REVIEW: The Hallmark Sequel "Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up" Is as Silly as the First One

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Emily and Jared are looking forward to celebrating the holidays together as a couple, and they prepare to work with their neighbors on Evergreen Lane to make this year's Christmas celebrations the best yet.  When a house on the block goes up for sale, the soon-to-be-neighbors are holiday royalty, but they are so competitive that they nearly ruin Christmas for everyone. Starring:   Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Ellen Travolta, Melissa Peterman, Seth Morris, and Jennifer Aspen Image:  Hallmark Media Haul Out the Holly:  Lit Up Has a Moral When the residents of Evergreen Lane learn that their new neighbors are the Jolly Johnsons--famous holiday reality stars--they are thrilled to welcome them to the block.  Everyone assumes the Johnsons will fit right in since they share their same affinity for elf culture. Emily, Jared, and the rest of the holiday crew quickly realize that the Johnsons aren't interested in joining in on the fun--they plan to take over. Image:  Tw
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A Shoe Addict's Christmas

Image:  Crown Media, United States LLC

Released:  2018

 Starring:  Candace Cameron Bure and Luke MacFarlane

 Summary:  A woman receives a visit from a guardian angel who takes her on a trip to Christmases past, present, and future.

 Candance Cameron Bure is a Hallmark A-lister, and she doesn't disappoint in this sweet story about a woman and her shoes.

The Plot

Noelle Carpenter is a talented photographer who settles into the position of human resource manager for Fulton's after a break-up with her boyfriend.

Jake is a fireman who moves into an apartment above her who is also struggling with a career decision.  Should he remain a fireman, or take the desk job of Deputy Chief--a position his deceased father once held with great distinction?

Fulton's is sponsoring the annual Fire Station Gala, and, you guessed it, Noelle and Jake must collaborate on planning the celebration.

Party Planning

Uh-oh--Noelle and Jake can't agree on how the gala should be themed.  Can you remember each of their visions for the celebration?

Noelle feels the gala should be traditional, classy, tasteful, and elegant, which is exactly what Mrs. Fulton expects, since the gala will reflect her company's brand.

Jake, on the other hand, wants to make the gathering silly and fun, which is how his fire station family prefers it.

The Shoes

The guardian angel first appears when Noelle is accidentally locked inside of Fulton's.  At the behest of the angel, she puts on a pair of shoes that plummets her into the past where she finds herself married and living in a beautiful studio.  It was a glimpse at what her life could have been if she had followed her heart with photography.


Nuggets of Wisdom From the Guardian Angel 

The guardian angel imparts wisdom to Noelle that we could apply to our own lives:

  • When we lose faith, we need to find it again.
  • Our choices all lead to different possibilities.
  • You have to decide what difference in the world you want to make.
  • Nothing worth having comes without risk.
The presence of the angel also reminds us that God will try to reach us multiple times when we have lost our way.  We don't sacrifice the choice of our free will, but God is in the business of arranging "coincidences," or divine appointments, to nudge us in the right direction.

The guardian angel arranges six "coincidences" for Noelle and Jake to connect.  What are they?  

(Answers: He came with the fire department when she was locked in Fulton's; He moved into the apartment above her; He was chosen to plan the gala with her; No cabs were available and they took a carriage ride together; They had to make cookies together; A red lever appeared that turned on lights and made snow when they were checking out decorations.)

The DVD and the Book Are Both Available!

Several of the Hallmark Christmas movies started off as a novel.  To relish extra details of this fun story, you can buy the book and the DVD here:


Take the Quiz

Here is a nine-question quiz to see how many details you remember from the movie.  How many can you guess correctly?

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