Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Christmas meme

My good friend, Sarah, tagged me to fill out this (very fun) Christmas meme.  Hope you enjoy learning a little more about our family's holiday.

1.  Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Under the tree, I usually wrap boxes, but if something isn't easy to wrap, a bag is a great alternative.  Before going to a Christmas party, I usually grab a gift bag from the stash under my bed.  Kids presents should almost always be wrapped....better pictures for the blog, more noise, more mess to make it look like Christmas morning.

2.  Real tree or artificial?
Depends where I am living.  In Baltimore, it was really tough to take the (dried out, sharp, dropping tons of needles down my stairs) tree out of our third floor apartment.  I decided to be content with the fake tree and burning a pine scented candle.  In our house in MD, it was easy to get a real tree in and out, so we had a real tree the past three years.

3.  When do you put up the tree?
Usually right after Thanksgiving.  We aren't sure we are getting a tree this year because they are not very conducive to crawling baby girls.  We aren't sure how to go about getting a real one here.  I'm already burning my pine scented candle. :)

4.  When do you take the tree down?
So many tree questions!  I like to enjoy my tree.  Patrick and I decorate it together, and we enjoy the romantic glow it brings to the room, so I tend to leave it up until the middle to end of January.

5.  Do you like eggnog?
Yum!  Especially the totally not good for you, almost full cream, cinnamon packed version in the grocery store.  This is one of Patrick's favorite holiday treats.  I even have a recipe for eggnog pumpkin pie!

6.  Favorite gift received as a child?
We collected Precious Moments figurines as children, and we always looked forward to getting one at Christmas.

7.  Do you have a nativity scene?
I have one for almost every room (although I didn't bring decorations to Korea).  My mom collects nativities, so this has rubbed off into my holiday decorations.  As those of you know who know my mom or have seen my house, she is my chief decorator.

8.  Hardest person to buy for?
Adeline---she is just SO picky and wants things just her way (just kidding!)...

9.  Easiest person to buy for?
myself...oh wait...I'm not supposed to be buying things for myself when shopping for others...that is so hard to remember sometimes! ummmm....
My mother-in-law...she is good about providing a list, and I know her taste pretty well, so I can usually find things she will like.

10.  Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Can't think of one.

11.  Mail or email Christmas cards?
Definitely snail mail!  If you send me a picture, it will end up in the back of my family scrapbook to be forever remembered.  I do one large album per year and this is usually the last thing I put in it.

12.  Favorite Christmas movie?
Hands down, A Muppet Christmas Carol.  So cute and amazingly well done.

13.  When do you start shopping for Christmas?
It varies from year to year, but I am almost always still buying something at the last minute.  I have a gift drawer where I keep things that I find through the year that I think someone will like.  I keep both "gifts for anyone" in there (candles, napkins, lotion) for last minute trips to a party, and I also keep gifts that are for a specific person there.

14.  Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Can't remember doing this.  I have returned gifts though.

15.  Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Breakfast made by my dad (just because it is a fun tradition) and chocolate cookies with Andes mints swirled on top.

16.  Clear lights or colored on the tree?
clear

17.  Favorite Christmas song?
Nat King Cole's A Christmas Song.

18.  Travel at Christmas or stay home?
I don't like to travel ON Christmas, but I love to travel to my parents' house and wake up there Christmas morning.  That feels like home.

19.  Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Yes, but only because of the song....and because my friend Sarah listed them when she filled out this survey. :)

20.  Angel on the tree top or a star?
Neither!  I usually have a giant bow with strands coming down the tree.

21.  Open gifts Christmas Eve or morning?
Morning!  Although, I did have a friend whose parents got everyone new pajamas to open and wear to bed Christmas Eve night, and I think that is a fun tradition.

22.  Most annoying thing about this time of year?
crowds and traffic everywhere........santa everywhere (it was never a big part of our holiday growing up, and I have never been a big fan)....don't send me hate mail, please.

23.  What I love most about Christmas?
Where to start.....I love baking cookies with my mom, decorating and watching the house transform, sitting in the living room with my husband in the evening listening to Nat King Cole and looking at the lights, being with family, Christmas Eve service, Christmas pins (notice I DID NOT SAY sweaters!), finding the perfect gift for someone, dressing Adeline in her pretty Christmas dress, the music, my anniversary (Dec 22), and all of the fun parties that happen around this time of year...just to name a few. :)

Okay, I am going to tag JJ, Rachel, and Jenna to do this survey.  Tag, you're it!

1 comment:

Short Stop said...

Yay!! I'm so glad you did this. I loved reading your answers.

LOL at you being the easiest person to buy for...isn't it the truth! Missing you...