Holiday Meme

I snatched this one from Susie. How fun! Also took some pics of decorations around my house today.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper. My grandmother was a floral designer and her presentation carried over to all packages. Beautiful ribbon, beautiful paper, etc. I get a little lazy sometimes, but only use gift bags for impossible-to-wrap gifts.

2. Real tree or artificial? REAL! We have it down to a science, really. I think I would feel badly if we ever decided on a fake tree. The smell of our house is what gets me in the holiday mood!

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving which came early this year.

4. When do you take the tree down? First week of January.

I don't know what #5 was supposed to be-- it was missing!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Cabbage Patch Kid preemie when I was 8. Also Keystone Capers Atari game maybe also at 8. Loves me some Atari!

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? I have one that was my mother's and may have been my grandmother's at one time? Not sure. I really like the one my mom has with tiny wooden painted people. My friend and I used to play with it all the time as kids.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Ryan because I feel like if we want something, we just buy it ourselves.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom. I always see things I think she'd like.

10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? Probably some dumb nightgown from my aunt when I was way too old to be wearing nightgowns.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, definitely. Email Xmas cards? Why bother!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Story (we actually saw it in the theater when I was 10), used to love The Santa Clause until I watched it again this year and realized how bad it was, The Nutcracker ballet (only the one with Mikhail Baryshnikov though)-- I know there are more, I just can't think...

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year but more seriously in November.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Um, yeah!

15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Christmas Strawberries, buckeyes, used to be my Aunt Irlitta's toffee that I haven't had in awhile but I think my brother said he's making? Cheese fondue, meatballs, munchies and chocolate covered cherries on Christmas Eve night!

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Big fat colored ones! None of those tiny ones!

17. Favorite Christmas song or album? White Christmas by The Drifters. Quinn wants to listen to it OVER AND OVER and calls it the "Dup dup Song"-- if you've heard it, you know why. Also like Ice Dance from Edward Scissorhands. Not really a Xmas song per se, but I made a Christmas mix cd a few years back and put it on there. Very pretty and sad.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel but we want to see our family! Maybe we will start rotating and every other year stay home. We'll see...

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? I can't remember the dang song!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We grew up opening everything on Xmas Eve, and I like doing that! Now we open on Xmas Eve at my family's and then open Xmas Day with the in laws.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Going through the motions of buying gifts for those who ask for gift cards. I'd rather just refrain from gift-giving altogether if we're going to do that, but this year, I gave up and said FINE. Seems rather silly, but easier for us I guess.

23. What is the “silliest” family tradition you do, or miss doing? My grandmother would serve a black forest torte on Xmas Day after we'd eaten a zillion cookies and say, "Who wants a piece of Baby Jesus' birthday cake???" UGH! I don't really miss it-- well, I guess I kinda do.

24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? Those stupid inflatable snow globes.

25. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees? I like homey especially with heirloom ornaments.

26. Gingerbread or sugar cookies? Sugar cookies with super sweet buttercream frosting and sprinkles!