Woohoo! A Christmas Cheer post

My friend AJ tagged me to answer a Christmas meme started by the lovely Kyla. I've never been tagged before, woohoo!!! Okay, so here goes.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Oh, wrapping paper, absolutely, with beautiful fabric or wire ribbons. My Mom always saves all the ribbons I buy so we tend to use them year after year with a few new ones thrown in.

2. Real tree or artificial?
Real tree...although I *do* see the benefits of a pre-lit artificial tree.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Well, we actually don't have a tree this year, just a small festive bush. We're celebrating Christmas at my Mom's house, money is tight and Zoe is so small (er, destructive) that it just seemed like a good idea to skip it this year. When we do have a tree, we typically have it up sometime before Christmas...

4. When do you take the tree down?
Oh, when we get around to it. Usually right around the time I get tired of sweeping up all the pine needles.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Mmmm. Yum. Yes the alcoholic recipe.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
That's a tie between my custom made wooden doll house, that I still have in storage waiting for the day the girls are big enough to appreciate it. Or, perhaps it was the Donny & Marie dolls with an accompanying "TV Studio" play set.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
No.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Usually it's my Father-in-Law (aka "Grandaddio") but with the advent of grandchildren and all the things you can get to commemorate their early years that has changed. This year it seems to be Zoe! She's too little to be "in" to anything and has a ton of age appropriate hand-me-down toys from her sister. Plus, the thing she loves most is electronic gadgets, cell phones, calculators, label makers, digital cameras...so I may just end up getting her a bunch of cheap things with buttons for her to push.

9. Easiest person to buy for? This year it is definitely Athena. She loves dress up and Pixar movies and anything with Little Einsteins and coloring and nightgowns and puzzles, etc. Christmas is going to be so fun this year.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I have no clue. Whatever it was I completely forgot about it. Isn't that the real opposite of "love"..."disinterest"?

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Usually we mail a CD of Christmas music with handmade "cover art" (usually a photo) and a particular theme (i.e. "Merry Christmas Baby" which was compilation of jazz Christmas music). This year (sorry guys) we are not doing that. It is a meager Christmas, we are short on money and time this year. We promise to pick it up next year, however!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I love It's a Wonderful Life, it never gets old. Plus all the clay-mation specials: Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Year Without a Santa Claus.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Um...today.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Of course, but never to anyone who may be reading this...

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mince meat pie with vanilla ice cream and anything my Mom cooks.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear non-blinking lights.

17. What is your favorite Christmas song? Do They Know It's Christmas (by a 80's artists) love that song, can't wait to hear it again.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Spending Christmas eve and Christmas day at my Mom's house, which is only 30 minutes away. We need to plan a Christmas in California soon.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Rudolph, of course, then there's Prancer, Donner, Blitzen, Comet, Cupid.....and that is all I got...

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? My family tradition is midnight on Christmas Eve, but with the babies we split it between both. We give some presents for children on Christmas Eve and all the presents for the adults, and then the bulk of the children's presents in the morning. Once the babies are older, we'll do Christmas Eve.

22. What I love most about Christmas? Christmas socks!

And now I need to tag someone. Everyone I know who has a blog and may be reading this has already gotten this post, except for Shannon.