#AMonthofFaves : Dec. 15 - Favorite Holiday Festivities

Today we're moving away from books and into holiday discussions --

Tue. | Dec. 15 – Favorite Holiday Festivities – show off your favorite ornaments, home decor, place to go, holiday drinks, holiday eats, holiday themed reads

The holidays are pretty quiet around our house, here in the Seattle suburbs. About a week or two into December, we grab some Starbucks and head down to the local tree lot and pick out a lovely live tree. This year, we went for a tree that we could put more ornaments on rather than a fuller tree.

I promise that it looks better in person where you can see the ornaments more clearly! The only other decor we really do are old-fashioned colored lights on the outside of the house and a few things out on the mantlepiece. I used to do holiday towels and such around the house but nobody noticed but me so I kind of stopped doing it over time.

Our Christmas Eve tradition is to have chili. I make a yummy steak and black bean chili and cornbread! We read The Night Before Christmas and each open one present. Then Z heads to bed and I stay up and track Santa!

Christmas morning starts with a bowl of Lucky Charms before we open presents. Then we have a big brunch with many mimosas, usually followed by lovely, relaxing naps! Dinner is whatever I decide to make but it's rarely fully traditional. This year, I'm thinking beef filets with potatoes. It doesn't make sense to make a large turkey or ham when there's only four of us (my "baby" sis is usually up here with us every year for the holiday).

Other than the main holiday, we love to head to the zoo to see the beautiful WildLights, we get some sort of fancy dinner out for hubby's birthday, and, this year, we're heading to the Experience Music Project to see the big Hello Kitty exhibit (yes, this was planned by sis and me)! Sis and I always watch Christmas in Connecticut when she gets here and, time permitting, The Holiday, Love Actually, and The Man Who Came to Dinner. The whole family loves to watch Christmas Vacation and Elf. And hubby is one of those strange people that insist Die Hard is a holiday film.

Anyway, we're hoping for a white Christmas this year though we very rarely get one. Still, miracles sometimes happen!

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

Making a list,

K

'Tis Awesome to Give AND Receive

After sitting out last year and being rather sad about it, I made sure to sign up for the Book Blogger Holiday Swap this year. I chose an international swap and I am so incredibly glad that I did! The gifts that I bought went to Montreal, to Tina of Bookshipper (which she posted about today if you're curious). Thankfully she loved them all!

The gifts that were bought for me arrived today and I was floored when I saw that they came from South Africa! The lovely Robyn (of The Book Club Blog and I'm So Not A Blogger) sent some absolutely thoughtful gifts and I couldn't appreciate them more. Here are the wrapped gifts, each with a pressed-tin magnet attached.

First, there was "LAUGH", with a copy of The Pursuit of Laughter: Essays, Articles, Reviews & Diary of The Most Controversial Mitford Sister by Diana Mosley. I know that Robyn looked at my wishlist and saw that I was wanting to start in with the Mitfords. I know little to nothing about them and I'm so glad that she chose this for me!

Next, there was "LOVE" and a cookbook -- The South African Illustrated Cookbook by Lehla Eldridge.

The South African Illustrated Cookbook is a compilation of recipes dear to South Africans from all walks of life and traditions. It includes Xhosa, Cape Malay, Zulu, English, Indian, Afrikaans, Portuguese and new South African dishes.

I can't wait to try some of these recipes, especially once I figure out what "mealie meal" is (I think it's a fine corn meal -- anyone?).

Then there was "HOPE" and Robyn sent a favorite holiday book of hers from Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder -- The Christmas Mystery. It has time travel in it which makes me very excited! I love that she wanted to share a favorite book with me.

Everything was wonderful and these gifts certainly brought more laughter, love and hope into this season for me!

Finally, there was one more small item that didn't make it into these photos because it was already on the Christmas tree --

Thank you so much, Robyn! I love everything and love the thought and effort that you put into choosing the gifts.

I hope that those of you who participated in the swap were as fortunate as I was and that more of you will choose to participate next year!

Spreading the cheer,
K

"On an island so far north that it snowed from September to April, a boy named Frederik kept himself warm by keeping a secret."

This book is one that I've been saving for almost a year to read this Christmas -- Matchless by Gregory Maguire, subtitled An Illumination of Hans Christian Andersen's Classic "The Little Match Girl".  This is a small little volume that takes the story of The Little Match Girl, moves it from New Year's Eve to Christmas Eve and adds a surrounding story to it to give it a context that will move even the most cynical reader.  It was originally read aloud on NPR by the author in 2008.

I hadn't read Andersen's original story (read it online) in many years and couldn't remember much of how it was told except for the tragic ending.  It begins like this --

It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl, with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets. It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use. They were very large, so large, indeed, that they had belonged to her mother, and the poor little creature had lost them in running across the street to avoid two carriages that were rolling along at a terrible rate. One of the slippers she could not find, and a boy seized upon the other and ran away with it, saying that he could use it as a cradle, when he had children of his own.

Matchless adds the story of that boy -- the one who took the lost slipper home.  He is named Frederik and he lives out on an island in the harbor of a northern town.  The island is connected to the land by a stone walkway.  Frederik lives there with his mother and they are poor but surviving.  Frederik has a secret miniature town in the attic which he collects bits and pieces around the real town to create.  This is why he is anxious to get the slipper when he finds it in the street.

The nameless Match Girl's fate remains the same in her portion of this story but it is sandwiched between Frederik's story, one of hope and purpose even after devastating loss.  This is a bittersweet story that reminds readers to remember those less fortunate than they and to temper their indulgences with gratitude and charity. It is a story that I'm sure I will find myself reading each year as the holidays approach.

Lifting head and heart,
K


Support our site and buy Matchless: A Christmas Story on Amazon or find it at your local library.  We bought our own copy.

Tis' The Season Already?

Though Christmas is definitely a big deal around our house, we don't actually have that many holiday books.  I've always thought that it was silly to buy a book that might not have year-round appeal.  And yet, there are many winter titles that would be refreshing reads on an unbearable July afternoon.  And it also seems that holiday preparations are starting earlier and earlier so there's really no excuse to miss out on all of the fantastic holiday reads that are out there!

The Christmas staple in my parents' home (besides the Bible and my mom's favorite, The Christ Child) was, of course, The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, written all the way back in 1822.  I think we had a pop-up version that made the story really come to life.  Now, in my own home, we have had a version illustrated by Bruce Whatley for years now but it's always nice to change it up.  This year we've acquired a new version, illustrated by Australian Robert Ingpen.  It's a little different because it's twice as long -- one page per two-line rhyming couplet.  The print is also larger which makes it perfect for emerging readers.  Z is getting really good at memorizing poems and so I think it will be fun to work on getting through this one together this year.  I'm always good until Papa looks out the window (something about "new-fallen snow" and "mid-day below") and then I need a little help from the book!

If your family leans toward the untraditional or modern, we also have Little Critter's The Night Before Christmas by Mercer Mayer which comes with a read-along cd.  The language in this one has been updated a bit (ie, St. Nicholas becomes Santa Claus).  I'm a bit of a purist so I'll stick with the original but I know that many children respond better to cartoons and slightly more modern language.  However, if I am going to mess with a classic, I like to take it all the way -- like with A Pirate's Night Before Christmas by Philip Yates and illustrated by Sebastia Serra.  It features Sir Peggedy and his eight giant seahorses: Salty, Scurvy, Sinbad, Mollie, Cutthroat, Cross-Eyes, Roger, and Jolly.  I think I'm going to go look for a copy of that one!

There are a few other Christmas classics in our home as well.  First we have a shiny "Party Edition" of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss (1957), which is a must read every year.  Mmm ... roast beast.  Next is E.T.A. Hoffmann's slightly disturbing Nutcracker (ours is the Maurice Sendak version that partners with his set design for the Pacific Northwest Ballet annual production).  I didn't realize it was so old but Nutcracker (no "the") was written in 1816 in German.  That explains why it is far more terrifying than your standard children's story!  And then there's the newer Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever! (1981).  I think that Richard Scarry is definitely a staple for my generation.  With caroling sheet music, short stories and a board game, this is a great book for the impatient weeks leading up to the holiday.  There's even an instruction section on how to make a pomander (although I don't see Gold Bug anywhere)!

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a carol that is always fun to sing when you have a lot of time to kill but it is a bit disconnected with modern times (having surfaced in England in 1780) with its partridges, lords-a-leaping, pipers piping and maids-a-milking.  Sterling Books has just released a set of regional versions of this carol that bring it forward to modern times in a very fun way.  With sixteen versions so far, each one features regional authors and artists who bring the states (and districts) to life.  The books include "letters" that explain why each item was included.  We'll be waiting for the Washington state version and I would love to see a Hawaii one!  I know that we have readers in Texas, Arizona (almost), California, New Jersey and Louisiana (originally) so I'd love to hear if they picked the right twelve things for your region!

I've become a fan of paper toys recently and there's a great new book by Marilyn Scott Waters that has some great punch-and-fold designs -- The Toymaker's Christmas: Paper Toys You Can Make Yourself.  With just a few dabs of glue, I'm going to make ornaments and mantel displays on the cheap.  And because they are punch-outs instead of cut-outs, it will be easy for Z to help me.

If you're feeling a bit more ambitious than working with paper, try Fa la la la Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations or head over and take a look at the myriad of holiday and seasonal crafts on Martha Stewart's website.  I usually cut out some paper snowflakes each year and hers look far better than mine so I'm going to get some tips before starting this year.

Of course, if you don't celebrate Christmas there are tons of great winter books out there as well.  Two years ago we featured some of our favorites -- Penguins, Penguins Everywhere by Bob Barner, The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll and The Snow Bear by Miriam Moss.  We also love The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and you can read that one for free on WeGiveBooks.org!

We don't have any books around for holidays other than Christmas so if you have any suggestions, please let us know about them in the comments.  What are your favorite holiday and winter books to share with your family?

Waiting for a winter wonderland,
K and Z


Support our site and buy any of these books on Amazon or find them at your local library.  We bought some of these books for ourselves and received some for review.