136 Days to Christmas...

 

Ok, it is August 11 and well still to hot in my neck of the woods, so I thought I would share that it is only 136 days to Christmas Day. If that makes you feel ill, you are doing the holidays wrong. Simplify, Simplify and Simplify....easier said than done but I changed how I do the holidays and now I look forward to it. How you might ask, well I am in a time and space where I have no parents, my children are mostly grown save for one 14.5 teenager who at 5 years younger than his middle brother, still loves the childhood wonder of the holidays, and with his two brothers, my partner and our dog and cat, we have hammered out a nice way to get thorough the holidays, having to share the boys with my ex-husband means that I have to share the boys still but I don't have to attend his holiday family parties.  Last year I just gave the boys gifts on the weeks they were here and when  I saw them leading up to Christmas, things we did together and we ate the foods we loved without the back breaking kitchen routines, and Christmas morning just had their stockings, which reminds me I need to get started on. Anyway I have come to love the new way I do the holidays and I hope that this post well gets you a bit in ther spirit anyway.

Lets start with my recommendation for Vicki Delany's Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen, this is one of those books I wish I could read for the first time again. This is a brilliant series and as a Year Round Christmas Mystery there is a few books in this series that I could read time and again.

If you have yet to discover Amanda Lee's Embrodery series you really should I loved Better off Thread, seriously the dog in the story make my heart soar! I hope it does for you as well.

Seriously anything by Kathi Daley, this one, or many many more of hers easily transport you, she is one of my favorite authors as well! 

This series is a favorite, had to share...

 She also writes this series, where I already want to move, work and play, the newest one is out in September and I think it is book 8....seriously add to your TBR list.

And finally today I will leave you with an Author that Lisa actually introduced me to Ellie Alexander, her works are some I absolutely love and look forward too. I hope that these Christmas themed cozies give you something to look forward to reading between now and the holidays.

See I really did meet Ellie Alexander, and Lisa set it up!

Thank you all for having me this week and to Lisa for letting me take over these last few days!

Hope to write for you all again soon!

Oh and Harold George wanted to share his Christmas Costume from last year he was The Grinch...