From Cup-of-Noodles to Comfort: Michelle Ervin’s Christmas Movie Mornings

Anna LaBay
Dec 24, 2025
2 min read

McCOOK Neb. — While many of us fumble through December with coffee and chaos, McCook resident Michelle Ervin has been greeting each morning with something entirely different — a cup of noodles and a Christmas movie.

Her daily tradition, which she called “Christmas Movie Mornings,” began with a 25-cent find in Walmart’s discount aisle: pumpkin-spice-flavored noodles. She never even ate them.

“I found them when I was stuck in the aisle waiting for people to move,” Ervin said. “They were 25 cents, so I bought them, read the reviews — which were mostly negative — and decided not to eat them.”

But the noodles became something more than a joke.

“Honestly, the idea of giving the noodles a nice Christmas comes from a very vulnerable place,” she shared. “Three years ago I moved to McCook after getting divorced. My dog Cosmo and my bird Chowder were my constant companions and got me through the hard times. Last year was the first Christmas without Cosmo. Chowder passed away the week before Thanksgiving this year, and I guess I needed a distraction.”

That distraction became a daily ritual — sharing Christmas movie recaps full of magical Santas, grinchy bosses, fake engagements, royal romances… and even a surprise Die Hard entry. Her storytelling was funny and heartfelt, and the personal touches — forgotten noodles, peppermint coffee substitutions, and a Nebraska-Texas sister watch party — made it feel like everyone was in on the tradition.

“Incorporating the Christmas movies was a way to let my friends poke fun at my fondness for them,” Ervin said. “Something to laugh about and hopefully make others laugh, too.”

Her favorite holiday movie of all time is The Christmas Ornament — a story about moving on after loss — and her favorite tradition is watching movies “together” with her sister in Texas.

“It’s our time together,” she said.

By Christmas Eve, Ervin had watched and shared 24 Christmas movies, creating a simple tradition that turned grief into connection — one cup of noodles at a time.

🎬 Michelle Ervin’s 24 Days of Christmas Movie Mornings

Day 1: A Cookie Cutter Christmas

Day 2: A Wish for Christmas

Day 3: Switched for Christmas

Day 4: The Nine Lives of Christmas

Day 5: Crown for Christmas

Day 6: Holiday Engagement

Day 7: Die Hard

Day 8: Christmas Next Door

Day 9: Christmas at Cartwright’s

Day 10: A Bride for Christmas

Day 11: Christmas in Montana