Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. I used to get all fancy schmancy with bows and ribbons but not this year. I do have all coordinating wrapping paper, though. Last year I used only comics and newspaper to wrap presents. It was kind of fun and felt good for the earth :)
Real tree or artificial? Well.... I have ALWAYS had a real tree my whole entire life. We always went to the tree farm... rode the tractor pulled wagon out into a field and cut down our own tree with a hand saw. The real deal, I tell ya. I hated fake trees. I was SO against them until the year I was pregnant with Porter and student teaching. We were busy, stressed and decided to just suck it up and get a fake tree. We said we'd go tree hunting when Porter was a little older but... we're still using our fake tree. Its just soooo easy. It does look pretty darn real. Many people that come over ask if its real or fake before they go right up to it.
When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving.
Do you like eggnog? Never had it but... ewww it sounds gross.
Favorite gift received as a child? I think it was my Baby Shivers. Remember that? Oh my word I planned and prepared for that doll as if she were a real newborn! I had a little drawer with doll clothes and blankets and a little doll crib all set up for her. Oh how I loved that doll! I still have her too!!
Hardest person to buy for? Probably parents and grandparents.
Easiest person to buy for? Kids... the boys and our nieces. I looove buying for kids!
Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes... the Willow Tree set. Although I have the Christmas Story statues (Mary, Joseph and Jesus) which are like a foot tall and then only part of the actual nativity set (I'm missing Mary, Joseph and Jesus of the nativity... HAHA).
Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I love getting Christmas cards. So get 'em in the mail hear me!!!
Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A can of Planters peanuts. Sooo not joking.
Favorite Christmas movie? Uhm... I don't really have a favorite that I can think of.
When do you start shopping?
Lori and I usually go Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Although we don't hit actual stores until later in the day. We go to resale shops to see what kid toys we can pick up at a steal of a price. Yes, I actually buy my kids and nieces toys from resale shops.
Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so.
Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Sugar cookies with tons of frosting. And my grandmas chocolate pies!!
Lights on the tree? We have both... and lots of em! This year we have almost 1,000 white lights on our tree.
Favorite Christmas songs? Silent Night and Carol of the Bells
Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. Christmas Eve we switch houses between ours, Lori and Dons and Dave's. This year its at Dave's house and next year is at Lori and Dons. Christmas Day we stay home.
Can you name all of Santa's Reindeer? Dasher, Dancer Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Ruldolph.
Angel on the tree top, or a star? Star
Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Well we do Ryan's side of the family on Christmas Eve. Our gifts are Christmas Morning.
Favorite ornament theme or color? I used to do a different "theme" every year... one year it was red and gold. Then blue and silver. Then lavender, teal and silver. The last few years it has been bright colors (hot pink, red, orange, lime, teal). Next year I really want to do a tree with all bronze, chocolate, champagne and tan colored ornaments. Although when doing a themed tree I have such trouble not putting on our "special" ornaments... ones we've recieved as gifts and ones we add to our collection every year. We get an ornament when we go on vacation. We also get the boys ornaments every year to kind of represent their life at that age/stage. We also get a family one as well... Last year it was the Hallmark "New Home" key. Lori also gets the boys new ornaments every year... Porter gets trains and Hudson gets planes. So eventually they'll have a whole collection of Plane and Train ornaments for their mini trees in their rooms.
What do you want for Christmas this year? An updated kitchen. :) Since I won't be getting that for Christmas, I am asking for Menards Gift Cards so I can put those towards our remodel in January. But... honestly, Ryan and I usually don't exchange gifts. This year I did buy a new pair of dress boots that were pricey so I told Ryan I was going to wrap them up to be my Christmas present. And I did buy him a few things as well. I remember when I was younger I think one year my mom had bought herself some gifts and wrapped them up. I remember feeling so bad that she had to do that. But now I'm in that spot and I'm like "I sooo don't care!" LOL! I love on Christmas morning just seeing the boys open their gifts and being so excited that I really don't care if I have "surprise" presents or not.
It's so funny how things change in your life....I feel the same way about gifts, I would rather spend the money on my kids and watch their excitment versus Don and I splurging on each other, like we used too. I totally bought my own Christmas gifts this year, as they were on sale & I didn't want Don to get confused with the wrong items! LOL! I told him, wrap em' up and put em' under the tree...Merry X-Mas to me! :)
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