Christmas Spirit Award

Kailana from The Written World has given me an award, Christmas Spirit Award. Thank you so much Kailana!

Here are the rules for the Christmas Spirit Award:

"You must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award.

The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas.

Link back to the person who gave you the award.

List 5 things that you love about Christmas. If you can't limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space!

Pass the award along to as many people as you like. That can be 1 or 50. It's up to you! But keep the Christmas cheer going!

Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment. Also, link back to the person who gave you the award."

Five Things That I Love About Christmas:

1. Christmas music

2. Christmas movies

3. Christmas goodies - cookies and bars and I cannot forget "filhoses".

4. Making hand made/crafted gifts for the people that I love.

5. The Nativity Scene

6. Midnight mass

7. Tearing up when I watch the children's pageant.

8. Christmas lights

9. Spending time with my favourite people.

10. Christmas snowglobes

I'm sure I can come up with a lot of names, but most of them have been nominated already, so I would like to add one more person to the list:

Ana from Aneca's World.

Merry Christmas everyone!

What Holiday Drink Are You?

You Are Hot Chocolate

Your holiday personality is generous. The holidays are your favorite time to practice the art of giving. You enjoy picking out presents, sharing treats, and making everyone's day a little brighter. And you don't even notice if you don't get anything in return.

What Holiday Drink Are You?

My Kids Favourites Goodie Bar

SKOR TOFFEE CHOCOLATE BARS

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 (300 ml) can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle brand)
2 tbsp butter (butter)
1 (300 g) pkg Chipits milk chocolate chips
1 (225 g) pkg Chipits Skor toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Cream first 3 ingredients until well blended and mixture comes together.
Press evenly into a 9X13 cake pan.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden.

Cool on wire rack while preparing filling.

Heat sweetened condensed milk and 2 tbsp butter in heavy saucepan, stirring
constantly over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until thickened. Spread
over baked base.

Bake 12-15 minutes longer, or until golden.

Sprinkle Chipits milk chocolate chips evenly over top. Bake 2 minutes more,
or until chocolate is shiny and soft.

Remove from oven. Spread chocolate evenly.

Sprinkle Skor Toffee Bits on top, pressing lightly into chocolate.

Cool completely. If necessary, chill just to set chocolate before cutting
into bars.

Store at room temperature.

Merry Christmas!

You Can Say "Merry Christmas" in 11 Languages

You can say "Merry Christmas" in: English Spanish French Italian Portuguese Greek Hawaiian Dutch Korean Latin Esperanto

How Many Languages Can You Say "Merry Christmas" In?

The Wrapping Paper Test

You Are Whimsical and Imaginative

You approach the holidays with creativity and imagination. For you, it's yet another opportunity to express your glorious view of the world. Whether you're decorating your house or baking cookies, you like everything to have your personal touch. You do your best to make the holidays a unique and special time for everyone around you. Of all the types, you are the most likely to give delightfully surprising and interesting gifts. You're also the most likely to wrap your gifts in an quirky, beautiful way.

The Wrapping Paper Test

Day 18 - 2008 Blog Advent Tour

I'm so happy of being part of the Blog Advent Tour, which is being hosted by Marg and Kailana.

I love Christmas! I love buying presents, and wrapping them up... I don't even mind the craziness of the holidays. But if you were to ask me what is my favourite part of Christmas I would I have to say it's Christmas goodies, music and movies. And I want to share my favourites with you.

Favourite Christmas cookie:

Surprise Snow Kisses

1 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
60 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped
3/4 cup icing sugar

In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the hazelnuts. Stir into the butter mixture.

Shape a rounded teaspoonful of the dough into a ball around each chocolate to cover completely. Place balls 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined rimless cookie sheets.

Bake in centre of 350F (180C) oven until firm but not browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool on pans on racks; roll in icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Favourite Christmas Songs:

As a child I loved these two:





And as an adult these are my most cherished:





Favourite movies:

I just couldn't choose one.





Merry Christmas!

Power Play

I’m a huge fan of Deirdre Martin’s NY Blades’ series. What can I say? I find sexy, hunky hockey players very appealing. But the two previous books of the series, were a little lukewarm for my taste. I’ve been missing the spark that the first three books of the series had. And I was hoping that I would find it with the latest one of the series, Power Play.

Here’s the blurb:

They were acting when they met. They dated under false pretenses. But their attraction was all too real.

A leading soap opera actress, Monica Geary is good at faking it. But pretending to fall for NHL star and notorious playboy Eric Mitchell is going to be her hardest role ever. Yet she has no choice, for she desperately needs an edge in order to maintain her daytime diva status.

Eric Mitchell is a man in demand. First he was traded to save the New York Blades, and now the publicity department has loaned him out to help save Monica Geary's career. What no one knows is that one of People magazine's hottest bachelors is also a closet soap opera fan. He's had his eyes on Monica for years-and can't wait to get his arms around her.

It had the spark! Well, it only lasted about for about five minutes! I feel frustrated and angry! It just fizzled! WTH!

The book was so promising. You have a gorgeous, charming athlete, and a beautiful, icon of daytime drama…it had potential. From their initial reluctance to “work” together, to the scheming of their mutual plan, and to the real feelings, was really good. But I hate to say it, but the execution of it fell short.

I have just one more word to say about this book: Argh!

Power Play by Deirdre Martin (3/5) Contemporary Romance; Published: Berkley (2008); Series: # 7, New York Blades; 100 + Reading Challenge (87); Library book;

By Love Undone

Scandal's daughter . . .

Madeleine Willits was shunned by London society for a scandal that was no fault of hers, and forced to seek a paid position in the country. So when Quinlan Bancroft, Marquis of Warefield, comes to direct the household during his uncle's illness, Maddie is determined to detest the nobleman on sight. But though the marquis is easy to dislike, the man himself is a different matter. Small wonder, then, that Maddie quite forgets herself when he enfolds her in a sweet embrace . . .

Meets the noble lord . . .

Caught kissing his uncle's lovely young companion, Quinlan feels he should make amends, and uses his rank to re-establish Miss Willits in society. Unfortunately, it is soon apparent that Maddie has no idea how to resist importunate young rakes who deem her ripe for the plucking. But Maddie knows there is only one rake whose attentions she truly needs to fear—because only Quinlan Bancroft possesses the power to break her heart.

I'm pretty sure I read By Love Undone by Suzanne Enoch before. Regardless, I enjoyed every little morsel of it.

The characters are amazing, Maddie and Quin are perfect for each other, even when they're trying to resist each other. But the scene stealer is Rafe. He definitely has an air about him, something dark, but also a heart of gold. I’ll have to find Taming Rafe. Oh the promise of his book!

But back to the By Love Undone, I enjoyed the interaction between the main characters but also the others, I admit the villainess held my interest. I guess you can say she was the devil in disguise, the exterior was beautiful but the interior was ugly and evil.

The main thing I couldn’t wrap my mind around was that the Maddie’s parents didn’t search for her when she ran away. Considering their position in ton, I’m sure would have to able to afford it. Maybe it’s just me…

By Love Undone by Suzanne Enoch (Re-read) Historical Romance; Published: HarperCollins (1998); 100 + Reading Challenge (86);

Historical Tapestry

Why don't you stop by Historical Tapestry? I'm guest blogging there today, I'm sharing my historical mystery obsession.

Let me know what you think!

Christmas With Daddy

It was once again time to take a book out of my Super Harlequin collection, and goody for me it was one of the newly Christmas themed books.

Here’s the blurb for Christmas With Daddy by C.J. Carmichael:

Detective Nick Gray loves his baby daughter, Mandy. But he's used to solving crimes--not changing diapers! So when he has sudden custody of Mandy, Nick is totally out of his element. Luckily his neighbor, Bridget Humphrey, is there to lend a hand.

Bridget has had feelings for Nick forever, but she's nothing like the glamorous women he dates. Then a funny thing happens. As they care for Mandy together, and as Bridget uses her skills to help him solve a case, it turns out she and Nick have a lot in common. In fact, their relationship could get serious. But is this fun-loving bachelor a candidate for happy ever after?

In the season of miracles, anything can happen!

Maybe it was just me, but I thought this book was all over the place. I was expecting one thing and got another.

I don't know much about numerology, but I thought it was pretty far fetched that it was taken to help the case. I can understand the severity of the case but I just couldn't see it being used.

I read Harlequin SuperRomance as a treat, they're my not so guilty pleasure. But I found this book far from a treat.

I'm such a moody reader! I think I'll keep this book around just in case...Maybe I'll pick it again next year.

Christmas With Daddy by C.J. Carmichael (2.5/5) Contemporary Romance; Harlequin SuperRomance # 1525; Published: Harlequin (11/2008); 100 + Reading Challenge (85);

18th & 19th Century Women Writers' Reading Challenge

I couldn't resist signing up for another challenge. Let's face it, I love challenging myself, and I find that this challenge I will discover authors that I necessarily would have read on my own.

The 18th and 19th Century Women Writers' Reading Challenge is being hosted by Becky over at Becky's Book Reviews. You can get more info and sign up here.

My reading list:

18th Century:

Fanny Burney:

Camilla Completed on February 17th, 2009

Evelina Completed on January 8th, 2009

Ann Radcliffe:

The Mysteries of Udolpho Completed on April 22nd, 2009

19th Century:

Emily Bronte:

Wuthering Heights Completed on October 8th, 2009

Elizabeth Gaskell:

North and South Completed on May 25th, 2009

Wives and Daughters Completed on March 5th, 2009
Cranford Completed on July 15th, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY...December 1st, 2008

Outside my window...It's looks pretty cold out there with lots of snow, but I can still see a few squirrels looking for food.

I am thinking...About a terrible incident that happened yesterday in Oshawa that left a family without a member. You can read about it here.

I am thankful for...For my family.

From the learning rooms...The kids brought home their report cards last Friday, and they both did very well.

From the kitchen...I'm tired of cooking the same things all the time, so this week I'm going to change a bit. I'm hoping that my picky eaters won't have too much of an issue with it.

I am wearing... Older than old jeans (you know the type - full of holes!), pink hoodie and comfy socks.

I am creating...Finally finished the yearly photo book, now I just have to wait until it's printed. Can't wait! Also, I'm knitted a sweater for myself, which I want to finish in the next couple of days. I have a few scarves to knit as Christmas' presents and I don't want to leave it for the last minute.

I am reading...I'm re-reading Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts.

I am hoping...That I'll feel better soon. I don't have time to be sick! I have a ton to do....

I am hearing...I'm starting early this year. I'm listening to Diana Krall's Christmas album.

Around the house...Just the usual... Cleaning. Laundry and cooking.

One of my favorite things...Ginger Spice Cookies. You can get the recipe here.

A few plans for the rest of the week: I have Secret Santa package to mail out, also got to get the Christmas cards ready.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Come and join the fun! You can find more The Simple Woman's Daybook here!