Graphic created by Lucas Seidel Design

Gather 'round the open fire for Chimneyside Chats - a monthly feature with holiday stories from our favorite artists. See what's in their stockings this year as they reminisce on Christmas memories, share their favorite recipe and more! Here's what GRLwood founder Rej Forester had to say:

Graphic created by Lucas Seidel Design

Graphic created by Lucas Seidel Design

If you’re looking for a holiday hit, this appetizer will leave your guests counting down the days until next year’s gathering!

Graphic created by Lucas Seidel Design

Christmas time is one of the most special times of year. Family, close friends, delicious treats and holiday happiness! For me, when I think back on this time of year, I’m reminded of one of my core memories that helped me discover my love of singing.

Growing up, I had attended a fine arts school, and was always a dancer. For my eighth grade December recital, I decided to make the jump from dance to singing. Singing was new and strange at first, but on this night I was not only nervous but ecstatic to perform.

For this moment – my very first live singing performance – I had written one of my first songs, titled “Christmas Without You”. As soon as I sat at my piano and started to sing, I was addicted.

From there, I played the same song at the Christmas tree lighting in my hometown of Abbotsford, British Columbia. Each time I sang it, I would fall in love all over again with singing for people. All these years later, I still get the feels at every live show.

So now, this time of year not only reminds me of the Christmas magic, but also the start of my musical journey.

Graphic created by Lucas Seidel Design

My family has always been pretty traditional around the holidays. My Christmas memories are filled with large, chaotic gatherings of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and neighbours, always with lots of food and lots of fun. Put it this way: if you’re around my family at Christmas time, it's hard to feel lonely. Between the games of musical chairs, basketball, karaoke, bonfires, music, and dancing, there’s never a dull moment.

I couldn’t imagine spending the holidays any other way, until I got accepted to return to study with my Ashtanga Yoga teacher, Paramaguru Sharath Jois. My period of study was to be during the month of December, which meant Christmas in India; halfway around the world, oceans apart from the warmth of my family and friends and anything that felt familiar.

But it was a chance to spend time with my teacher, so off I went. I felt homesick and a pang in my heart that ached to be near my friends. I was sad to miss out on Mom and Dad’s Christmas dinner, and the annual holiday show I looked forward to playing every year with my pals. The FOMO was real.

But before I knew it, I was all wrapped up in my studies and my new life in India. December crept on, and something magical began to happen. My fellow yoga students, who too had made the pilgrimage from various places all around the globe, quickly became family, and together we found new ways to honour the holidays.

We put on a Christmas carol sing-a-long concert at a local cafe and sold Santa hats to raise funds to support a local orphanage. We visited a “snow park” to play around in man-made snow. Instead of buying gifts, I got a new tattoo to honour my grandmother. And instead of a traditional Christmas dinner, a couple dozen of us crammed into a little living room and feasted Indian style; sitting on the floor, eating with our hands and filling our bellies with various permutations of dhal and rice.

Graphic created by Lucas Seidel Design

I love the Christmas season! I’m not Captain Christmas or anything like that but I do love hot cocoa, snowflakes, gifts and good food. You won’t see me in a Santa outfit though. Another thing I love about the holiday season is all the movies, shows and specials that come out each year. I love to get together with family and friends to share in preparing meals for general togetherness or Christmas itself. When you’re making a holiday meal or festive snacks you definitely need to have something on theme playing in the background.

To prepare for Christmas and get those festive feelings flowing, I’m going to give you a recipe for some delicious shortbread cookies and my Top 10 Christmas Movies list to enjoy while you bake. Grab a friend and get started!

I chose shortbread because I consider them to be a traditional Christmas treat. The beauty of this recipe is that it’s quite simple and doesn’t take too much time to make. The recipe can easily become vegetarian or vegan by subbing out ingredients with alternative options.

1. Home Alone & Home Alone 2 - I had to put parts 1 and 2 because they are the originals and the absolute best in the franchise. I personally haven’t watched the others and won’t. The original casts made these films absolutely iconic.

2. Last Holiday - I love watching Queen Latifah on screen. She gets into your feels and your funny bone in this romantic comedy.

3. Almost Christmas - This movie has a star-studded hilarious cast that cracks me up every year. Mo’Nique steals the show for me!

4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - I’ve loved this one since childhood. It’s not Christmas for me until I’ve watched this stop-motion classic.

5. Jingle All The Way - You absolutely have to watch Arnold Schwarzenegger fight Sinbad over the hottest Christmas toy of the year!

6. The Holiday Calendar - A newer Netflix movie that got me in my feels. I also love that the story centers around two artists following their dreams.

7. Christopher the Christmas Tree - Another special I’ve been watching since childhood. Hootie the Owl and Christopher the Christmas Tree go on a journey of growth and come into their own.

8. Cool Runnings - Technically not a Christmas movie, but the snow and the winter Olympics say otherwise to me. The ending will also put you in the Christmas spirit.

9. The Prince of Egypt - This isn’t really a Christmas movie either, however it did premiere in December. The soundtrack features Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, K-Ci & JoJo and Boyz II Men, need I say more? Those voices singing gospel music definitely remind me of the religious meaning and elements of the Christmas holiday.

10. Christmas With the Kranks - Ending on a funny note we have Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen trying to escape Christmas... Until they can’t. I always laugh the whole way through this movie.

Hopefully you enjoy these movies as much as I do every year. And I hope that you don’t burn your shortbread cookies! In any case, the holiday season is about spending time together and strengthening our bonds with each other. Have an amazing holiday season no matter what you celebrate and I wish you well in the new year.