I’m so excited to be a part of the Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop with over 200 Authors and Bloggers blogging about the holidays and what they mean to us. You might find us talking about our favorite traditions, recipes, gifts, reads, heroes, and so much more. At each hop stop, we’d like to hear about what you do for the holidays, what you read, and who you’ll be spending it with.
While at each site, be sure to to check out the giveaways, 200 of them. How cool is that? But that’s not all….
We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times! Here are the prizes. Everything but the swag is international. Click on the Blog Hop image to check out the other blogs. Happy Hopping and Good Luck!
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
My tradition: Every year my family and I do a full day of celebration. It starts off bright and early with coffee and Cinnabons (best cinnamon rolls ever) while we take turns opening gifts. In the afternoon, I do a potluck style get together, and by evening, we watch a movie and have leftovers for dinner. It’s awesome!
For my character, Sophie, in my paranormal romance, Shadow Watcher, family is very important. So important, she’s ready to walk away from love to stick by her convictions. It’s extreme, but she’s a kick-ass Demon Hunter :). Want to win an autographed copy? Click here.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Shadow Watcher
by Ashlyn Mathews
Giveaway ends December 27, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
How does your family celebrate? My give away is a beautiful heart bookmark designed by Seattle artist, ReDefind Vintage. Comment below and include your email address for a chance to win!
I already won a beautiful bookmark from you, except it was a circle with a flower in the middle. I haven’t had a chance to start reading Shadow Watcher yet, but I did download it and it looks really good. Reviews I’ve read are also great so far.
In terms of traditions, my larger family get togethers were always for Thanksgiving. Christmas and other holiday celebrations at this time of year were always reserved for individual families to enjoy separately. As my siblings have married into a variety cultures–Jewish, Buddhist, Islam, Catholic–they needed to make their own combined traditions for themselves and their children. However, this year I will be going to Salem to spend Christmas day with my parents, and one Aunt and Uncle. It will be quiet and intimate which I really like. It gives more time for important conversations and reconnecting on a deeper level.
Sounds like a nice and relaxful time for you and your family. I like small gatherings too. It gives me time to really catch up with my friends and family. Have fun in Salem and have a great holiday!
We live in a different state – away from family – so it’s always just the 5 of us. We start the day with a different holiday breakfast (whatever I decide to bake/make 🙂 Then we open gifts (stockings first). Then we talk to the family on the phone to wish them a wonderful day and to give thanks. We usually have “lupper” (late lunch/early supper) of a dish that was always my father-in-law’s favorite. And lastly, we play with our new toys while watching football.
addledbybooks(at)gmail(dot)com
Fun! And I love your combination word, “lupper.” Very cute. I’ll have to use that with my kids 🙂
What a beautiful blog you have! You made me hungry for a Cinnabun! We usually celebrate on Christmas Eve and then do something relaxing, like going to a movie or going bowling (yes, bowling) on Christmas Day. sletten at paulbunyan dot net
thanksgiving here in the states was the ‘large’ family gathering time when I was a kid – the only tradition that all of us seem to have held onto is that we all make a tortierre for Christmas eve – and we all send cookies and little homemade treats to each other to share over the season.
thank you for the opportunity and all the best to you and yours this season!
glhince at gmail DOT com
Thanks for the giveaway!
parisfan_ca@yahoo.com
Thanks for joining this fab blog hop!!
We don’t have many traditions except getting together & eating lunch with everyone. We used to draw names and such but now we all bring one male & one female gift then draw #s for the gifts. That way, everyone gets a gift and we don’t all go broke 🙂 Ha.
kaylapshirley (at) gmail (dot com)
We gather for the Christmas meal in the afternoon and have the presents in the evening. Santa comes when we have kids around, of course. Merry Christmas!
tessa.bamberg@kolumbus.fi
My favorite traditions are decorating, baking, & spending time with the family 🙂
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
cassandrahicks1989@yahoo.com
The kids get up and can open stockings but no gifts until we are all together and awake. We grab some hot chocolate and then open gifts one by one..not only does it last longer, but everyone gets to see what everyone else got plus see their expressions..then we have a big brunch..usually eggs bacon, cinnamon rolls, grits, potatos….later on we have a nice ham dinner…and watch a good movie.\
peach_hugs@yahoo.com
When I was young our tradition was: On Christmas morning, everyone gathered round the tree and opened presents, starting with the youngest and going in age order to the oldest. we still open presents that way but now it’s after we eat. I cook a huge Christmas luncheon and the family gathers round after we eat and do the same thing, opening presents in age order. Have a wonderful Christmas. Thanks for the chance to win.
reneebennett35 (at) yahoo (dot) com
We gather together on Christmas Eve, to open presents we drew names for (adults), the kids get their’s from the aunt’s and uncles and grandparents that night too. We eat then either play cards or watch movies. On Christmas day it’s just the immediate family. We open presents, eat and just relax the rest of the day.
vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com
Merry Christmas to you! Thank you for the giveaway!
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
Happy Holidays! Thanks for the giveaway!
aprilnu2003(at)yahoo(dot)com
We always get together and have a big Christmas dinner the weekend before Christmas Thanks for the beautiful giveaway and Merry Christmas
crystaley73 at yahoo dot com
Hubby and I get woken up by the kids so they can open up the gifts. They know they have to wait.
Raonaid at gmail dot com
We eat the traditional christmas breakfast of cinommon rolls and cookies:)
Happy Holidays!
ajcraig77@comcast.net
Happy Happy Holidays! Thanks for the great giveaway!
My fav thing about the holidays are the awesome sparkly lights! We drive around on Christmas Eve and see them all while singing along with carols on the radio!
grapeapril75(AT)gmail.com
Every Christmas Eve we go out to dinner and come home to watch the movie Elf.
Thanks for the chance to win and Happy Holidays!
sqwalker2@hotmail.com
Thanks for the great hop.
magic5905 at embarqmail dot com
we get up early open the presents then have a nice breakfast i cook and then we have super usualy play with new toys and watch movies for the day
kaholgate at ymail dot com
We have a big dinner and open presents. Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
The Bookmark IS GORGEOUS 😀 Thank you for the giveaway & I hope u have a wonderful Holiday. We spend the whole day together as well & our dinner is always meatloaf …. lol
Big Hugs
missie25524@ netzero.com
What a fun tradition you have. And I totally agree about Cinnabons!! My husband and I spend a quiet day, with prime rib for dinner and maybe go out to a movie. The theaters are never busy on Christmas, I don’t know why they keep them open.
woolfcindy@aol.com
What an awesome hop!! And a fantastic giveaway! Thank you!! Happy holidays to you all! Best wishes and many blessings!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Hello, thanks for the giveaway!
skizzles_22_hju@yahoo.com
i spend the christmas with my dad and my husband we watch christmas movies and i read whatever i could get my hands on angelwolfmystic@yahoo.com
We have a Christmas movie marathon.
Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com
I’m spending this holiday season with my family and hoping to win so I can read more romances. I don’t have an ereader. Happy Holidays! lisarayns at gmail dot com
My favorite thing about this season is cookies; I love making and eating them. Everyone is so willing to share.
planterofhope at aol dot com
Thank you everyone for stopping by my blog and sharing how you celebrate the holidays. I enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. Congrats to Shadow, the winner of the beautiful bookmark! Happy Holidays!