A Fun Christmas Survey

Since I read Juli's blog, I got tagged. If you read this, you're tagged now too - email or blog your answers!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper mostly. I like to tie ribbon on them too!

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial, much better for my allergies, and for not having to deal with keeping it watered & cleaning up after a real one, and don't you have to pay the sanitation department extra to haul them away? Also, who knows if/when we'd ever get a tree if we had to find time to go out and get a new one every year.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually right after Thanksgiving. We did ours on Thanksgiving Day this year, while watching the Macy's parade.

4. When do you take the tree down? I like to leave the decor up for 2-3 weeks after Christmas. The season goes too fast!

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, but either in small quantities or the less thick variety - I think they call it Milknog.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I'm not good at picking favorites. I'm sure dolls or something. I have one that I still have and kept fairly nice - it a little suitcase-type case. We also got huge teddy bears one year - I was little so mine was almost as big as me. I remember getting sleds one year from Santa.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes

8. Hardest person to buy for? Hmmm - it's a toss-up - probably the teen/pre-teen boys, and the adults who already buy themselves the stuff they want.

9. Easiest person to buy to buy for? Kaylen

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't know really. Jock has some funny stories (for another day!), but I don't.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Miracle on 34th Street.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually too late. And I don't like fighting crowds, so that's not very good of me. I had to go out this morning, and even now I'm not quite done yet. You'd think I'd learn!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so - but perhaps, if it was food.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom started several years ago doing soups for Christmas dinner - whenever we all got together. That's really nice and easy, because you don't really want to spend all day cooking - you want to have fun with the family! Also, for goodies - frosted sugar cookies, haystacks, peanut clusters, fudge, divinity, Macaroons, Chex party mix, and pretzels dipped in almond bark.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored - with lots of ornaments.

17. Favorite Christmas song? There are too many, but here's probably a few of my favorites: O Holy Night, Silent Night, Breath of Heaven, Mary Did you Know (although I don't really care for the version on my playlist - but I couldn't find a good one!), Angels We Have Heard on High, Joy to the World (with organ & trumpet), The Christmas Song (Chestnuts...), Sleigh Ride

18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Both.

19. Can you name all of the reindeer? Yep! But I'm not going to list them here and let you all cheat. Just remember the Rudolph song - if it's a correct version, they list them at the beginning, "You know ..."

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Either is good - we have a star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Fighting crowds, rushing around/busy-ness, and this year in particular - politics!

23. What I love most about Christmas? The Reason for the season, sharing it with friends and family

24. Favorite winter outdoor activity? Ice skating. Sledding is also fun, but I haven't done that for years! And caroling - in my hometown some from our church would go out - and we'd be driven around by one of our neighbors on a horse-drawn wagon.