Mr. Prickles pubs in just over a week, which means it’s time for a contest! Here are the deets:

I’ll be posting a new blog entry every day for the next seven days, starting tomorrow and ending on December 20, the day the book pubs. Each entry will recount a very special (for better or worse) holiday memory. List one object I mention in each entry and email me that list at karalareau@me.com by midnight on December 20; I’ll pick five respondents at random and will send them a sheet of adorable Mr. Prickles stickers! There are 24 stickers per sheet, great for classroom use, decorating gifts, and other crafty pursuits — and perfect to give a prickly pal along with the book itself.

(And of course, as I’ve mentioned, you can pre-order copies of the book signed by Scott Magoon and moi through Books on the Square. Get your holiday shopping done without leaving your couch AND support an amazing indie bookstore!)

In other news, I’m happy to say I’m DONE with my own gift wrangling, and for the most part, I have been for a while. I really like shopping for other people, but I hate the holiday rush, so I keep my eyes peeled throughout the year and collect ideas of what I’m going to get for everyone. This year was especially tough, because I usually like to bake and make some of my gifts, and our kitchen (and the disaster area that the rest of my house has been these past eight months) is still off-limits.

How about you? Are you making or buying gifts this year, or a little of both? Are you done, or just starting?

Image of Mr. Prickles from Mr. Prickles: A Quill-Fated Love Story, illustrated by Scott Magoon. Copyright © 2012 by Scott Magoon.