Christmas Meme - Try it!

I got this adorable Christmas themed meme from Julie over at Coelha Thoughts

I hope you will all give it a try...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping for the kids, and bags for anyone I can get away with!  Even with the kids we can do some easier wraps, like with cd's and video games, now that they are older.  I do like the cute little chinese food containers with holiday designs, too. 

It is hard with my hands to do all the wrapping.  It is the chore I like least related to Christmas.

2. Real tree or artificial?   Personally, I don't mind artificial at all, that is what I grew up with.  Hubby on the other hand, cannot do without a real tree.  Basically, if I give in on that, everything else goes my way the rest of the year. 

We only buy from tagged tree farms that plant 2 for each they chop, but we get the trees through a local nursery.   No different than eating a chicken for me. 

3. When do you put up the tree? Yesterday!  We have to wait for around December 7th-11th, since it is real.  However, usually all the other decorations are up, Thankgiving weekend.

This year, with Booga passing, it took until this weekend to get the house done.  Pics coming soon.

4. When do you take the tree down?  Usually the first weekend after New Years or the day after New Years.

5. Do you like eggnog? Love it!  Especially, a certain brand whose name I cannot remember right now because my brain isn't working thanks to a cold.
 
6. Favorite gift received as a child?  It is a toss up between the Easy Bake Oven, and my Dawn Dolls.  Anyone remember those?  They were miniature Barbie's with long blonde hair.  Since my name is Dawn, and I had long blonde hair, I must have had 2 dozen between my parents, relatives and friends.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, on top of my computer armoire. 

8. Hardest person to buy for? Usually, my parents are hard, but this year I had early epiphanies for both!  lol

9. Easiest person to buy for? The kids... they always have tons of things that they put on their lists.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Mail.  I still have to take the picture, do the cute editing and graphics, and print the labels.  Ugh.  ThankGOD for self-sticking stamps.  Amen.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  I would have to say an ugly wooden paper towel dispenser rack thing that my mother had some kind of seizure one year and bought for me thinking a) it was cute and b) that is was practical. 

I still shudder when I think of it.  ::: waving:::  Love you anyhow, Mom!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?  The 1930 something 'A Christmas Carol'  I love it, it is black and white and truly does the Dickens book justice.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? August, at the craft fair when we are in Wildwood Crest.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Oh yeah.  I am not ashamed to say it, and it was always successful!  One persons garbage is anothers treasure, as they say.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? The appetizers.  My cousin Karol is the appetizer queen and she makes a lot of good ones.  Her deviled eggs are to die for. 

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?  Colored on the tree indoors, clear icicles frame the house, and some bushes have clear, some mixed, and our garage doors are framed in solid red.

17. Favorite Christmas song(s)?  'White Christmas' by Bing Crosby.  It just 'is' Christmas to me. 

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We host everyone here at our house, and my parents started the tradition.  Everyone is invited, family and extended.  No one is ever turned away.  ;-D

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course, because...

'You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, but do you recall, the mostFamous Reindeer of all.... Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer....'
 
20. Angel on the tree top or a star?  A lighted star.  My mom always had angels, and it just seemed wrong 'shoving the tree up her butt' as my dad used to say.  So, since I have been married, it has been a lighted star!!!  And, I think it fits the Christmas story better....

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We do the adults on Christmas Eve, kids in the am, for obvious reasons.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?  Having to wrap presents.  See the wrapping question above... lol

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?  The only theme is we like them.  We have 4 boxes filled to the brim with ornaments and we only use about 1/4.

We have ornaments that were my great-grandmother's and my grandmother's.  And, from my mom when she was growing up, and from her and my dad's first year of marriage.  Those all go up at the top, safe from kids and animals, and they go on every year.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?  Italian (lasagna, stuffed shells, ziti or manicotti) and spiral ham.  Usually, also minestrone soup.  Yum.

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Our house has been battling illness since last Monday.  Fuzzy's head cold entered his chest and got the asthma screaming late Monday night, and has been out of school since last Tuesday.  He is going to go back tomorrow, after nebulizer treatments round the clock and being on the steroid for 5 days.  They will give him treatments at school, too, this week.

Pumpkin was the next to fall, Thursday, her cold going into a cough, too.  She missed school today, but should be in tomorrow, which is her choral performance day, too.  Keep your fingers crossed. 

Pumpkin has the ability to get everyone sick, almost.  So, now Hammer is miserable since yesterday, with an awful head cold.  He is never cranky and today... whoa, look out.  I know he is really feeling badly.   My dad and myself are now, also, the proud owners of a head cold.  I guess tomorrow, we will be cranky like Hammer.  Oh boy... fun! 

I don't care though.  My house is decorated, my tree is up and I LOVE this time of year!

be well,
Dawn