Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Advent Calendar Giveaway Day 22

I'm getting later and later posting - but that's only to be expected - I have a kitten climbing up the christmas tree, frozen pipes, more snow coming down - and still got parcels to wrap!

But Sid has come back from wherever he went wandering and the winners he's chosen for the prizes are:


Julie M wins a copy of Cordero's Forced Bride

and

Caroline wins a copy of The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife



Please send me your postal addresses ladies!

Today's book is a recent title - it came out in 2009 and it's - Kept For Her Baby.




Wanted: wife and Mother...
Staring at the granite-handsome features of Italian billionaire Ricardo Emiliani, Lucy knows she's made a mistake coming back to their palatial Lake Garda home. But she'll do anything for her baby son—even return to the husband who never loved her...
Ricardo branded his wife a gold-digger, however, tiny Marco needs his mother so he will keep Lucy captive on his private island until she proves herself a worthy wife—in every sense...

Kept For Her Baby is in the Dark Nights with A Billionaire collection for Presents Extra.


And today's question is . . . what do you do on Christmas Eve?


Anything? Nothing? Do you put out a mince pie for Father Christmas or a carrot for Rudolph?
The last thing I do is to put up the Christmas crib that has been in my family since I was a baby - so it's just about an antique. We put up out all the figures except for the model of the baby Jesus - that goes in on Christmas Day.


Then when my son was little we'd leave out a plate with a mince pie and a carrot - perhaps a glass of wine for Santa and some water for the reindeer too! I used to have to leave just the carrot stub with teeth marks in it!!


Do you have any special Christmas Eve traditions? If you don't - well just come and chat anyway. Tell me something you have planned for this holiday and as long as you comment you'll be included in the draw!
PS - Please remember to check past posts in case you're a winner and have missed the message! Gaelikka - you for example!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is usually last minute frantic present wrapping, lol. We leave a mince pie, some carrots and a glass of milk out for Santa and sprinkle some magic dust outside for the reindeer to find us.

Usually there is also lots of reassurance needed that Santa will squeeze through the letter box in lieu of the non existent chimney.

In fact I was discussing this with my eldest daughter, who is now almost 20, the other day. She recalled how very worried she used to be about the fact that we didn't have a chimney, until I explained about the letter box, lol.

In that same convo she reminded me that I used to say the crust was the best bit of the bread, to get her to eat the whole sandwich. I have gone soft apparently, because I now cut it off for the little ones...

The last bit has got nothing to do with Christmas of course, it just made me smile, because I can't actually remember saying that.

Unknown said...

hang in there kiddo! I have an entire house to clean, grocery shopping and wrapping presents. Having Christmas Eve and Day at my house.

How is Sid liking the kitten?

Anonymous said...

As it gets closer to Christmas, the days are getting more hectic and this year I have let things slide a bit and I'm doing some stuff last minute!!! Sigh.

Christmas eve is when the Germans open their presents, so we will be gathering, yes all the kids too, in our livingroom, we shall sing some carols, read the Nativity story from the Bible and open our pressies.

Then I put out a cold buffet out for the evening meal with lots of things we don't usually eat so often like salmon, special cheeses and some pickles from England that I buy at the English shop we have here in town....yum.

Valerie
in Germany

Kaelee said...

Well for the past bit we have been going to my brother's on Christmas Eve and then out for a Chinese food buffet. However he is on call for the four days around Christmas so we are going to the zoo instead. The Calgary Zoo puts up a wonderful Christmas display and it's a magical and sometimes cold walk around the grounds.

Lois said...

Ah, christmas Eve... that's when I'm usually trying to convince Mom, regardless of my age, to wait until Christmas Day to open whatever presents we have, because, well, that's when it's usually done. Alas, nope, always Christmas Eve. LOL The turkey is usually for the 25th, just not those presents. :)

Lois

Laney4 said...

Christmas Eve traditions? Supper at home, church, check out local Christmas lights, neighbour's party (where Santa brings presents for the little ones), then home to my computer.

Julie M said...

We don't do anything special on Christmas Eve, but when I was a child we used to leave a mince pie and a glass of sherry for Santa.

This year's Christmas Eve looks like being very quiet. Hopefully Tesco will delivery our groceries tomorrow and then that's the last of the preparations done.

chey said...

Christmas will be quiet this year. We'll have a fondue Christmas Eve and a Turkey with all the trimmings Christmas Day.

desere_steenberg said...

Hello Kate

Our Christmas eve tradition is ..opening the gifts ! It has been that way since forever in my family as this way the kids are not so restless in church as they already know what presents they got !

Have a nice day

Desere

Nas said...

Well normally it's me and my daughter only as mu husband goes to his brothers house. So this year I've signed up for lots of online parties!

BiteMeAsh said...

Gosh what I would give to have snow fall on Christmas *sigh* guess its coz we in warmer conditions but Christmas just does not feel right when its so hot and humid. Seriously Santa long coat down here in the summer ... poor guy *LOL*

Our Christmas eve is spent going to midnight mass, then driving through this street that is decked full of lights on our way home. There everyone rushes home for its after midnight to open our presents, then we get to bed around 3am and then wake up and open some more presents *grin*

Merry Christmas to all!

Hugs, Rita

'I'm in your newsletter group'

BiteMeAsh said...

Wow Kate I do love your ideas!! They neat, hope you don't mind but going to take some of your suggestions for future traditions ;o)

from your far far away fan - Rita
'I'm in your newsletter group'

Anonymous said...

For us Christmas Eve is usually a quiet evening. Sometimes I go to Midnight Mass and sometimes I listen to the service on TV. Gone are the days when myself and my hubby used to sneak around gathering up the presents we had hidden for our daughter when she had finally fallen asleep. We too used to leave a half eaten mince pie alongside a much eaten carrott, with a glass of sherry for good measure!

Anonymous said...

Sorry Kate, forgot to add my name under the last anonymous comment.
It's Anita B.

Erin said...

My mom and I make a lot of little appetizers for the whole family to snack on instead of eating a real dinner. Then we open gifts and attend a late Christmas Eve service at church that is mostly just laid back and filled with candles and caroling. The service seems very old fashioned and I look forward to it every Christmas season.

Debby said...

One of my cats used to climb the tree. We had to tie it up that year. Your book looks great AGAIN

Debby236 at att dot net

Kirsten said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nicolette said...

We let the children open their stockings on Christmas Eve, a kind of warm-up for the big day!

We also sprinkle 'Reindeer food' in the back garden, to tempt down Santa's reindeer for my youngest who still believes (Ready Brek oats, mixed with silver glitter)

Caroline said...

Ohh thanks for the book Kate. You've made my day. Christmas Eve is *always* quiet in our house in readiness for the rush of Christmas Day. But this year will be different - we're snowed in - so all my plans for visiting relatives is on hold for another day! Merry Christmas Kate, Babe Magnet and the cats (esp Sid!). Caroline xx

Maria said...

Oh, thanks Kate! I'll check it out right now!

lidia said...

We have a traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve - no meat or diary. And the dinner consists of 12 dishes. Then we open presents from each other. The kids will have already gotten their gifts from St. Nick on his Feast Day.

 

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