Christmas meme

Found this Christmas meme on The Fluffy Pink Blog:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I actually use both. Sometimes the size and shape of gifts are just not compatible with boxes. When I use a bag I like to fix it up with lots of pretty stuffing materials and curly ribbons tying the handles together.

2. Real tree or Artificial? YES. Here in town we have the vintage silver aluminum tree (7' tall, complete with colour wheels that Mike's Mom got when he was a child) in the living room, the Saturn ring tree of Fiesta ornaments in the family room, the Peppermint tree in the foyer and other assorted small artificial trees with different types ornaments. At the farm there is an artificial tree with a real trunk that is in the kitchen with white lights and all the food related ornaments. The main tree at the farm is one we cut ourselves and decorate with all our special sentimental ornaments we have collected over the years. It is traditional in many ways as it has coloured lights, tinsel and an angel on top. The kitchen tree is also topped with a vintage angel from my angel collection.

3. When do you put up the tree? The ones in town usually go up around Thanksgiving, but at the farm the real tree only goes up a day or two before Christmas, if not Christmas Eve.

4. When do you take the tree down? Traditionally we leave the trees up until 12th night. That's the beginning of the Mardi Gras, and why the real tree can't go up until right before Christmas.

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes. And this year I think I'm going to unpack the vintage Fiesta Tom & Jerry set for serving it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hard choice. It was either my Kenner Easy Bake Oven or my Barbie doll. And I got one of the original Barbies the first year they came out. Both those toys took up countless hours of my childhood playtime.

7 . Hardest person to buy for? Every year is different. This time I'd have to say DD#2.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Abbey or Mom. This year probably Abbey because it's her first year in her own home and there are tons of things I think of that she might like.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? I have always sent out real cards to over 100 friends and family, along with a funny Christmas letter. Normally those get put together and sent on Thanksgiving weekend. This year, I only got the cards on Thursday and will try to work on them some this afternoon. They will be late, but I'm trying to focus on "It's the thought that counts." Plus they say Happy Holidays, so they will be good through New Years.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of any one specific thing, but I know there have been some that could fit this category.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas or We're No Angels

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I shop all year. Whenever we are on a trip, I try to find things I think people will enjoy. Started that many moons ago when I was a travel agent and wanted to bring back lots of great stuff from my trips.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not personally, but I have given things to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas ? Treats we don't make or buy during the rest of the year, particularly Kolacky (our family's favourite cookie recipe).

16. Lights on the tree? Some yes, some no. See above tree description. Having two trees at the farm really settled the light issue. I always wanted white lights and Mike always wanted coloured lights. We used to alternate, but now we have them both.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Can't choose just one song, but right now my favourite Christmas album is the first one by Manneheim Steamroller: Mannheim Steamroller Christmas. Hard to believe that album has been out for 24 years.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Both. When we were first married, Mike & I decided we would always have Christmas Day at home, and then visit family on the other days during the holiday. This worked well for a long time. BUT, the last two years we went to DisneyWorld, which was truly fabulous! The girls rank those trips right up there with some of the best Christmases we have ever had. And there is a lot to recommend this kind of trip. This year, given the uncertainty of my health issues, we elected to stay home. There are pros and cons to each celebration, but all have been wonderful.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Well of course! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Both: At the farm there is an angel on top of the main tree that started life some 30 years ago as a Nieman Marcus Christmas ornament on a package for my grandmother. She's about a foot tall, dressed in white, and has been attached to a halo tree topper. My grandmother gave me the angel and Mike & I fixed it to top our first tree in 1978. The kitchen tree at the farm has a vintage lighted plastic angel from the 1940s. The silver tree here in town has a star, as does the Fiesta tree in the family room.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When I was a child and we went to my grandparents' home for Christmas, all wrapped gifts, with the entire family there, were opened on Christmas Eve. Santa gifts for the immediate family staying there at the house were always unwrapped and placed individually for each person on Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? That Christmas decorations get put out so early. I don't like having them out before Halloween!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Oh wow! I don't think I can choose. I love all my Christmas decorations. They've been chosen with love and care over a lot of years. Maybe this year I will choose the Peppermint table as it is new.

24. Favorite Christmas dinner? We don't have a traditional Christmas dinner, though we always have my Grandmother's Cinnamon Buns for Christmas Breakfast. The last two years I baked them ahead of time and took them with us to Florida. LOL.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? In the grand scheme of things, I'd love to have my good health back. But as perhaps an easier gift, I always love kitchen and camera gadgets and accessories.