Pop Culture Princess

Pop Culture Princess
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Friday, December 08, 2017

A bundle of holiday cheer from my Bookish Secret Santa

For the past couple of years, I've taken part in a special holiday gift exchange(arranged by Michelle Miller from True Book Addict) called Bookish Secret  Santa. Giving and getting these well chosen yet slightly secretive pack of presents with a book or two have fast become the highlight of my Christmas season.

This year, my Secret Santa, Charity Huchyt, was bright and early with her set of goodies for me. First up is a book that I'm happy to add to my Jenny Colgan collection, Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery, the third title in this delightful series.

We find our leading lady Polly at her beloved bake shop on Mount Polbearne island, preparing for the holiday season as well as her upcoming wedding to Huckle, her honey making honey. While life does get frenetic for her,along with her best friend Kerensa who is sharing a possible secret about her pregnancy, things are completely up turned when a major storm threatens to cut off the entire island from the main land.

 Granted, this is book three but it shouldn't be hard for any newcomer to dive into this saltwater taffy sweet story.  Jenny Colgan's tales are truly tasty delights any time of year and not just because she includes recipes in her food themed novels such as what many NOLA residents know well as a king cake. I may not be able to eat such treats but this charming book will feed my literary soul, that's for sure:



The reason that I can't eat a king cake,btw, is due to my being a Type 2 diabetic but fortunately there are some sweet treats that I can enjoy. My book also came with a bag of sugar free mini Hershey bars and a bag of Russell Stover mint chocolates, both of which are greatly appreciated.

Russell Stover sugar free candies have become my favorites with their smoothly sweet design and flavor varieties, not to mention choice of sugar substitute which is no joke, believe you me. In that department, it is not one size fits all!

Seriously, it is nice to have something this stylish and satisfying to indulge in once in a while under such a circumstance. Plus, Russell Stover is a quality brand that does make you feel part of the foodie festivities during a time like this,which is sweet of them indeed:



To round this holiday gift bundle off, an aloe vera mask with a pair of  cat themed Christmas socks were included. The ones I received are the gray striped ones in the photo on the left.

My own kitty cat Bella gave her feline approval to them and they're very comfortable to boot. Seasonal socks are great to have and much more convenient to add to any holiday outfit than one of those traditional ugly sweaters that folks love at this time of year.

Nothing against the sweaters there but I just prefer the socks. They are part of the classic Christmas tradition,after all, and offer a more practical sense of joy:


Much thanks to Charity and Michelle, for starting off my Christmas season just right. I have my own Bookish Secret Santa package to send out next week and I hope that my giftee is as pleased with the selections made as I am with mine.

 Between this and the first snow of the season to arrive this weekend, it does feel more like the holidays are here,which is a good feeling that I want to last right through New Year's. Having a good book and a few extra bonuses are a wonderful way to begin,so thank you yet again:


2 comments:

Michelle Stockard Miller said...

What lovely gifts, Tara! I want to read that book too. I've also tried the sugar free Russell Stover (and others) and found them to be quite good. I'm not diabetic, but this was when I was doing low carb years ago. lol

Those socks are AWESOME! I love Christmas socks too, but I have a challenge with my left leg/foot which makes it difficult to wear regular socks of any kind. I did find some men's a couple of years ago that work, but I have to cut the band off and scrunch them down a bit. Oh well.

Hope you're enjoying your goodies. =^o^=

JaneGS said...

Bookish Secret Santa is the best, isn't it? Your gifts are lovely--enjoy!