It’s that time of year again. All I want on Black Friday is Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” on repeat (and a masterpiece sandwich harmoniously stuffed with leftovers). I’m giddy with nostalgia for Ugly Sweater Christmas soirees, Celestial Seasoning’s Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea, the first snowfall, finally buying that perfect present I thought of back in August, the ornaments I made in elementary school that only a mother could love, roaring fires, glitzy head-turning party frocks, spicy mulled wine, the spectacular Bergdorf Goodman windows, gingerbread houses too pretty to eat, peppermint bark with chunks of candy cane, a month off from school (which means more face time at the O2O headquarters!), sledding until my toes are numb, feeling like I’m ten years old again, and the unmistakable magic of holiday spirit in the air.

Cut to three weeks later – I’m bedraggled by frenzied crowds, misplaced gift receipts, a crooked tree, neighbors one-upping my decorations, mile-long lines, gift wrap paper cuts, caramel brulée latte sugar crashes, slippery sidewalk wipeouts, a puppy who thinks the holly garland is a new toy, and loved ones calling to remind me how “impossible” I am to shop for.

Let’s just say the same seasonal tunes following me around in every TV commercial, shopping mall, department store, skating rink, Festival of Lights, and Starbucks don’t help in maintaining my sanity. I swear I’m not a Scrooge, but by December 26th even Buddy the Elf is happy to be free from “Jingle Bell Rock” for an entire year. (Side note: I really wish I owned the royalties to that ditty).

So, below are five festive songs that might not be in your holiday playlist rotation. But they should be. Because my Nana gets really offended when “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” comes on. And the melody to “Carol of the Bells” is, well, redundant. And “Feliz Navidad” makes it abundantly clear how little high school Spanish I’ve retained.

These tracks are in good company alongside the standard time-honored classics and will keep that warm-and-fuzzy comfort and joy going strong amid the holiday hustle-and-bustle.

• The Weepies – All That I Want

• Kay Starr – Everybody’s Waitin’ For The Man With The Bag

• Ramsey Lewis Trio - Here Comes Santa Claus

• Brenda Lee – Papa Noel

• Ella Fitzgerald – What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

Hi ladies! I’m Maryellen, intern extraordinaire at One2One Network and aficionado of all things music. There’s nothing I love more than stumbling upon a new act, whether it’s a much-hyped band straight out of a garage in Portland or a Portuguese bossa nova nightclub singer from the 1960′s.

Some people have a soundtrack to their life…I have curated playlists. It’s all about setting the perfect mood. People-watching in Manhattan? I’m pounding the pavement to Local Natives and Phoenix. Reading blogs while enjoying a cup of tea? It’s gotta be She & Him and The National. Meandering solo around a museum? Take it down a notch with Oscar Peterson and Norah Jones.

Hanging out with my awesome friends? Vampire Weekend and Jurassic 5 never cease to get toes tapping. An impromptu after-hours dance party? Spice Girls and Michael Jackson for the win, preferably at an ear-splitting decibel.

One assembled mix that’s consistently music to everyone’s ears is titled A Stewart Family Dinner.

A perennial work-in-progress, it’s a classy, easy-going accompaniment that flows from aperitivo to dessert and coffee. The selected tracks to follow generate a distinctly mellow vibe and won’t take over the room. So open a bottle of wine, turn the lights down low, give the risotto one last stir, and enjoy amidst a backdrop of endless laughter and witty repartee. Dig in!

• Mel Tormé – Comin’ Home Baby
• Mulatu Astatke – Tezeta
• Louis Armstrong – La Vie en Rose
• The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
• Stevie Wonder – Superstition
• The Beatles – Eight Days a Week
• The Stephane Wrembel Trio – Big Brother
• Nina Simone – See Line Woman
• Coralie Clément – Samba de Mon Coeur Qui Bat
• Sam Cooke – That’s It, I Quit, I’m Movin’ On
• Etta James – A Sunday Kind of Love
• Dave Brubeck – Take Five
• Ray Charles – Hallelujah, I Love Her So
• Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs – Beg Steal or Borrow