4 Pandora Stations for Cooking Christmas Dinner

In addition to wrapping gifts, welcoming family members and spreading Christmas cheer, over the next few days you mamas are going to be in the kitchen cooking. That entails some long hours in the over top of burners. What helps me to endure those hours spent stuffing turkeys and chopping onions is my favorite music in the background.

Usually I'll start off listening to an album, but a quarter of the way through my dinner preparation, I get tired of the same artist. While my hubby is an I Heart Radio fan, I'm a Pandora loyalist. Pandora is free Internet radio, but I have upgraded to Pandora ONE for just $4.99 a month and I listen commercial free to a variety of my favorite tunes. And the best thing about Pandora, at least for me, is the add variety option. This option lets you turn-tables like a DJ by giving you the chance to add multiple artist or songs to one station. Now, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I have mastered creating Pandora stations.

80s R&B Mama

Seed Artist: 702 & BrandyWhat You'll Hear: MoKenStef, 112, Tamar Braxton, Kut Klose, Missy Elliot, Nicole Wray, Xscape, Aaliyah, Keisha Cole, Jon B & Babyface, Boyz to Men

Light Weight Hip-Hop Mama

Seed Artist: Lucy Pearl, Tribe Called QuestWhat You'll Hear: Ahmad, "Back in the Day," Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill (with and without the Fugees), Mary J, Camp Lo "Luchini,"Sean Paul, Mint Condition, PharCyde, Estelle, Common (the new one and the old one), Mos Def, Lucy Pearl "Dance Tonight," a little Wale, TLC

Christmas Music Mama

Seed Artist: Mary, Mary (Holiday)What You'll Hear: Ledisi It's Christmas; Boyz II Men "Let it Snow"; Faith Evans Soulful Christmas; Ms. Patti (LaBelle that is) Christmas - Every Year, Every Christmas; Vicki Winans, Happy Holidays, The Temptations Christmas

Funk/Punk Mama

Seed Artist: Janelle Monae, Arrested DevelopmentWhat You'll Hear: Jill Scott, Another Day; Nuyorican Soul, Gnarles Barkley (everything), OutKast (everything), Erykah Badu, On & On, Mr. Scruff, Photek