Christmas Meme

OK, first found at Baxterknits, then the whole thing was stolen from Knitthink...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both and any other type of wrapping - I love wrapping. Some cough*husband*cough people have thrown the word "obsessed" out when it comes to wrapping. I now travel with small scissors to help people unwrap my gifts. I loves the ribbons!

2. Real or artificial tree? Growing up - it was always artificial. Dad always talked about his allergy to pine trees. Turns out he was allergic to the needles on the carpet, not the trees themselves. Since marriage, it has always been real, because Hubby recoiled in horror at the thought of a fake tree. Now the debate is Scotch Pine (him), or Balsam (me).

3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever we can carve out the time to go and get it. Usually mid December.

4. When do you take the tree down? January 2nd. I usually have this day off - Hubby goes to work, Son is out with friends, I get it done.

5. Do you like eggnog? Not a chance. Hubby on the other hand, loves it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Barbie's Country Camper. This thing is a 70's nightmare - all orange and pink pyschedelic swirls, and I loved it! My friend Jennifer got it as well (Our Mom's shopped together), and our Barbies camped together for years.
We also got Pong (the original video game) as well, which was very cool.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope. But my Mom does, and is hoping I may want it in the future. Unfortunately, I don't.

8. Hardest person to buy for? When my Dad was alive - no question it was him. He was easy enough to pick gifts out for, ans we did. However, he also went on a shopping spree for himself around mid-December, and bought everything we already had. We then had to go on a returning spree, and then find something else. Every fricken year! I think he enjoyed this...

Now? Probably my brother's family - their tastes run way more expensive than my budget. So now, we adults don't exchange anything, and the kids get cash or gift cards.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Husband. I can knit him socks, buy him shirts, he loves it. But I always try to get the one frivolous thing he would love. Last year it was a fishing trip. This year - Guitar Hero 3 for the Playstation.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I have to narrow it down to one? I hate to say it but it would probably be something from my MIL. She;s a lovely lady, but she has a habit of buying us girls clothes that she thinks we should be wearing. And none of us do. Plus, she buys us all the same thing, in different colours. A little too matchy-matchy for me. Oh, then there was the daytimer organizer. I use a small 3"x6" daytimer that fits in my purse - I love it, still use it, and carry my life in it. MIL and FIL gave me a 81/2" x 11" BINDER organizer. This thing weighed about 10 pounds. I didn't know what to do with it. It also came with a year's worth of inserts - another 20 pounds of paper. Ack.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Neither. I don't have time to devote to them. My MIL whines every year about doing them and every year I tell her to bag it. She looks at me like I have three heads. "But I HAVE to send them! What would people think?" (As an aside, I hate the comment, "What would people think?" For the most part, I don't really care what people think about things like this)

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown Christmas, The Grinch (animated, of course - I love Boris Karloff!)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start knitting right away and spread it out all year, but the buying doesn't happen until December-ish.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Ummm, yeah, probably. I've gotten some doozies that I know are much better appreciated in their new homes... I always re-wrap completely, though. (See question #1)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Food. My Dad's stuffing recipe - basic bread stuffing, but a stuffed turkey just smells right.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Both. I'm a white light fan, hubby likes the riot of colour - secretly, I'm getting into the colours...

17. Favorite Christmas song? Barenaked Ladies Version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Bruce Springsteen's Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and John Mellencamp's I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus. I like the traditionals done more currently.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We three stay home until noon, then hit my family for the afternoon, and Hubby's family for dinner. Thankfully, we are all within an hour's drive.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? D'uh! You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Blitzen, Comet and Cupid and Donner (or Donder for the purists...) and Vixen, but do you recall...the most famous reindeer of all... any Christmas-phile worth her salt knows this

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? - Angel - given to us by dear friends on our first married Christmas - we spend every Christmas Eve with them, and have a blast.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas morning - no exceptions, unless it is gifted by friends - then we open with them.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Family drama. It's not worth the hassle, yet I deal with it every year, since I got married. Hubby hates it too, but he silently puts up with it, because most of it originates with his Mom and sister. He is becoming a bit more vocal about it, lately, but we still deal with it, and it usually lands on me. I hate it.

23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color? I used to, then we had a child - now it's a riot of everything and I love it!

24. What do/did you leave for Santa? Cookies, milk (for Santa), chocolate (for Mrs. Claus) and carrots for the reindeer. The carrots are always nibbled on, the reindeer leave poop on the front lawn, and Santa leaves snowy footprints from the fireplace to the tree. But it's magical North Pole snow that doesn't melt, and is easily swept up. (the poop is magical too - it resembles chestnuts...)