Christmas Questionnaire

Christmas questionnaire.... post idea, borrowed from Boquinha.
Feel free to participate if you'd like. :-)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Call me old fashioned, but I prefer wrapping paper. There's something very satisfying about ripping the wrapping off a gift.
2. Real tree or artificial? Definitely real. To our family this is part of the joy of Christmas - going out and finding the "perfect" tree... and then it makes your house smell so Chrstmas-y. (Plus, you get a slightly different tree each year.)
3. When do you put up your tree? Day after Thanksgiving, or that weekend.
4. When do you take it down? Usually New Years Day. But one year we had THE most beautiful, healthy Christmas tree that stayed green and lush.... I think we left it up until mid January.
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, and I have found the BEST way to drink it.... take eggnog, a shot of Canadian whiskey (the nice smooth kind), and a couple of ice cubes - put it in a blender, and make yourself an eggnog smoothie. It's really delicious. The ice helps to cut down on the thickness of eggnog.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My purple bike. I rode it EVERYWHERE.
7. Worst christmas gift ever received? Gosh, I'm sure there were some doozies, but nothing springs to mind.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My 78 year old Father. He has lived a full rich life, been everywhere, and has done just about everything!
9. Easiest person to buy for? My children. :-)
10. Do you have a nativity scene? We do.
11. Mail or email christmas cards? Mail, and actually I'm REALLY late this year...
12. Favorite christmas movie? "It's a Wonderful Life" - the BEST movie ever made!
13. When do you start christmas shopping? I'm one of those crazy women out there the day after Thanksgiving.
14. Have you ever recycled a christmas present? Guilty. But only to "office-mates".
15. Favorite thing to eat at christmas? Ah, where to begin..... :-)
16. Lights on the tree? Yes, we have multi colored lights that do 16 different things. :-) This is dorky, but at night, after I take out my contacts I'll sit there and just watch the colors all blink and meld together... it's really transfixing.
17. Favorite christmas song? O Little Town of Bethlehem, but I really love all the traditional carols.
18. Travel or stay home? Always at home and we love it.
19. Can you name all of santa's reindeer? Hmmmm.... probably not!
20. Angel or star? Angel
21. Open presents christmas morning or eve? Christmas morning. Crack of dawn!
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love ornaments! Our tree is a mish-mash of beautiful, ornate ornaments, home-made ornaments from my children's elementary school classes, bobble-head ornaments memorializing our late great Black Lab Chloe, and EVERYTHING in between! I love unique trees that tell a story about their families!
23. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People who forget or choose to ignore the real meaning of Christmas.
24. What do you want for christmas this year? I want something intangible and it's nothing anyone can purchase for me.... I want a better 2009.... for my family, and for our country.