christmas meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? My mom, SIL and Sister MD have sewn gift bags for years with holiday remnant fabrics they find after Christmas. We have bags now that can hold earrings or huge Lego sets and we simply fold them up and each take a few home for the next year. They're wonderfully colorful and festive and so easy to use, plus of course "green".

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real, and sometimes cut ourselves.  From a big box store this year

3. When do you put up the tree? Some free weekend in mid-December. Did it this weekend.

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day

5. Do you like eggnog? no- it must be a texture thing

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I remember my red saucer sled and the homemade teddy bear my sister made for me.

7. Hardest person to buy for? me. We have some traditional gifts we give these days, like pecans or booze, so the hard to shop for people aren't so hard to shop for anymore.

8. Easiest person to buy for? my kids.  Pook lists the Lego kits by model number when he writes to Santa

9. Do you have a nativity scene? no- although we did have this one year

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail, but mass produced these days. Pictures of the boys

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Still thinking on that.  None come to mind, fortunately. 

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?  The Grinch!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?  I get odds and ends starting in October, but get serious after Thanksgiving

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?  I used to teach in an elementary school.  That speaks for itself.  Oh, and the white porcelain soup tureen shaped like a goose that we got for our wedding.  The ladle came out of the goose's.... tail end.  It became a white elephant gift.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  Sour cream and nutmeg sugar cookies

16. Lights on the tree?  Yes. Large, multi-colored ones like night light bulbs

17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night which when sung by children makes me cry

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?  We take turns.  I like having family here

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?  all nine. I can also recite the entire of “The Night Before Christmas”

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

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?  I used to open one at night, usually pj's.  My kids get it all in the morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?  not this time of year, but summer when stores start to decorate before Halloween

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?  angels and musical instruments

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? roast beef, baked potatoes, Mom's sweet rolls

25. What is your favorite thing about the holidays?  Seeing it through the eyes of my children