Thursday, December 3, 2009

Everything you wanted to know but were too busy to ask

I'm heading out in just a little while to a dinner party with the women in my neighborhood book club. We are having one of those gift exchanges where you can steal from each other and I'm a little bit afraid my inner competitor might come out in front of women I really don't know all that well. I bought a super cute bracelet from J Crew and I need to know if it's considered bad form to pick your own gift because I'm totally thinking about it. Check back tomorrow to see if I took anyone out in all my excitement.

Now how 'bout some fun? Missy at It’s Almost Naptime posted this on her blog today and since I’ve been at the MallPierOneTargetTheChristmasTreeShoppegrocerystore all day it seemed like a bit of fun might be in order. Feel free to copy and paste to your own blog too…with your own answers of course…I’m all about the giving this Christmas season but only to a point. And I know I answered questions on my blog yesterday but I have a party to attend that is going to require strategy so give me a break....

Everything you Always Wanted to Know About How We Celebrate Christmas but were too Busy to Ask

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Egg nog for decorating the tree and then it's pretty much coffee or tea because does anyone else get a stomach ache when they drink egg nog or is that just me?

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa wraps. And not only does Santa wrap but Santa wraps in special Santa paper and only a few years did Santa's helper forget and wrap some of the non-Santa gifts in Santas special paper. And my kids might be in college now but Santa still wraps. And I’m ‘ahem’ older than college but Santa wraps something for me most years too. I am one big giant child when it comes to Christmas.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

White on the trees inside and mostly white outside. We’re attempting to put colored lights on one Christmas tree in our yard but so far it has been a fail. And of course by we I mean hubs. I have absolutely nothing to do with lights of any shape size or color, indoors or out. Oh and absolutely definitely positively no flashing.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

Completely unneccessary : )

5. When do you put your decorations up

Trees the weekend after Thanksgiving. Mostly. I need another tree topper and had to add beads this week but they are mostly done now. Outdoor lights go up then too. And of course they are a work in progress because what in the world is it about the fuses in those things? We can send a man to the moon (supposedly) so you’d think we could get some outdoor lights that don’t blow every third time you hit the switch.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Must I really answer this question?
I’m still reeling from Thanksgiving. Christmas cookies. And don’t make me pick one because I can’t. Okay wait-buttercreams...they are a hand dipped chocolatey sugary buttery confection that will send you into a sugar high the likes of which you’ve not experienced before. I didn’t let my children have them until they were about 9 and even then I’d only give them ¼ of a piece. Except of course for the year daughter2 was 18 months old and strolled into the kitchen covered in chocolate. My sister (who btw did not yet have children) had given her 3. THREE! When I asked my sister why she said my daughter told her she liked them. Yeah. Her day is coming. Seriously my little munchkin did not shut her eyes the entire night. Instead she stood between my hubs and I who were sleeping in a sofa bed and bounced for four solid hours. Good times. Oh and that sister? Well, she has a 3 year old son now and guess who will be at my house for Christmas? And guess what his auntie will be feeding him?

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

Santa used to drive around the neighborhood on a firetruck on Christmas Eve and pass out candy canes. And we maybe still stand outside when we're at my moms and wait for him to come by and get all excited like we’re 7 years old.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

What do you mean ‘the truth about Santa?’

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Of course. It’s always jammies. Only the girls though. The boys get nothin'. That's just how we roll.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

I'm not sure there is a name for my style so let's just go with 'free flowing'. In other words no style. Just pick an ornament and hang it on the tree.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?

Love it but like most things in my life I have rules for snow. I don’t want it before Christmas Eve because my family has to drive to my house up on the mountain. I don’t want it to last too many days past Christmas because that same family has to leave my house on the mountain. And I most definitely don’t want it hanging around until April!

12. Can you ice skate?

Yes. Can I ice skate well? No.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

My budding beauty vanity...don't you love the name? I got it in maybe first or second grade. It came with makeup and had the cutest little stool with a top that lifted up so you could store stuff in it.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

I think you know the answer to this one. I’ll give you a hint….He’s the REASON for the season.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

Excluding Christmas cookies I love homemade chocolate pound cake and of course angel pie which I actually blogged about here. Kinda sad to say that I blogged about a pie but tis true.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

We always had to sit on the steps on Christmas morning while my parents got the last minute stuff ready….it was pure torture for us kids and we couldn’t imagine what in the world they could possibly be doing. Now that I’m grown I’m sure they were chugging coffee probably straight out of the pot since they'd most likely gone to bed only an hour before. Of course I completely understand it now but back then…torture. My dad had to light the fire and get the camera ready and take a picture of the four of us on the steps waiting to burst into the living room. And naturally we’ve made our own kids do the same and they also consider it torture but that’s my tradition and you don’t mess with tradition.

17. What tops your tree?

Well, there’s an angel on one tree and I realized this weekend that having two trees means I need another topper. It may be a bow because I might not be able to face another trek to the decorating dept.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?

I’m supposed to say giving right?

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?

Again with the choices…O Holy Night, Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Heirloom by Amy Grant, Ring The Bells by Travis Cottrell, Tender Tennessee Christmas also by Amy Grant….just to name a few.

20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?

Not for me but my oldest daughter will choose a candy cane over a bag of m & m’s…whose child is she anyway?

21 Favorite Christmas Show?

White Christmas…Sisters, sisters...gotta love it!

22. Saddest Christmas Song?

I don’t know …how about Elvis Presley's ‘I’ll have a blue Christmas without you’…a pastor at our church growing up told the story about how he asked a woman to sing a song one year on Christmas morning and she surprised him by singing this one which, as you might have guessed, wasn’t exactly what he had in mind when he asked her to sing.

I'd love to read your answers so leave me a comment if you play along. Or if you don't. : )

8 comments:

  1. What about egg nog in coffee?
    Yum1

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  2. I am too melancholy to write memories this year. Just can't seem to throw it .But I sure did enjoy yours and you even got a grin out of me. good for you and for me too.
    Hope you win your bracelet back.

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  3. Too funny! My girls (4 and 6) are begging for the Disney Princess vanity. And I love the part about the parents and coffee Christmas morning! I can totally relate, although I feel that way most mornings :)

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  4. It is scary how much we have in common. I could almost cut and paste your post onto mine and be done with it. I will do this over the weekend! It is going to be cold and rainy here so I am going to watch Christmas movies and catch up.

    Can't wait to hear about the gift exchange. I would definitely figure out a way to get that bracelet.

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  5. Okay, to be honest? Eggnog reminds me of a sinus infection. There, I said it.

    Put a bow on top of your tree! A great big bow. Easy and so so pretty with the ribbons hanging down!

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  6. I'm looking forward to finding out if you came home with the bracelet!

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  7. Fun. We have a firetruck Santa too! ;)

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  8. So funny! I got a kick out of the torture tradition you've passed on to your children. I'll be playing along with this on Monday!

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