities even more. Do not let being on your own stop you from having a good time. Perhaps you can connect with other people like you, and have a communal Christmas lunch together.

10. Spend quality time with your significant other and plan your time off from housework etc as if you were both still at work on your normal jobs.

11. Volunteer your time and contribute to others. Focus on others and spread good vibes all around you. Think who you can help – perhaps a neighbour with the food shopping or babysitting. How about throwing a children’s party? Or feeding the homeless on Christmas eve?

Remember, it is the giver who gets the gift. What a great Christmas gift for yourself!

12. Chill out – if a guest spills some red wine, ask if it really matters. It will eventually wash out anyway, and is it worth getting your back up?

Finally, have fun! Simply relax and enjoy what is one of the best times of the year.

Ultimately, you can choose just how this holiday season will be like for you. You can choose to love the Christmas shopping, the queues, the crushes in the stores, in the same way as you love the seasonal music in stores, the feeling of sharing and the spirit of goodwill.
 

To quote a Christmas film (Scrooge),

‘We act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year we are the people we always hoped we would be.’

 
And in the coming year, make it one of your goals to be THE person you always hoped to be, ALL year around.

A joyous Christmas everyone!