Christmas Meme

I have seen this posted a few places online (most recently over at Janet's place) and thought I would play along too. Mostly because I have a lot to say tonight--updates on the weekend, assurances that I am fine even though Friday sucked, thoughts and comments about the insane inevitability of Christmas knitting starting in December every year--but not a lot of energy left to get it all out. But also because it's just fun, silly stuff.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I normally would have said paper since I adore wrapping presents and have often thought about getting a job in retail for the holidays (again) just so I could wrap boxes, but now I think I'll change my answer and vote "gift bags." They're so much faster and time is of the essence with the small ones. I also don't have to go searching for the Scotch tape with gift bags.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I grew up with real trees and adore them, but we are neat freaks who love our pre-lit, easy up/easy down tree, thankyouverymuch. (Real wreath on the door for sure though...)

3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day. I'm thoroughly sick of Christmas by then and love to start the new year with a clean house.

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes! Hubby just bought some for me today.

6. Favorite gift(s) received as a child? I remember a year when there was a giant stuffed Curious George sitting out in front of the tree for me. He was wearing a cool new winter vest and had a digital Kermit the Frog wristwatch on his arm. THAT was cool.

7. Hardest person to buy/make for? The dads. Hubby's and mine.

8. Easiest person to buy/make for? The moms. They like just about everything.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I thought about doing email cards this year until I received my first card in the mail. Nope. That's a tradition I cannot break. There's nothing better than December mail. It's the happiest mail of the entire year!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A vacuum cleaner. From my husband. Last year. (No pressure this year, Sweetie.)

12. When do you start shopping/making gifts? Oh, a little of this and a little of that gets done in the late fall to about Thanksgiving. Then I slow down and think I'm "done" until about December 14 when I realize that I should have started working on my gifts back in July.

13. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life. Makes me taste Hershey Pie just thinking about it.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? If I did, I'm not telling!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Hershey Pie. Christmas Eve with my mom's family always included Hershey Pie. I also love those little Peanut Butter Blossom cookies with the Hershey's Kiss on top - too bad they're contraband in our peanut-free household now...

16. Favorite thing on the tree? The ceramic Strawberry Shortcake ornament that my Mom and Dad gave me when I was 10.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home. We don't get to stay home this year (by choice, I'm still excited to go visit my sister and her family), but I am a major homebody at heart when it comes to Christmas. I love our traditions and love passing them on to our kids in our home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Duh. December babies live for this stuff.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. It was a cheesy gold gigantic pipe cleaner-type star when I was growing up (total 70s schwag) but now it's "au natural" - just a simple grapevine/twiggy deal.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning. Santa comes at night!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Commercialism. I dig an old-fashioned Christmas. We rarely buy any of our gifts anymore.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? No theme for me. Just family treasures and the like.

24. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? Aunt Marlee's potatoes...and Hershey Pie.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Time to knit with my sister and watch movies with my sister and cook/bake with my sister and go ice skating with my sister...with and without our kids, if you know what I mean. Maybe just time in general... Yarn couldn't hurt either.