A Christmas meme

On a bit on an impromptu blogging break, but thought this would be a quick fun bit...

A Christmas meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both - I prefer a nicely wrapped package, but I frequently ust bags when in a pinch! DH and I have a great system - I'm great at the wrapping paper, he's the bow guy. Not just your peel and stick variety - oh no, he does great creative stuff!

2. Real tree or artificial? DH grew up cutting his own (62 acres and plenty of pine trees); I grew up with fake. The past 14 years we've had a real tree, but last year we bit the bullet and went fake. It was a financial and simplicity decision. We love the real thing, but at $50 a year - our fake tree will pay for itself in no time. Not to mention how easy the fake tree is!

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually St. Lucia Day (Dec 13th), but only lights. We decorate on Christmas Eve.

4. When do you take the tree down? After Epiphany.

5. Do you like eggnog? LOVE IT! But I'm the only one in my whole family who does. It makes an especially good coffee creamer. :)

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? 2 - a Playmobile one for the kids to play with and a display one. The display one is very "artsy". I love it, but I'm thinking about starting a more realistic Bethlehem scene with the kids next year.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad - "I don't need anything" - and he doesn't, but how can we not buy a gift?

9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A set of pop-up laundry hampers. However, I must say that I've found them quite useful. Still I don't recommend them as Christmas gifts to a mother of 3 who might like a bit of pampering on Christmas morning.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both.

11. Favorite Christmas Movie? "A Christmas Story" and "Charlie Brown Christmas"

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start in earnest after Thanksgiving.

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but I have sent a gift or two straight to Goodwill.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? St. Lucia bread with orange marmalade

15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear on the family tree and around the house. The kids have mini-trees with colored lights.

16. Favorite Christmas song? This is really an Advent song, but I love it: "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". The other favorite is a song I learned in French class - I'm not sure of the title...but the first line is: "Un flambeau, Jeanette, Isabella, Un flambeau courons au berceau".

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? When we were first married, we traveled to both sets of parents, but now with three kids we stay home.

18. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes, I can! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet Cupid, Donder and Blixen...and Rudolph!

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? My MIL made us a lovely baset-woven star for our tree-topper.

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open a couple small gifts, but the majority are saved for Christmas morning.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Just the traffic - the rest I can put up with and kind of enjoy.

22. Best thing about this time of year? We enjoy doing "secret" good deeds for each other - it is just so much fun trying to do something nice in secret!