The presents are wrapped, parcels are shipped, cookies are baked, and Elf PJ goodie plates ready to be delivered. Now it's time for me to spend a few days cuddled up under a cozy blanket with Hallmark movies, Christmas romance novels, and a holiday beverage - or two.
Be safe and I'll see you on the flip side (12/27)!
Did you do any holiday baking this year? What did you make?
Tell me what books you hope to find under the tree on Christmas or what books you plan to buy if you score a gift card from Santa.
If you celebrate (or celebrated) a holiday other than Christmas this month, what special traditions do you have?
One person who posts a comment before 6:00 PM (EST), December 25 will receive a package of books from my stash.
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I’ve only begun my holiday baking. I made my MIL’s buttery spritz cookies and chocolate chip cookies. I plan to make mint brownies. I will also make a chocolate angel food cake with chocolate whipped cream frosting in honor of Jesus’ birthday.
ReplyDeleteI will receive gift cards for books from my husband and children. They know I’m addicted to love/HEA, both historical and contemporary romances.
I enjoy a lot of authors: Jill Shalvis, Karen Hawkins, Susan Mallory, Susan Wiggs, Carly Phillips, Lisa Kleypas, Lori Foster, Lori Wilde, Jennifer Snow, Kat Mizera, Kat Martin, Stefanie London, Julia Quinn, Jillian Hunter, Alexandra Hawkins…….
We celebrate Christmas! Looking forward to our annual Christmas Eve neighborhood walk to see the lights and decorations. Our tree is up along with my Jim Shore Nativity set.
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas to everyone here. We will just have 5 here for Christmas Day, my daughter, sil and granddaughter; my close family is all on the west coast.
ReplyDeleteMy list is so long of books I would like to find under my tree; I asked for an amazon card and a few books - one is by Liz Isaacson - The Mechanics of Mistletoe.
Went out to lunch with a friend a few days ago and she came back here for dessert. Had brunch on Monday with our close friends across the street and had them over for a Christmas lunch the beginning of Dec. Tonite another couple with come for a drink and some dessert.
I did A LOT OF BAKING - lemon cookies, choc chip cookies and a delicious new recipe of dark choc chip cookies with dark choc chips - to die for. Made some cranberry breads as well. Gave a lot of the baked items to several people.
My oven is broken so no baking here. I'm sure I can find enough to buy lol. If not gifted, I plan on buying some books from Grace Burrowes, Jodi Picoult, Elin Hilderbrand and Dean Koontz (a little bit of everything lol). And maybe some surprises. We've already had our tree trimming party - friends, family, food and fun and my tree gets trimmed lol. Hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday!
ReplyDeleteNo baking this year. Sent my cards out relatively early for me. Hoping to zoom or facetime with family on Christmas. Just a quiet day at home, but will make a nice dinner.
ReplyDeleteIt's not baking, but I made a lot of fudge this year: Bourbon w/pecans and Tequila w/pecans, cinnamon, and a touch of cayenne. I do need to bake some cookies and bread for Christmas Eve. This year I asked for items to do home improvements so I'm expecting bathroom fixtures and cabinet door handles and drawer pulls - that or gift cards to buy them.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy/Merry Festivus, and Happy New Year!
I have been baking up a storm. Brownies, apple cake, lemon squares and scones. I hope to receive gift cards for books which is my favorite. Our traditions are storytelling when we gather together. I love this tradition very much as all the young and old sit enraptured.
ReplyDeleteI am ready for the family. All week which was quiet I prepared and cooked and baked. Lovely scents which are so tempting. Chocolate cake, lemon biscuits, shortbread cookies and babka. Gift cards are my new gift choice so that I can choose my books. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI been baking bread pumpkin bread we have it on Christmas day too, That's about all I made this year I just got over a bad case of flu.
ReplyDeleteEvery year my youngest daughter and I go down town to see all the Christmas lights get home and put out the Nutcrackers men around the house she loves it.
I'm hoping to find contemporary romances and Cozy Mysteries and Historical romances..
I love Author Jill Shalvis,Sarah Morgan Maisey Yates, Jennifer Snow and Mary Jo Putney, Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries and Cozy Mysteries Tonya Kappes ,Kathi Daley plus many more, Merry Christmas Penney
Merry Christmas! This year is a special one for my family. We welcomed my first grand child--Benjamin--in October! We got together with my son, daughter-in-law, and Ben earlier this month to celebrate Christmas!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays to everyone! This year is a nostalgic Christmas for me. I've been remembering the past to help me deal with the present day and prepare for the future. I am enjoying classic books and films--all the while drinking eggnog and eating dark fruitcake (almost as good as Gran's). My cats are ignoring my singing of Christmas carols--maybe because I refilled their goodie box with bags of Temptations cat treats. I have been thinking of others, too, doing what I can to promote literacy and animal welfare in my own limited way. Peace, good health and love to all--Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI have baked fruit breads and ginger bread for neighbors. I sent cards, but not as many as I normally send.
ReplyDeleteMy family is very pet oriented. Everyone has rescue dogs. So, this year I donated to a local shelter in the names of all the people I love and their dogs.
If I am honest, this year it has been more difficult to get into the spirit. But, I have started listening to beautiful Christmas music and that is making me feel much more cheerful.
Christmas has always been very important to me, so I am working to get back to remembering why we celebrate and why I should feel blessed.
I have to remember....I hope everyone is well and safe and happy.
Merry Christmas, PJ. I hope you get to enjoy your baked treats with the people you DO get to see in person, and I hope you get lots of reading time.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! I plan to bake sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies.
ReplyDeletedenise
I made batches of chex mix (a family tradition started by my sister-in-law), special holiday brownies (brownies with peppermint chips), and rugalah to share with my adult kids and their families.
ReplyDeleteWe are celebrating by ourselves. Our daughter-in-law has tested positive for COVID but not our son. So I will make of batch of chocolate chip cookies, and a pan of lasagna. Watching some Hallmark movies. My wish list is long so I will get some books from that if I score some gift cards.
ReplyDeleteWe are doing a more low-key Christmas get-together this year. I will still cook, but since we had a big feast on Thanksgiving, I'm going to tone it down for Christmas. Our daughter will be moving 18 hours away in a little over a week, so it promises to be tinged with a little melancholy as well.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!! I've been baking all month. I love to give little baskets of goodies. I've made lots of cookies, magic layer bars, banana bread, orange cranberry bread and pumpkin bread. Most if my kids and grandkids live out of state so we won't get together this year. I have my kindle loaded with new and comfort reads, so I'll have a contented holiday. Hope everyone has a great holiday. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t holiday baked yet but my sister is roping me in for a marathon cookie baking session tomorrow. Under the tree, I would love to see Diana Biller’s Brightest Star in Paris, Milla Vane’s A Touch of Stone and Snow, and Julie Ann Long’s After Dark with the Duke. I will celebrate Christmas with my side of the family this year and we don’t have any special traditions. Merry Christmas to you and all here!
ReplyDeleteI made my usual goodies. Chocolate covered pretzels. Sugar cookies. Peanut butter cookies with kisses. Fudge. Devils food cookies.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, PJ, and happy holidays to all! I’m not a big baker, but I’ve been enjoying holiday treats made by friends and family. Iced molasses cookies are my personal favorite. If I get a bookstore gift card for Christmas, I’ll be buying The Brightest Star in Paris by Diana Biller, Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly, and Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. Wishing you a restorative and joyful end of 2021!
ReplyDeleteBourbon balls, gingerbread cookies, 3 types of banana bread, and mincemeat pie are all I have managed this year. I will be doing apple bread for some of the neighbors later. Since our Christmas will be split this year, I haven't made some of my regular treats.
ReplyDeleteI would get the Mistletoe Christmas Anthology. I have a stack of Christmas books I am trying to read right no. Other than that, I am looking forward to getting some of the mysteries and thrillers that are coming out.
Many of the traditions that we had have gone by the wayside since the children grew up, married, and moved away. When they were young, I would be up late Christmas Eve wrapping presents. To be able to sleep in a little longer on Christmas morning, we would wrap a few small gifts and put them in the children's stockings along with candy and other goodies. They knew they could get their stockings whenever they got up and have/open whatever was in them. That allowed us a leisurely, more or less, getting up and fixing coffee and hot chocolate to enjoy while opening gifts. We could then fix breakfast and not have to rush through eating it.
I hope you have a joyous Christmas and a wonderful 2022.
Hi PJ. Merry Christmas! I may make some toll house cookies. My daughter is coming on Monday, so till then, it's just my husband & I. I have been a bad girl and have been buying a lot of books for myself. I still haven't bought Lori Wilde's Second Chance Christmas, and would like to complete Sarina Bowen's Brooklyn Bruisers series.
ReplyDeleteI made my usual cookies with my granddaughters and daughters. If I won the g.c. would like to try some Christmas books by authors I have never read.
ReplyDeletePatty B Coral