Christmas questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Both - depends on the shape and stuff

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Artificial, and flocked :)

3. When do you put up the tree?
As soon after Thanksgiving as I can!

4. Do you like eggnog?
Oh yeah! It's a little rich for me though, so I like to thin it out with 1% milk

5. Favorite gift received as a child?
My mom always made Christmas magical and invented money somehow, so each year I was surprised and each year was memorable for various reasons. My siblings also did some really neat things. One year Lisa and Amy, both starving students at BYU, saved their money to eat at Pizza Hut a couple of times so that they could get me the "Beauty and the Beast" hand puppets. There was also a year when I was 8 and Dan was 12 and I had been eyeing a doll at the mall. I checked on her every week, and one week she was gone and I was devastated. Dan had already bought her and snuck her out to the car without me seeing :).

There have been some very memorable gift as an adult, too. David, knowing what a jazz nut I am, bought me the soundtrack to "A Charlie Brown Christmas". The really funny thing was that I had never actually seen it! Lisa knew what the gift was and made sure that we rented it. Of course I commented on how great the music was. As for Darren, a couple of years ago he sent everyone a card game that he taugt everyone when I was a kid. That was really fun and special because playing cards with "the big kids" when they were home, which was rare, was pretty much my favorite thing in life. He also sent out a compilation cd of the Christmas music we grew up with. As for Craig, my favorite is my rubber duck with the earr muffs and coat. He bought me a rubber duck on our honeymoon and it has kind of become a tradition. Also one year he picked out a pair of gorgeous earrings for me totally by himself. Gotta love a man who knows your taste in jewelry. Another random but very thoughtful gift he gave me was a book of cheeses - different kinds, their characteristics, where they originate, etc.

6. Hardest person to buy for?
Craig

7. Easiest person to buy for?
Mom usually

8. Do you have a nativity scene?
I have a few :)

9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Can't really think of anything

11. Favorite Christmas Movie?
A Charlie Brown Christmas

12. When do you start shopping?
December 26th!

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
My signature Christmas cookies!

15. Lights on the tree?
Yeah lots! Just not the multi-colored ones. I never have liked those

16. Favorite Christmas song?
Can't decide. Here are my favorite albums, though: Darren's compilation, Lisa's addition, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Osmonds, Old Navy Holiday 2000, and of course Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis. They are my favorite. Those two make me homesick though, so I have to be kind of careful about when I listen to them. And I usually call Mom right after :)

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Travel to Mom's

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?
Yeah, but I don't feel like typing them now

19. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Either one. I grew up with an angel though, so that would be my preference if I could find one that wasn't too cheesy looking

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning! We open them one at a time, each person taking a turn starting with the youngest and going to the oldest. It makes the gift-opening last for hours and really fosters the concept of being more excited about what you are giving than what you are getting.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
"Holiday trees" and all of the other PC crap!

22. Favorite ornament theme or color?
The theme for my tree is music-themed ornaments and purple bulbs. Craig's tree is mostly red and gold/silver.

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
We always order pizza for Christmas Eve. Christmas day varies, but my Mom always works hard to make a nice meal and it is always good

24. What do you want for Christmas this year?
A cast iron pan