Friday Five + A Giveaway Winner!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!

I'm excited because this is my last day of work for 2014.  I have a whole two weeks off.  YEAH!  Speaking of holidays, I'm linking up with the Friday Five ladies to chat about Holiday Traditions.  'Tis the season and all that.

But first of all I'd like to announce the winner of my RECOVERYbits giveaway:

Laura Smith!

Congrats Laura, the folks at ENERGYbits will be sending you your prize directly.

Thanks to everyone who entered! 

For me, Christmas has always been about family.  When I was a kid there were Christmas traditions abound.  Since I've gotten older, some of them have changed or disappeared, especially since we don't have kids of our own.  But one thing remains.  It is still all about family.  We usually have a busy couple of days at Christmas but I wouldn't trade them for anything.   Over the years we've made our own traditions.  These are my five favourites.

1.  Christmas Baking. 

Every year I spend an afternoon in the kitchen baking cookies for friends, neighbours and co-workers. This year I actually finished my baking at work, much to the delight of my co-workers!

2.  Christmas Eve presents. 

Since Christmas day is action packed, G and I open our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve.  It's a nice low key evening.  I usually make us a nice dinner and we'll watch a movie and open our gifts. 

3.  Christmas Day Cappuccino

Our Christmas Day is a busy one.  We split it between both of our families.  Christmas Day morning we drive out to Bolton to G's family (about 35 minutes north of us) and we hang out with them, have breakfast, open presents with the niece and nephew and do stockings with the rest of the family.  Around 1:30 we usually head out so we can go to Mercato to get a cappuccino for the drive to my parents house in Guelph (about an hour and a bit away from Bolton).   These guys are the only place open on Christmas day and they make the best cappuccino.  It's something I look forward to every Christmas. 

4.  Cracking the Christmas Crackers

This is one tradition that has been around since I was a kid and I still love it.  We do it at G's family's place for breakfast and then again for dinner at my parents.  And you HAVE to wear the silly crown.  We take turns reading the jokes and trivia questions as well. 

5.  Christmas Day Garlic Pork & Rum & Eggnog

Being part Guyanese means that I was exposed to many different Christmas traditions as a kid, specifically different kinds of foods.   I grew up eating all sorts of tasty, interesting things.   The one thing that has remained constant is garlic pork.   As soon as you walk into my parents house on Christmas day, the smell smacks you in the face.  It's essentially garlic, vinegar, thyme and pork.  If you think you're getting sick, eat this.  It will kill whatever germs may be hanging around.   My dad likes to eat it on bread.  Of course this is washed down with egg nog and good quality demerara rum.  If you don't have demerara rum, any good spiced rum will do.  Cause that's how we roll. 

Only 6 days till I get to do all of this!  I can't wait!

Head on over to the link up to check out all the other holiday traditions!  

Do you have a favourite holiday tradition?