Holidaze

Mariah Carey's plan to safely get from L.A. to Aspen for her annual Christmas vacay without risking COVID-19 exposure can be summed up with two words ... ROAD TRIP!!!

Diehard MC fans know the singer's known for taking this yearly trip with the kiddos, but with the pandemic still raging out of control ... the singer wanted to find a safe way to make the trip without taking to the sky. The solution? Hitting the road in a luxury RV.

We're told she kept the yearly tradition alive by renting a 2020 Prevost RV through Outdoorsy.com -- it's like the Rolls Royce of RVs -- and decking it out with Christmas decorations like wreaths and poinsettias before embarking on the 5-day trek. They ventured across a must-see scenic route that included stops in Red Rock Canyon and Zion before arriving Wednesday in Aspen.

The RV's pretty sick ... with 2 bedrooms. a spacious living area, full kitchen and multiple bathrooms. This kind of RV usually rents out for $150k a month ... so you know it's top of the line and very much Mimi-approved.

Mariah's been going to Aspen for a long time ... telling GQ last year she goes because she loves a snowy environment, gazing at the mountains and spotting shooting stars. The kiddos also interact with live reindeer and even Santa Claus pays a visit.

Princess Diana's fans still have her back -- in a big way -- and Prince Charles and Camilla Bowles are getting a harsh reminder of that with the release of their Christmas card.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's official card is now posted on Instagram, but instead of warm and fuzzy holiday remarks ... they're getting flooded by Diana loyalists with comments like "SHE'S OUR QUEEN," referring to Di.

The running theme in the comments is pure shade. One person said, "Diana's always in our hearts" ... while another commented, "Diana will always be her [Camilla's] shadow."

Things got personal too, and as it played out in real life ... Camilla got the brunt of it, instead of Charles.

That the couple's getting torched shouldn't come as a huge surprise ... coming on the heels of the Netflix series "The Crown" depicting Prince Charles as a total villain in the split from Diana.

On the show, Diana's all but abandoned by Charles, who can't get enough of his affair with Camilla.

The show's come under fire ... with Royal staff recently coming out to say Charles' depiction is NOT accurate.

File Under: TOTALLY NOT COOL!!!

Soccer star Reece James was about to bring holiday cheer to a bunch of kids this Christmas season ... until some scumbag broke into his G-Wagon and stole all the toys!!

The 21-year-old Chelsea defender shared the unfortunate event on Instagram ... saying he was participating in a food giveaway with the Felix Project in London when someone smashed the window to his Mercedes and jacked all the presents he was going to donate.

"Unfortunately, I was met with huge disappointment when returning to my car," James said. "During the event, someone felt the need to break in and steal gifts that I was due to go and donate later in the day."

Seriously -- here's a dude doing everything he can to give back to the community during the holidays ... and some Grade-A dirtbag had to ruin it!?!

James added he's sure the culprit will get what's coming to them ... saying, "What goes around comes around."

Shoutout to James for trying to do the right thing.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says Santa Claus is immune from the coronavirus, but the jolly guy is taking no chances before Christmas -- he just got the COVID-19 vaccine.

Santa came down from the North Pole for an unannounced stop Wednesday at Southern Hills Hospital & Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he got the shot.

As you can see, Santa wasn't exactly keeping it low pro ... rocking his regular work gear for the occasion.

So, why Vegas? It is pretty warm for a guy dressed like this. Well, the hospital's honchos say they reached out to St. Nick out of concern for his health ahead of his globe-trotting on Christmas Eve.

Let's face it ... this guy can't risk taking a sick day on his ONE workday of the year.

Remember, Dr. Fauci said SC has "innate immunity" from COVID-19.

Peruvian cops take their sting operations quite seriously, especially around the holidays, as you can see in this drug bust featuring Saint Nick ... bashing in a door with a hammer!!!

This drug raid in Lima was captured on camera, and it shows 2 Peruvian police officers disguised as Santa and an elf literally busting into the home of a suspected drug dealer in town. Looks like they mighta been right, as they found tons of weed.

Imagine how deep undercover this duo had to go to make this collar. If it required sitting in as a mall Santa for even one day, they deserve medals!

BTW, apparently, this police force has gone undercover before as homeless people and street sweepers. In any case, their latest operation made for a dramatic payoff. It's not everyday ya get to see Santa and an elf hop out of a van, break down and a door ... and leave with a sack full of ganja.

In addition to the marijuana ... cops say they found guns and drug paraphernalia.

You're a mean one, Mr. Darts Player!!!

Professional Darts Corporation star Peter Wright channeled his inner Grinch for his opening round of the World Championship on Tuesday ... by dying his hair bright green and throwing on a 'fit inspired by the iconic Dr. Seuss character!!

The defending champ made one hell of an entrance at Alexandra Palace in London ... doing some wild dance moves while Pitbull's "Don't Stop The Party" blared over the speakers.

Watch the video. It's super entertaining!!!!

But, the green grandiose entrance didn't affect the 50-year-old's game one bit -- beating Steve West 3-1 to advance to the next round.

Wright spoke about his decision to go full Grinch after his win ... saying, "It's all about trying to make people smile, because we've had a horrible year, people's had a horrible year, lost loved ones. People lost jobs and stuff like that."

He added ... "I just wanted to cheer everyone up. I think I've done that."

BTW -- Wright is known for his eye-popping looks ... from wild multi-colored mohawks to outrageous outfits.

When asked about his critics calling him a "clown," Wright says he simply doesn't pay it any mind.

"I don't care because it's me just trying to make people happy. If I lose, I lose, if I don't, I don't."

It's a pretty wild statement from Wright ... considering the tourney has a $3.37 million prize fund ... so there's money to be made!!!

Struggling to make plans for New Year's Eve? Mariah Carey's got ya covered with this SICK dome up for grabs through Airbnb.

The vacation rental company is offering this unbelievable 1-night stay under the New Year's Eve Ball at Times Square. The lucky person who books this, along with their guest, will stay on Nasdaq's outdoor terrace ... where they'll sleep and chill inside their very own geodesic dome, with panoramic views of the crystal ball and the Big Apple for that matter.

But, wait ... there's more!!!

Mariah's virtual hosting duties include her serenading the lucky guests. Plus, there's also a $5,000 shopping credit for shops along Fifth Avenue or local Times Square shops.

And, while the world counts down to the end of an awful 2020, guests will enjoy access to an indoor lounge where they can relax, drink some bubbly and watch the world celebrate on TV. Dinner will be provided by a private chef. And, how's this for a cool memento ... a sparkly piece of the crystal featured in this year's Waterford Crystal Times Square NYE Ball design.

This all sounds incredible, for sure. The 1-night booking's just $21 ... but there's a catch.

It's on a first-come, first-serve basis but only open to guests who can prove they're NYC residents. They must also currently live in the same household and must meet COVID health and safety criteria ... like documentation proving they're COVID free.

If you're looking for a Christmas miracle, look no further than this German Shepherd ... which survived an horrific incident of animal cruelty at a Florida motel.

The pooch has, appropriately, been named "Miracle" by the Volusia County Sheriff's deputies who showed up Monday at a Daytona Beach motel ... responding to calls about a suicidal woman.

The deputies went to her 2nd floor room and knocked on the door, but got no reply from the woman for a few minutes. When she finally opened the door she quickly stepped out with the dog, immediately picked it up and threw it over the railing as deputies yelled and tried to stop her.

Cops pounced on Allison Murphy and arrested her on the spot. During the arrest, you hear them asking other deputies outside the room if the dog is okay.

Amazingly, she is! Miracle didn't even break anything, and cops were able to recover her as she tried to run away after the fall.

Miracle is now in the custody of Animal Services.

As for Murphy ... she was booked for felony animal cruelty and resisting an officer without violence. She's still in custody.

Jerome Bettis is putting on his Superman cape this Christmas ... 'cause the NFL legend is rushing to the rescue after someone allegedly stole a bunch of goods intended for kids in need from a charity.

A rep from Family Resources -- an org. Bettis is helping fundraise for this year -- tells TMZ Sports that at around 9:30 AM Tuesday morning, they realized a TON of gifts had been taken from their headquarters in Pittsburgh.

The rep says everything, from toys to coats to clothes, intended for around 400 victims of child abuse were all gone when officials checked in a conference room.

In total, the rep claims around $1,900 worth of items were taken in the heist.

But, after Bettis learned of the problem Tuesday ... he raced in to help -- offering up some cool gifts to fans on social media in exchange for donations to the charity.

"We can't let the Grinch steal Christmas," Bettis tweeted out on Tuesday -- adding he's now giving away some signed Steelers jerseys to help raise funds for the kids.

A rep for Family Resources says Bettis' shoutout has already yielded tremendous results ... with $2,000 worth of contributions already pouring in Tuesday.

The rep also says Pittsburgh Steelers star Stephon Tuitt is expected to hand over a large check to the org. soon as well.

Kirk Cameron stuck it to Gov. Gavin Newsom and his COVID guidelines by getting hundreds of people together in public to sing Christmas carols ... something he does not regret.

The "Growing Pains" star helped organize a massive outdoor gathering Sunday in the parking lot of the Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks -- where literally swarms of people were huddled up, not wearing masks and singing their hearts and lungs out ... breathing up a storm.

Looks like a good time, sure, but it comes mid-pandemic, and in an area where infection rates are already high. Kirk wasn't concerned ... he partnered with an org named Sing It Louder USA, and specifically says it was a protest against Newsom's stay-at-home orders.

BTW, this mall caroling was the second such event Kirk and co. organized over the past couple weeks -- apparently, they did another one on Dec. 6, where Kirk says upwards of 500 people came out to sing. He wanted the mall event to be even bigger than that, and it looks like he might've succeeded -- the place was absolutely packed.

Law enforcement sources in the area tell us ... mall security did call police, and officers from the Thousand Oaks PD that responded simply educated folks on the importance of mask-wearing and left.

JoJo Siwa made a holiday wish come true for a very special little fan ... and Santa Claus couldn't help but pop in to spread even more cheer.

The YouTube star teamed up with Make-A-Wish and Macy's for a virtual hangout with 5-year-old Ainarah from Virginia, who has a neuromuscular disorder. Ainarah’s wish was to chat with JoJo, but the singer did her one better -- they're now forever linked as friends with matching bracelets.

We're told the adorable little girl and JoJo also chatted about music, fashion and what they want for Christmas ... before the big guy from the North Pole dropped in.

Being in a pandemic sucks for everyone, but foster kids across the country are finding it especially tough ... and it's heartbreaking.

Julie Brown, the Executive Director of Holy Family Services -- the oldest adoption agency in Southern California -- tells TMZ there's a 50 percent decline in the number of people volunteering to foster kids from the same time last year.

She says surging COVID cases have scared potential foster parents ... for obvious reasons.

And, it gets worse ... COVID is keeping some foster kids from visiting their biological families. As you may know, some of these kids are from loving families that just don't have the resources to care for them. The fact these kids can't visit their birth families during the holidays has created anxiety and depression.

Janice Goldwater, founder and CEO of Adoptions Together in the Washington metro area, tells us they try really hard to get children into adoptive homes by the holidays, but travel restrictions and work-from-home difficulties have derailed their placement process. Sadly, this means more kids will be stuck in foster care or group homes this year ... and spend another holiday without a family of their own.

Foster kids are also being left out in the cold when it comes to Xmas festivities. Houston's Ascension Child and Family Services rely on donations to throw Christmas celebrations for the kids, but funds are way down this year. We're told the kids in their care are really struggling emotionally.

Kim Kardashian is exhausted -- having to collect four different Elf on a Shelf dolls every day until Christmas -- so she waved her wand and gave 'em "COVID," and then put the toys on a healthy timeout.

The reality star posted a hilarious video on Instagram Sunday, showing her four children's own elves in glass jars -- where she says they'll remain until at least the 23rd so they can quarantine ... this because she just needs a break from all the EOAS household fun.

It's freaking funny ... Kim wrote up a note for her little ones -- North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm -- which makes it seem like it's from the elves themselves. It says, "We are on a 10 Day Quarantine! We still have our magic and will be back to flying around in 10 days."

Sounds like this will do the trick and give Kim and co. some peace of mind -- she says she's tired of having to remember to collect all 4 of these things from all over the house, so she took things into her own hands and deemed them to be riddled with COVID. Don't worry, kiddies ... something tells us they'll make a full recovery -- even if it's less than 14 days.

If you're unfamiliar, Elf on a Shelf is a popular holiday tradition. It's based on a book of the same name and entails you putting your own elf in secretive places throughout your home to "spy" on people for Santa, to make sure they're nice throughout December.

There's been a new twist to the meme/game, and celebs have gone to town on it this Christmas season. Instead of an elf, they're putting other celebs and/or movies and characters that rhyme with their own name, and photoshopping them onto their shoulders.

For example ... Elizabeth Banks plopped Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump onto her shoulder, and dubbed it Hanks-on-Banks. Reese Witherspoon got in on the fun too, and did "Grease"-on-Reese. Ryan Seacrest did Luke Bryan-on-a-Ryan, and Mariah Carey did Jim Carrey-on-Carey ... and J Lo's actually had a few ideas that she loved. She compiled her favorites in a post.

Mark Cuban is disgusted by the images of members of Congress showing up to the White House in ballgowns and tuxedos ... when millions are homeless, starving and unemployed.

The "Shark Tank" star was irate when he saw our video of Steve King, Jim Jordan, Doug Lamborn and others yukking it up Thursday night before entering the White House.

It's really outrageous ... Democrats blame Republicans, Republicans blame Democrats for the stalemate, but their job is to reach agreements -- to compromise, but that hasn't happened for months. As a body, Cuban and others think the entire Congress has acted shamefully.

If you ever wanted to walk a mile in Bill Belichick's shoes, now's your chance ... that is, if you got a bunch of cash saved up!!

The Patriots coach is auctioning off his game-worn My Cause, My Cleats sneaks from New England's lopsided 45-0 victory over the L.A. Chargers on Dec. 6 ... with proceeds going toward his foundation’s scholarship and grant programs.

Of course, the custom kicks were part of the NFL's Week 13 campaign which allows players and coaches to rock custom sneakers to raise awareness for a special cause.

BB decided to rep his Bill Belichick Foundation, which provides coaching, mentorship and financial support to football and lacrosse organizations throughout the country.

The legendary coach is also expected to wear the sneaks for the Pats' "Thursday Night Football" showdown with the L.A. Rams.

The auction is part of a huge donation by the BBF during the holiday season -- the org. is also distributing $440k in grants and scholarships to athletes and programs throughout the country.

On top of that, the BBF is hosting a "virtual" toy drive to benefit the Boston Marine Toys for Tots.

Matthew Morrison probably thinks fans who saw his performance in "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical!" have hearts 2 sizes too small ... 'cause they're going off about his hyper-sexual take on the Grinch.

The "Glee" star drenched himself in the green getup for Wednesday night's musical on NBC, but instead of softening hearts around the world, things got strange.

With lots of moaning, heavy breathing and come hither stares into the camera ... many viewers felt MM went bizarrely overboard with his portrayal.

You could almost hear people at home screaming, "That's a no for me, dawg" ... which is a pretty good summary of the Twitter reviews. One viewer even said, "Sending matthew morrison the bill for all the therapy i’ll need after watching his bizarrely sexual interpretation of the grinch."

After the show, Matthew posted a video of himself taking off his makeup while singing "For Good" from the popular play, "Wicked."

Nice PR move, but it still didn't distract fans from taking out their frustrations. Some of them included concerned parents who said their kids had nightmares.

As one unhappy customer put it, "matthew morrison doing an incredibly cursed rendition of the grinch is the most fitting way to end this wretched year imo, we r in hell."