Merry Menage Giveway Hop! Happy Holidays!!
Come join our Merry Menage Giveaway Hop hosted by Day Dreaming, My Secret Romance and The Book Tart!
I’m having a little giveaway for this blog hop! I’m giving away a $20 giftcard for Amazon & a copy of my book Masquerade. Get a head start on some Christmas shopping. To enter all you have to do is leave me a comment on how you spend your Christmas. Is it with your extended family or do you go away somewhere by yourself and have some quiet time!
Let me share how I spend my Christmas!
As an Australian my first Christmas in Houston Texas, was a little weird. I’m used to being on the go from 6am to midnight. It’s always been that way since I can remember. We would have breakfast at my dad’s mum’s house (my grandma), then we would go back home and the people across the road would come over for drinks and we’d then have lunch. Of course, we had to have the obligatory nap in the afternoon and then my mum’s family would come over. So the day was full on!
As we got older and my siblings got married the dynamic’s changed. Then when my grandma died, breakfast migrated to my aunty’s place. Of course, then when I got married I had to add my husband’s family into the equation.
What has all this backstory got to do with my first Christmas in Houston? Well for the first time in over 30 years we had no place to go. There was no rush to get ready. There was no excitement in seeing my kids and my cousins kids squeal over what they got from Santa. There was no hugs with aunts and uncles and cousins. It was just the four of us and it felt weird! Also usually Christmas is like 100F because it’s summer in Australia in December. I wasn’t used to being a little bit chilly and wearing sweat pants! It was a very casual first Christmas here, but it will be one I won’t forget either.
We’re heading into our 4th Christmas this year in Houston and my brother and his wife and their daughter and her boyfriend will be joining us. I’m super excited to have some family with us again. I will say that in all my years of family Christmas, we had NO family dramas! Can you believe that? There were no fights or meltdowns between adults. Everyone just enjoyed the holidays with each other and spending the day together.
It’s not Christmas themed but my book Masquerade starts off at New Years Eve, check out the blurb on my book page right here!
Here is the link to the other participants of the blog hop. Hop around and you could win some great prizes!
The Conversation
Our family Christmas consists of us taking our two kids to my mother’s house. We open presents there and spend the whole day having fun and eating loads of great food.
Ebonysbbwnikki@yahoo.com
Great excerpt!!
Nikki
Hi Nikki, I love that spending Christmas with your mum! Enjoy your holiday!
My family takes turn spending the holidays at each others house. This year christmas will be at my daughters House who lives in Wyllie TX. This past Thanksgiving was at my house as was the 4th of July. However for New Years we will spend it in San Antonio at my other daughters house. We are never without each other and I love how close my relationship is with my kids and grandkids. Next year though, Hubby and I are thinking about breaking the tradition and relive our honey moon for a week in Vegas like we did when we got married 15 years ago.
Happy holidays
Ronda
Hi Ronda,
Yep as all of us kids got married we started to share where Xmas lunch and dinner were held. I loved it when it was at my house. Although the stress of keeping the house clean I could do without! LOL
My dad made a comment at their 50th wedding anniversary how we were all together. By the next year we were in Houston! LOL
Vegas sounds great!
During my family Christmas I go over to my grandparents house with my mother, father, and younger sister. My aunt and cousin (who is a nine year old boy and has to much energy) are always there. After we all open our presents (I always get at least five books) my mom, dad, sister, cousin, and aunt play with my cousin’s new video games. My grandparents are finishing Christmas dinner so I go to hide some where to read my books with a glass of hot chocolate… I love my family Christmases.
Sounds like the perfect Christmas Tiffani! Books are such a great present too!
We aren’t Christian so we don’t celebrate the holiday but when our kids were younger, we’d take them on a decadent weekend, stay in a hotel with swimming pools and water slide. Eat out and see movies. It was a lot of fun and kept them from feeling like they were missing out. Now that we’re empty nesting, we gather at Thanksgiving and our kids visit friends and in-laws over Christmas while my husband and I snuggle up at home with wine, movies, and games. It’s quiet and relaxing.
Thanks for sharing Terri. I like hearing about how different we all are 🙂
Hi, Nicole! I’ve never had to deal with that kind of dramatic change at Christmas. That must have been extremely difficult. However, we are dealing with some change this year. My husband’s family has grown by leaps and bounds, (his six cousins are all married with kids now) and has become to big to host Christmas at somebody’s house, the way we have in the past. They’ve opted to cut the party down, and we’re on the outer fringes, so we’re not invited anymore. I understand the need, and don’t blame them, but it saddens me that time of our lives is over. And this side of the family only got together at Christmas, so I don’t know if I’ll ever have the opportunity to hang with them anymore, and I really love them! That’s heartbreaking to me! I guess you just have to start new traditions, so that’s what I plan to do. Thanks for sharing!
Aww hugs Mary, that is tough. I know that I do miss the family get togethers we had. It bring such unity to families. With my immediate family alone, one year I had 20 people at my place for lunch. I’m sure you’ll make a brand new tradition this year and it will be just as special.
I spend Christmas with family – this year there will only be four of us since the other’s year to go to their in-laws.
Thanks for commenting Diane! The reason my grandma started the breakfast tradition was because my dad had got married to my mum and so she wanted a time when all her family could be together hence breakfast. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family.
When we were growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money, so Christmas presents were pretty lean most years. However, we always had a killer meal on Thanksgiving, because we had to eat, but we didn’t need presents. So, Thanksgiving became the bigger holiday in our house. My family is spread all over the place now, from the east coast to California. But when three or more of us get together, we have a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, regardless of what month we’re in.
Hi Becky! I was exposed to Thanksgiving when we moved over here, obviously it’s not something that is celebrated in Australia. So I can see how it has become such a bigger holiday than Christmas. I like how you still do the ‘thanksgiving’ thing whenever you all get together.
I just spend the day with my family and have a big dinner and open presents. Thanks for the chance to win!
Hi Natasha! Thanks for stopping by! Spending Christmas with family is the best.
I always open presents with my family on Christmas Eve, and then friends usually come on Christmas Day.
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
I remember working for someone who always had Christmas on Christmas Eve, then on Christmas Day they went down to the beach house where they spent the next month by the beach! *bliss*
Enjoy your Xmas!!
For Christmas, we always spend the holidays with relatives. Everyone in my family has a huge dinner together and afterwards we open the presents 🙂
laceyblossom1(at)gmail(dot)com
That’s my kind of Christmas – enjoy!!
I work the night shift and this is my year to work Christmas Eve. So come home around 8am to open presents with my sweet little girls. Take a nap for a couple hours. Head to Mom’s for a family meal and more gifts for the kiddos. Late afternoon/early evening home to have a family celebration of Melissa’s Birthday. She will be 8 this year. She was my awesome 8.4 lb Christmas surprise 8 years ago, she was not due until Jan 21, so glad she arrived early.
Thanks for participating in the hop and the chance to win.
kim
starsia_70@yahoo.com
I can’t wait to just get to spend quality time with my siblings and their very large families. My brother has 7! Kids!!!!
Thanks for contest Foretta forettarose@yahoo.com
The whole family lives in or near the same s tate we do so it’s so easy for all of us to get together. This year we are getting together a week before Christmas because most of them have to work Christmas. we have a party , open our presents and just generally hang out , some of us watch Christmas movies others play bingo.
I always spend Christmas with my family. But it’s not a big celebration, just dinner.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Even though we are grown and have our own families, Christmas afternoon is still always spent at my parents’ house.
kesummer69(at)gmail(dot)com
I spend my Christmas going to my Dad’s in the morning, then to my mom’s with the in-laws for a christmas dinner. We have a full day of food and presents and watching Christmas Vacation! Thanks for the great giveaway!
kacidesigns AT yahoo DOT com
Our Christmas starts Christmas eve with husbands mothers side of family celebrating, then Christmas morning just us with kids until late morning then my family comes over and we celebrate and then after they leave we go to husbands father side of family celebration. Usually starts 3pm Christmas eve until 8pm Christmas night.
Thanks for a great blog hop!
susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com
Now that my daughter is of age and lives out of state, my Christmas is also very quiet. We usually sleep in late and then head to his mother’s house and spend time with his family there. There are usually tons of people and it is super hot and crowded but wonderful to see the joy in children’s eyes as they unwrap their presents. I lost my father in 2003 so now my family doesn’t celebrate together and has pretty much moved out of state. I hope you enjoy your “family” Christmas this year!
Thanks so much for the amazing giveaway and being a part of this hop!
Happy Holidays,
Marlena
charmedpoms(at)yahoo(dot)com
we spend xmas with family, which means we get to go out of town for the holiday every year. my favorite thing that the hubs and i have started with our own family is having xmas eve with pizza and putting together a puzzle. this was a tradition that started with his family and i had to adopt it to mine as well. one xmas we spent in disneyland, which was amazing and crazy! thanks for the giveaway!
I spend Christmas with my family every year. Usually after eating dinner we stay at home and watch a bunch of movies 🙂
We just hang out at home.
Wolphcall(at)bellsouth(dot)net
All the family comes to my house and the hubby cooks up Christmas dinner, I am banned from the kitchen due to an incident everybody is forbidden to mention! The kids do the whole present stocking thing in the morning and we watch A Christmas Story at noon. And there is the kids vs parents flag football game that I ref/score keep. It is usually a great day where we all eat too much!
grapeapril75(AT)gmail.com
Wow I am loving reading all these responses. Thank you so much for sharing them with me. I can relate to so many. The eating too much, to the family get togethers. Keep them coming!
We aren’t a very big family and we all come to our house. We usually open presents and do the dinner on Christmas Eve and then we relax on Christmas day.
I spend time with all of my family and the in-laws.
the family comes over on new years eve we have a nice dinner then open one present go to bed except those of us that have to put the presents out get up open all the presents
kaholgate at ymail dot com
My family go to church on Christmas eve and then have a snack afterwards (usually sweets).
bituin76 at hotmail dot com
Great that you’re going to have family this holiday season 🙂 It’s only three of us here and everyone else is in another country, but we make the most of it personally. We cook up traditional food from our home and enjoy the time together, being cozy and eating! We celebrate christmas eve though, less than christmas day. Christmas day though we watch A Christmas Story over and over haha.
Hope you have a great time with the family!
Thanks for the chance!
hisboywonder(at)gmail(dot)com
I usually stay home with my immediate family.
Every year we put up the Christmas tree on the weekend of Thanksgiving. We all spend Saturday together and make it a big deal.
Great giveaway!
Merry Christmas
swkimbell@yahoo.com
My husband has a smaller family, so Christmas is less of a raucous family gathering, but it is so much more fun now that we have two children.
jochibi AT yahoo DOT com
I cook Christmas dinner and the entire family congregates at my house. I love having the whole family together and I don’t have to dress up or go out. It’s wonderful to visit with family I haven’t seen in a while. We eat til we drop and then the women play games after dinner while the men fall asleep in front of the TV. My little slice of Heaven. Thanks for being part of the hop and for the chance to win.
reneebennett35 (at) yahoo (dot) com
I usually spend Christmas with my family. Just sitting quietly with some wine, exchanging presents and watching a movie.
spamscape [at] gmail [dot] com
All the family goes to grandma’s house for the holidays, we cook, we talk, we play. Is the only time of the year were everyone is around and we can finally see each other! Thanks for the giveaway!
We usually celebrate Christmas at my family’s on Christmas Eve and my husband’s family in Christmas Day. My mother in law passed in 2004, so Christmas with his family hasn’t been to regular. We have brought my father in law to our Christmas Eve dinners. This year, it will be a little more lonely. My father in law passed so I don’t know what we’ll be doing. Making a new tradition for Christmas maybe. On Christmas Eve, the family gets together for dinner of ham, corn, potatoes, green beans and rolls. And the Christmas cookies. Then we choose our chairs, and the gifts get passed out. The time with family is precious and we all have a good time.
luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com
We usually spend it at my parents house, I have 7 brothers and sisters and half of them have kids, so you can imagine the houseful of people we have…but we wouldn’t have it any other way, it’s lots of fun!
On Christmas Eve I get up early and go to my sister’s and help her get lunch ready. After we all eat we pass out presents, then we all sit around drinking coffee and catching up. Christmas Day I’m usually at home by myself. Sometime or another we all get together and go to my mom’s for supper.
sstrode at scrtc dot com
we go over our parents house and only exchange gifts with each other, all the rest of our family is in florida so don’t have any big get togethers anymore
I don’t think we have a had a Christmas without drama in forever. My sibs and I typically go to our parents house after midnight service on Christmas Eve and open all the presents that are grandma’s house. Then its round up the kids stuff & head home and plan to be back at grandma’s for Christmas Dinner about 4pm. Being 1 of 6 growing up, there was always some kind of drama, and that has continued into adulthood. I probably wouldn’t know what do to with a Christmas that didn’t involve at least 1 meltdown. 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway and blog stop.
Christmas is the holiday that both my brothers fly in, and we go to grandpas Christmas eve and Moms Christmas day. Its so nice to have everyone together. Thx for the hop stop.
blinkysthebest at aol dot com
Our family Christmas starts with the house being invaded by relatives wanting free food. We eat breakfast together and the kids dive into the gifts. We then head to Mass and return home for naps and food preparation. We always eat at home (due to food allergies) and often have relatives that stop by because they were in the neighborhood (I think they are just looking for food). We eat during normal dinner time 5ish and then work on fixing the havoc created by too many people with too much stuff crammed in a small place.
planterofhope@aol.com
Wow everyone I’m loving reading all these ‘traditions’ that you do for Christmas. It’s nice to see that some things never change.
Thanks so much for commenting and I hope you entered to win the prizes!!
our Christmas is spent running around. we go to the 11pm Christmas Eve church service, then our grandma’s on my mom’s side before heading home and going to bed. we get up on Christmas and open presents at our house before going to my stepdad’s mother’s house at around 1pm and our dad’s house at around 4pm.
My in laws come in from out of state…we have Christmas morning at our house and then we all go to brother in laws house and open more presents and have dinner .
josiehink122026(at)gmail(dot)com
Your Christmas’s of the past sound as busy as mine.
Our family Christmas is very busy. First, my husband drives about 1.5 hours to get my step-son at about 7am, then we open the gifts with our children. My mom and brother usually arrive between 10-12 and we continue gift opening with them. We have dinner at our home with them and try to relax for a little bit. After that, we all pile in the car and head to my in-laws for more gifts (giving and receiving) and also dinner. Their house is usually very crowded considering my husband is 1 of 13 children (and that is not including all of his nieces and nephews plus their children). So, we have many people to see. I always have a wonderful Christmas!
I hope you enjoy your Christmas with your family! 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful giveaway, Nicole!
trb0917 at gmail.com
We do our present opening on x-mas morning, have a big breakfast, and then we either have extended family popping over to our house all day or we go to their houses. Its a big family so its usually pretty crazy lol Thanks for the giveaway! Happy Holidays!
flava_sava_chick@yahoo.com
We started a tradition when I was a kid to stay the night on Christmas Eve with my grandparents. Now that they are both gone, my sisters, husband, and I stay at my parents instead. My sisters boyfriend joins us for as much of the time as he can as well. I love spending time with my family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, mostly just us and our dogs.
It is just me and my mom we love watching christmas movies and love to go looking at christmas lights on christmas eve! Thank you for the great giveaway!