Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Day 4 - The 12 Days of Christmas Cookies & Giveaway

Welcome to Day 4 of The 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. Today is Kathy's day to post her recipe (and it's a good one for a Basic Spritz Cookie); but I wanted to do something fun too.

Thanks to Miriam at Hachette, I have a copy of THE PAPER BAG CHRISTMAS by Kevin Alan Milne. I read this book during the last holiday season, and it deeply touched my heart. You can read my review here.

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me one of your favorite holiday stories -- it can even be a children's book! To increase your chances, you can blog and/or tweet about this giveaway with a link back to this post. This contest will be open until Friday, November 27th at 11:59 p.m. ET, and I will notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. or Canada mailing addresses only -- no p.o. boxes please. Good luck!

Summary: Dr. Christopher Ringle is the last person you'd expect to find moonlighting as Santa Claus at the mall on the day after Thanksgiving. But it is there that he meets a young man named Molar Alan, who desperately needs a new perspective on the underlying value of Christmas. Dr. Ringle recruits Mo and his older brother as volunteers at a nearby children's hospital for the holiday season. At the hospital, Mo is tasked to help bring holiday cheer to the young cancer patients on the fifth floor. His biggest challenge is befriending a decidedly angry girl who is so embarrassed by her scarred appearance that she hides her face behind the safety of a paper bag. -- Center Street

33 comments:

Jo-Jo said...

I would love a chance to win this book. The movie I always end up watching on Christmas and can't seem to get enough is A Christmas Story. The leg lamp, the chinese Christmas Dinner, shoot your eye out, it all just kills me!
joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

Virginia C said...

"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. James [Jim] Dillingham Young and his wife, Della, are a young couple who are very much in love with each other, but can barely afford their one-room apartment due to their very bad economic situation. For Christmas, Della decides to buy Jim a chain which costs twenty-one dollars for his prized pocket watch given to him by his father. To raise the funds, she has her long hair cut off and sold to make a wig. Meanwhile, Jim decides to sell his watch to buy Della a beautiful set of combs made out of tortoise shell for her lovely, knee-length brown hair. Although each is disappointed to find the gift they chose rendered useless, each is pleased with the gift they received, because it represents their love for one another. The story ends with the author/narrator comparing the pair's mutually sacrificial gifts of love with those of the Biblical Magi.

gcwhiskas at aol dot com

Linda said...

Favorite Christmas story? The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell, and illustrated by Katherine Evans. Such a beautiful book, such a beautiful story.

lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com

rhapsodyinbooks said...

My favorite was always Ahmahl and the Night Visitors.

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

AlleluiaLu said...

My favorite Christmas movie is "White Christmas." I walked down to the big movie theatre in our town with my Dad in the snow when I was a little girl (6 or 7 years old) to see this movie. The theatre was an old-fashioned one-screen - panavision -with velvet seats and a great lobby. We went to this movie together every year it was in theaters and then we watched it on television together. That was 50 years ago and it is still a very fond memory I have of my Dad.

Bridget said...

I'd have to say I love the movies White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life the most. Just blogged about this on Win A Book -- no need to enter me.

lag123 said...

I love to watch the movie "Ernest Saves Christmas". So funny and it gets me in the Christmas Spirit.

lag110@mchsi.com

Just Mom said...

There are so many stories I love at Christmas - one real pleasure is all the Jan Brett children's books with their intricate, beautiful illustrations. When I think about what I miss from being a classroom teacher - sharing the joy of those books at Christmas is way up there!

Mitzi H. said...

I love watching the childrens Christmas programs with the grandkids....Rudolph The Red Nosed Rain Deer & Frosty The Snowman, etc....just thinking about them gets me humming....misfits, misfits..... It probably sounds silly but they get me in the mood for Chistmas.

And I love the song...Santa Baby. I put it on my cell phone as the ring back tone during the holiday season.

mitzihinkey at sbcglobal dot net

wmmahaney said...

I love the Christmas Story from Luke 2. Hearing how Jesus came to be born never ceases to amaze me.
wmmahaney(at)att(dot)net

Margie said...

I love the It's a Wonderful Life story....we watch it every Christmas. Although I have read The Paperbag Christmas, I would love to win it to give as a gift. It was very inspiring.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Jo-Jo said...

I blogged about the contest here.
joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

Anonymous said...

the grinch who stole christmas, always good..thx for contest...
thehighflyer3(at)hotmail(dot)com

Stacie said...

Our favorite Christmas story is the story of Jesus' birth. We read it every Christmas!

beth said...

My family and I like to read Raphael and the Noble Task by Catherine Salton in the month leading up to Christmas. It's about a gargoyle in a cathedral.

mitcham DOT beth AT gmail DOT com

tilliek said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tilliek said...

My holiday memory is when I peeked out of my bedroom door on christmas eve and saw my dad(drunk)putting presents under the tree. I was 8. On a lighter note, I do really cherish this holiday and try to make it a good good one for my children,
tilliek1970@lycos.com

Sheila (Bookjourney) said...

My favorite holiday movie is The Little Drummer Boy - the claymation version... I still cry every time I watch it.

Sheila (Bookjourney) said...

opps - forgot my email info for above post :)

journey through books @ gmail dot com

Serena said...

Would you believe that we don't tell holiday stories? But I really love watching Its A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart every year.

I'd like to be entered.

savvyverseandwit AT gmail DOT com

Linda Henderson said...

How the Grinch Stole Christmas has always been my favorite. I love watching it with my grandkids. I would love to win this book.

seriousreader at live dot com

Esme said...

Favorite Christmas movies-The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, and A Roman Holiday. I know these are not Christmas movies-but the are on every Christmas

chocolate and croissants at yahoo dot com

Winning Readings said...

The Lost Little Angel...

janemaritz at yahoo dot com

Winning Readings said...

We posted about this giveaway at Winning Readings: http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2009/11/paper-bag-christmas_26.html

janemaritz at yahoo dot com

holdenj said...

I always liked reading the traditional, The Night Before Christmas.
This looks like another good Christmas story.
Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

I like How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Aitmama {{ta}} gmail {{tod}} com

adge said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
adge said...

I like so many. I like the old Christmas cartoons, White Christmas, and most Christian Fiction Christmas books.
gasweetheart211[at]netscape[dot]net

Carole said...

This book is already on my wish list and I would love to win a copy.

I'm addicted to Christmas stories, from books to Hallmark movies. While I have several favorites - How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express, White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life - at the top of my list would be A Christmas Carol. My favorite movie versions are the one starring George C. Scott and also An American Christmas Carol with Henry Winkler.

Thank you for the giveaway!

cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net

Anonymous said...

my favourite Christmas story is 'the little drummer boy'

karenk
kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)Com

Joannof10 said...

I think my favorite Christmas story is the picture book The Night Tree...I make sure to read this several times throughout the Christmas season.

plb8156 said...

Frosty the snowman is one of my faves :)
plb8156@aol.com

CherylS22 said...

One of my favorite holiday stories is "The Christmas Train" by David Baldacci.
Thanks!