Sunday 6 December 2009

Part two of Second Week of Winter Contest - guest Kimber Chin with presents

Today is a second Advent Sunday and a part two of Winter contest with fabulous Kimber Chin. She's with us today and sharing her Christmas traditions. She is also giving away another copy of her great e-book Selling Forever (read my review here), and she will hang around my blog today, so please stop by and ask her what ever you want to know about her books.

Welcome back Kimber! I'm so happy that you are here today. Thank you for being a part of this Winter contest. Here goes Kimber's story:

Spending Christmas With A Christmas Crazy

Christmas is my mom's holiday.

It is the only holiday when her 5 living children visit all at the same time (if they can, my sister is now in Australia, half the world away, and can't make it to my mom's place every year). My mom is determined to provide a Christmas experience no one can duplicate.

And she certainly does that.

My mom puts up her artificial tree at the end of November and doesn't take it down until the end of January. She makes an annual excuse about honoring Ukrainian Christmas but since we're not Ukrainian (we are Canadian with Irish/English roots), that is all it is, an excuse.

Every inch of my mom's two bedroom apartment is decked out for Christmas. She has Christmas clocks playing carols on the hour. She has Christmas salt and pepper shakers. She has a toilet seat cover that calls out 'Ho! Ho! Ho!' when you sit down (very unnerving for guests).

The 5 of us (her children) do contribute to her holiday obsession. A decade ago, I spotted a Christmas wreath 90% off at a department store during July sales. There was a reason no one had bought it. This crime against good taste was a psychedelic lava lamp in the form of a wreath. The hubby shuddered at the sight, telling me it was the most hideous thing on the planet. I knew it was perfect for my mom. She cried when I gave it to her. Of all her Christmas things, that is one of her favorites.

The apartment isn't the only thing decked out. Having a Christmas crazy for a mom means we all have Christmas outfits. Being a black business suit type of gal, my favorite is the brightly colored reindeer sweater. This sweater has bells and bows sewed onto it everywhere. It also comes with matching socks. It is so crazy that I avoid looking at myself in the mirror when I wear it. I do wear it though because it makes my mom happy (and my sisters laugh).

That is really what Christmas is all about. It is about making people happy. My mom makes people happy by going overboard with Christmas decorations and traditions. Her children make her happy by good naturedly going along with her ideas.

It is wonderful spending Christmas with a Christmas crazy when that crazy is also crazy about you.

Kimber Chin's novella, Selling Forever, was written especially for and dedicated to her favorite Christmas crazy, her mom. It isn't a Christmas story but it is light and happy just like her mom is. Kimber Chin is sharing a Christmas romance on
http://businessromance.com/ .


Contest rules are similar to yesterday's:

1. Tell us what is your favourite holiday movie and what are you plans for this year's celebration
2. For an extra entry become a follower of my blog
3. For one more extra entry post Winter contest widget on your blog and blog about the contest
4. Please, if you do things for extra entries state that in the comments
5. Ask Kimber a question - 2 extra entries
6. Contest ends 12/12/2009
7. Winners will be randomly chosen on the last Advent Sunday 12/20/2009
8. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me. If he/she doesn't show up I'll draw another name and the same procedure applies to that winner


Hope you are having a great Sunday!

8 comments:

  1. Hey you two!!!! I am coming poke my head in here too to see what is going on!!!!
    I hope you both have had a wonderful weekend!
    Kimber, your Mom cracks me up!! She sounds like such a wonderful,cheerful, spirited person! Such a welcome to a world that is holiday tolerant.
    My favorite holiday movie is Charlie Brown Christmas. That is my movie that I forget everything and sit in front of the tv like I am still 5 yrs old. I have no idea what we are doing for the holidays. It changes every year. The main thing is we gather as a family unit, hubbys family and mine together for dinner.

    I already have Ms. Kimber's book... so no need to enter me honey!! But you know that I have you pimped out at my place!
    I hope you both have a great day!

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  2. No one's Christmas crazy in our house. The husband loves Charlie Brown. I'm not really sure I have a favorite though I do enjoy Charlie Brown. It's one of the few I'll watch year after year. I do enjoy The Santa Claus and last year, I watched The Holiday on loop (but that's definitely a new movie and less Christmas tradition).

    I usually try to dress a little Christmas-y. I dress up Little Miss in red. She has a few Christmas dresses this year and Christmas pajamas.

    The inlaws are religious (not that we aren't, but they take it up a notch) so I usually get them something religious for Christmas. This year, it's a Wedgewood Holy Family ornament. It was more than 50% off (though I wanted to keep the original price on it so they think I spent a lot on it - good taste prevailed though they know me well enough to know I pay full price on nothing).

    You mentioned your mother loving the Christmas wreath, but what was your favorite gift received?

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  3. Hi Cecile and April! Thanks for stopping by!!!It seems like whatever we do for holidays the most important thing is that we do it as a family :)

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  4. justpeachy36@yahoo.com

    My favorite holiday movie is, "What A Wonderful Life." I watch it just about every year. It's a great classic.

    I am a follower.

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  5. Hi Justpeachy! Glad you stopped by!

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  6. April,

    My fave gift?

    I like the gift of time.

    The hubby, the year Titanic came out, took me to a midnight showing right before Christmas. I thought that was very romantic.

    My big bro hosts a Christmas dinner the first week of December for just the hubby and I. He goes all out with Christmas themed everything (yes, he is a Christmas crazy too). It makes me feel so pampered.

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  7. Cecile, I adore you!

    Yes, my mom is a wonderful, wonderful person. I am SO lucky to have her in my life.

    Right now, she's stressing about travel arrangements. She wants to ensure she's at the airport when each one of us flies in and out. As you can imagine, with such a large family, that is a feat. I think she'll have to reserve a chair in the waiting area!

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  8. Thanks for stopping by, Kimber! I really enjoy your stories :)

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