All I want for Christmas...

[Bittersweet]

Re: All I want for Christmas...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial

3. When do you put up the tree? Anytime after Thanksgiving (before would be oh so wrong)

4. When do you take the tree down? Anytime after X-mas

5. Do you like eggnog? It’s ok

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A-frame, pepto-pink Barbie house.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad

8. Easiest person to buy for? Myself

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Neither, love receiving X-mas newsletters, though

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Pedometer from DH (who justified the purchase by reminding me that I had been complaining that I wanted to lose weight)

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Later than I should, usually middle of December

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge

16. Lights on the tree? White only

17. Favorite Christmas song? Winter Wonderland

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? No way

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

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Homemade, family ornaments

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner ham or turkey? Neither, its Cincinnati Chili in my house

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? New black boots

Re: All I want for Christmas...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Love the bags.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. We pulled out the mini (3 1/2 feet and decorated with our favorite ornaments).

3. When do you put up the tree? Never as early as this year. Decorated together the weekend BEFORE T-Day. Seemed right as DW was actually home so we could do it together instead of me solo which is de rigeur.

4. When do you take the tree down? After Epiphany.

5. Do you like eggnog? Definitely. Grew up on it without booze added. If I wasn't trying to reduce the tummy size, would spike it now though.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My one and only dog, Missy.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad usually, but this year will get online gear from his high school.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Hmmn... everyone seems hard in some ways b/c we always seem to be doing things last minute.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Sadly, no. My mom actually collects and I've bought her many throughout the years, but need to buy one for us.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail when we're on the ball. Never e-mail. We've bought the cards this year already. Now, we just need to address and put them in the mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Well, for some reason my mom loves to buy pajamas for me (and for my dad). They're always fairly cool, but unless I plan to convalesce for the next, oh, thirty years or so I don't need another pair until I die.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? "A Christmas Story" -- "Ralphie, you'll shoot your eye out!"
"Show me how the piggies eat!"

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Two weeks prior if I'm on the ball.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, bad form.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Love the Christmas ham. Actually I also appreciate a fruit cake.

16. Lights on the tree? White, but when we finally get a tall tree, I do dig those big colored fifties / forties bulbs.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Have a Holly Jolly Christmas (not sure if that's the actual title or just the words I know).

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel depending on DW's schedule. This year, we'll travel around New Year's since she works through Christmas.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Uh, won't even try.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A lit star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? On the morning but might open one on Eve. Maybe will try the Seven Fishes this Eve.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Salvation army bell ringers. Hear me out. We give to charitable causes year round so the ringers seem frighteningly akin to panhalders. Yet, I've resolved to walk around with one dollar bills to salve my conscience.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Birds and fruits. Want a whole devoted tree to each some day.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner ham or turkey? Definitely the ham. Definitely all the sides with the ham like an awesome pineapple / bread / butter casserole first made by my mom.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Maybe a digital camera. Yet, I don't really care about presents. I just like to see people and go to events, pig out, and have experiences rather than gifts.

[Thirteen]

Re: All I want for Christmas...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Brown butcher, usually adorned with drawings or funny notes that are personal

2. Real tree or Artificial? None at my apt, but real back home. One of my favorite things.

3. When do you put up the tree? Parents do it day after TGiving

4. When do you take the tree down? eh... Jan 5th I think

5. Do you like eggnog? is it spiked?

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Little Pony sleeping bag, OR the Sega Genesis

7. Hardest person to buy for? Sandra (friend) and Paul (BF): they have everything. :/

8. Easiest person to buy for? Paige (friend) - we like the same things

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Sadly no.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail 'em

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? An XXL bright orange man's Nike shirt... yeah.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas (is that bad?) and probably Prancer (I cry)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? October-ish

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not yet

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Hot wassail and homemade German potato candy

16. Lights on the tree? Colored ones

17. Favorite Christmas song? The Christmas Song

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I always gotta fly home, and then some.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen & Rudolph

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? There's something new and woodsylike every year. Mom's doing.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning - used to be really early. Now I sleep til about 8 before I start. FIRST YEAR WITH THE BF AT HOME FOR XMAS!!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Girls, at Christmas parties in Hollywood, dressed as "naughty" elves.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? The motion ornaments we've had since I was born

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner ham or turkey? This year, it's turkey

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? To enjoy my first Christmas with my family, extended family, and future husband all in the same place

[MDPhDWife]

Re: All I want for Christmas...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper hands down, truth be told I actually enjoy wrapping presents.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Fake, I can't even remember ever having a real one. Too much of a PITA for someone as lazy as I am!

3. When do you put up the tree? Weekend after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? 1st week in January.

5. Do you like eggnog? Not especially, but I tend to try it every year to see if I change my mind. It's just too thick.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? One year my parents got me the Beagle I had been begging for.

7. Hardest person to buy for? MIL, she's just so picky.

8. Easiest person to buy for? DH, he will just tell me what he wants.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope, we're not religious at all.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail when I used to do it. Not anymore, did I mention I'm lazy?

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? MIL got me a really cheap watch with changeable face plates a year or two ago. It seemed like something designed for a 12 year old.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Ooh, that's easy. I love, love, LOVE National Lampoons Christmas Vacation! Makes me laugh my ass off every year.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday with the rest of the world.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything peppermint. I love all the seasonal peppermint stuff I find in the stores. At the moment, I'm going through peppermint Oreos at record pace.

16. Lights on the tree? Of course, multi colored.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Chestnuts roasting on an open fire by Nat King Cole. Makes me want to cuddle up with a blanket and sip hot cocoa.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually stay home since most of our family is local, but this will be our first year traveling. Disney World or bust!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? If I tried really hard.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Actually a teddy bear dressed as an angel

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One Christmas Eve, the rest in the morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The crowds

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I like the snoopy ornaments that come on the candy boxes. I also collect the Hallmark babies 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc Christmas. I realized that it only goes up to babies 5th Christmas and this will be my last year buying those. I cannot believe I don't have "babies" anymore!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner ham or turkey? Both!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Fun and warm weather!

[peggyfromwastate]

Re: All I want for Christmas...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Wrapping paper... Thanks to Sally Foster.

2. Real tree or Artificial?

Artificial, when we have time. We usually don't bother if we're out of town. Our fake tree is like 4 ft tall and extremely pathetic. We don't have room for anything bigger, and when the kids knock this one over it doesn't cause too much trouble!

3. When do you put up the tree?

I don't know where the tree is... Usually getting DH to find the tree and put it up takes at least 2 weeks of nagging, so if it goes up it's probably mid-Dec.

4. When do you take the tree down?

Usually in February, since we get it up so late. Plus then it helps everything seem "cleaner" and "more spacious."

5. Do you like eggnog?

Sometimes.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

A camera. It was one of the old ones before 35 mm were common, and it was so cool because it had built-in flass.

7. Hardest person to buy for?

Everyone. I am really really bad. I usually give gift cards.

8. Easiest person to buy for?

Just the kids. And the niece and nephew.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?

Yes, but I think I'm missing some characters. It's "kid friendly".

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

I would mail, but I actually haven't done Christmas cards since I think 2 years before we started med school... I'm really really bad about it. Really bad.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Underwear. From my brother. Bought for me by mom and then little bro wrapped it. It was horrible.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

Polar Express? Maybe? It's probably the only one that doesn't annoy me.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

I sort of collect bargains throughout the year. This year I feel really broke, so I haven't bought anything. I have some stuff stored up though, so I'll just probably use that???

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

I don't know... I think so.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

A full meal that I did not have to cook at all, and one that I don't have to clean up after at all... Even better if DH is there and able to get the kids all their plates so that I don't have to do that...

16. Lights on the tree?

As many flashing, tacky-looking, multicolored ones as possible. We have a strand of Pooh Bear lights. It's "magical". No Martha-Stewart looking tree for us!

17. Favorite Christmas song?

Maybe I'll be home for Christmas??

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Yuck. I HATE to travel at Christmas, but we have ended up doing it more often than not since starting med school. Cross country flight, followed by a 3 hour car ride over a mountain pass in Washington State is just not really fun in the winter.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?

Doubt it.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

We would have an angel, except that when we had a normal sized fake tree we tried to have Kate put the angel on top while DH held her, and she dropped the Angel, the ceramic head smashed and made a huge mess all over the place. Since then we have nothing on top until the kids take initiative and make a "star" type of thing and tape it to the top....

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Both... Or neither. It depends on work schedule. Santa gifts are usually first thing on Christmas morning. The "family" gifts are usually Christmas Eve, although if we are traveling, sometimes the kids don't get gifts from us until the New Years or whenever we get back home.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

That I start seeing Christmas stuff in September, even before I see Halloween stuff.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?

I don't really have a favorite. Our theme has been, and will be, Decorations the Kids Made at School and at Home.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner ham or turkey?

Ummm, Rack of Lamb?

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

I would love a nice camera. A real one. With a removable lens... I won't get one, I know that much, but I would like that. A Nikon D-something...