It's all about Meeeeemeeeeeeee

It's funny how some people hate to be tagged, and I go out of my way to tag myself. I suspect it's my love of enlightening quizzes, but since I also love to read other people's it's not 100% about self-discovery, just good fun.



This one is called the 25 days of Christmas. I saw it on one of the blogs I read regularly, and liked it and decided to do it, but when I went back to the site the next day to get started on it, she'd taken it down. Maybe she didn't like what she'd written, I don't know, but I was like, "HEY!!!". You know who you are...



I still wanted to do it though, so I've made the joyous discovery that if you google "25 Days of Christmas meme", that's exactly what you get. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Thanks Grasp the Love for being number one on my Google search! I hadn't read you before, but now you have both helped and entertained me, and I will be back!



So, here we go as I have fun:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I normally consider gift bags a pretty cop-out or the wrapping of last resort, but this year I'm actually doing some. I'm sick of fighting with metal ties and things that are screwed to the box with a toddler trying to "help" me because she's so anxious to get at whatever it is. So as I've been helping Santa I've pre-opened some of the toys while I have the time and a reasonable amount of patience. All those little pieces? Right into a gift bag. I should also add that this year I'm cheating on gift tags and to save my hand cramping up I created stickers of the girls faces on Snapfish and I'm just slapping them on. And I'm just doing the stick-on bows this year, no pretty ribbons. Yes, I know, I'm no kind of mother. Except maybe a relaxed one.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. I'm not really a fan of pine scent. Although I like to visit other people's real trees. Also, we have three cats and I envision them climbing right up so they can munch on the needles. They are greenery munchers.

3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving or close to that.

4. When do you take down the tree? Sometime after January 1st. We try to have it down by Easter.

5. Do you like egg nog? I like the first couple of sips. Then I remember that it's too thick for my taste. What I like is Nestle Very Vanilla milk. Partially frozen into a slush. And I'll eat that at any time of year.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I'm torn between two. One year I came down to find an unwrapped present for the first and only time. It was a stuffed Benji dog. I loved that dog. I'm sure it's still around. Another year I received a play set that was an ice cream shoppe. Complete with a little hat and an ice cream freezer that had a place to put the ice cream cones. Hmmmm. I think that was probably my favorite. I have an unhealthy fondness for play food. Every time we go down that aisle I invariably see something that makes me say "When I was little I would have killed for that." Quite frequently now if I even pause at something that catches my eye, say a complete plastic birthday party, David will say "Yes, I know, you would have killed for that". Takes all the wind right out of my sails.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? I have several. I sort of collect them. Just not rabidly. Normally I put them all out, but for some reason I wasn't motivated this year. Oh right. Because I would have had to clean off my breakfast counter since that's where they go.

8. Hardest person to buy for? One of my friends who shall remain nameless.

9. Easiest person to buy for? The girls, of course. The hard part is stopping myself.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Snail mail all the way baby. What else am I supposed to do with this Christmas card holder?

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? It was probably my freshman year in college when I received laundry detergent, a huge multi-bar pack of Dove soap, and socks from my grandma. It was well meant, but quite a depressing come down from the days of stuffed animals and ice cream shoppes.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? The 1991 TV movie "All I Want for Christmas". Possibly due to Thora Birch's rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside". I don't really know. I just know I love it. And for some reason I don't own it. I will have to see if I can fix that. I'll also tell you my least favorite Christmas movie: "It's a Wonderful Life". I hate that movie with a passion. Except maybe the Buffalo Gals musical number. But all the rest of it is pure misery.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after the last Christmas.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but I keep meaning to.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? HoneyBaked ham. I have to have it. Have to.

16. Clear or colored Christmas lights? Colored. They're the best. And they'd better not be the blinking kind. I wish they still made the ones that had the removable plastic caps that were the same colors as the lights. I used to create my own colors on the tree by mixing them all up. It was fun.

17. Favorite Christmas song? "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem" or Faith Hill's version of "Oh, Holy Night". Which is a little odd since I'm not particularly into country music. But I appreciate talent in whatever genre it exists. And her version will give you wild chills up and down your spine.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I'd much prefer to stay home now that we have girls. I grew up going to my grandma's every year. The one year we had to stay home because my dad had bronchitis it didn't even feel like Christmas. But now I want to create traditions here at the house for the girls and don't want to lug...force Santa to have to try and find us with all the gifts...

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Of course.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? It has to be a star. I never understood the angel thing. And ideally the star should at least partially light up.

21. Open presents Christmas eve or morning? One Christmas eve, the rest in the morning. Tomorrow we're doing stockings when the girls first get up and then the rest of the presents when Grandma and Papa come over. Nana and Grandpa are coming the next day and we'll do it all over again!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? There are good sales and yet there is no place to park so it's hard to get at them. Also the fact that we have tried SEVERAL times to go visit Santa and the lines have wrapped around his little house or you've been required to go in the morning to pick up a pass so you can come back 8 to 12 hours later. So no picture with Santa this year. *sniff*

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Things that have some significance to us or that I just think are pretty. And as I said, always colored lights and at least 2 boxes worth of candy canes. The year you could also say the theme was "breakables at the top of the tree, unbreakables at the bottom!"

24. Favorite dinner for Christmas? Again, HoneyBaked ham. I will accept no substitutes.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I kind of want a Wii, but I will accept World Peace since I think that is easier to come by.