As Popservations™ only got started in January, I haven’t had the opportunity to declare my love for all things Christmas. With Halloween here and gone, the most wonderful time of the year is now fair game. I particularly love Christmas music; if I spy a new compilation, chances are I’m checking that tracklisting twice to see if it’s a worthy addition to my ridiculously large holiday collection.

This year, Sheryl Crow throws her Santa hat into the ring with Home For Christmas. A veteran of the A Very Special Christmas compilations (3, 5, and Live), Crow’s first full holiday CD yields traditional nine yuletide treasures (“The Christmas Song,” “Merry Christmas, Baby,” “The Bells Of St. Mary’s”) and one original (“There Is A Star That Shines Tonight”) included for merry measure.

Crow recorded the tracks this summer with Bill Bottrell, the Tuesday Night Music Club producer she’d re-teamed with for her current release, Detours. Why a Christmas disc? “I think music generally is an incredible heart opener and the tradition of Christmas carols and hymns really taps into the spirit and the meaning of Christmas,” says Crow. “When I recorded this album, I envisioned delivering the kind of music people could relate to during this season.”

To bring Home For Christmas home, you’ll have to head to a Hallmark Gold Crown store, where it’s exclusively sold (just $7.95 when you purchase three Hallmark cards). To find the Hallmark Gold Crown store nearest you, visit Hallmark.com or ring up your mom, sister, or anyone who’s previously cared enough to send the very best. Chances are good they’ll know.

Get your hands on some Christmas Crow now. Head here for a sneak peek, and then here to download a free bonus track, “Hello, My Friend, Hello,” using code HMKSC08.