Sally sent me an email version of this...and it turned up in Susan's blog as well. Grab your favorite holiday beverage and join in!

Christmas Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly wrapping paper, but the tree hugger in me cringes at the consumption! One of these days I really am going to buy a bunch of holiday fabric on sale and sew up lots and lots of reusable gift bags...

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. We love the smell of the real ones, but hate justifying the cost. AND this year I "super couponed" and got 40% off of the HUGE tree at JoAnns, an expense I can totally justify! We also have a tree in the dining room (gingerbread men and "kid" ornaments) that my sister got doorbusting on Black Friday.

3. When do you put up the tree? If we're not out of town (or getting ready for chemo!) it goes up on Black Friday. This is totally my husband's thing, and an idiosyncrasy that I adore, as it means that I do very little work in putting it up....I'm the aesthetic consultant and chief bow maker.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually New Year's Day.

5. Do you like eggnog? In coffee...but I prefer a Gingerbread Spice Latte (nonfat and sugar free, please...hold the whip).

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A horse for my Barbies to ride. (This was actually a Channukah present). (Favorite gift as a grown up? Having the house in Phoenix off of our hands!)

7. Do you have a nativity scene? While my collection no where near rivals my sister in law's (Where do you put them all??), I have my beloved Willow Tree collection and lots, and lots of child-friendly versions as well. I think we have a set in almost every room, and several on the tree and the walls.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My grandparents. Actually, most of the people I'd have the hardest time buying for we don't tend to exchange with...we do charitable donations instead. That makes it easy--and enjoyable.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My kids.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? One piece Strawberry Shortcake PJ's ...I was almost fifteen at the time, and was totally mortified when my mom made me model them for the offending relatives.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Snail mail. I love pictures, too, and updates.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown...but only because my husband loves it so much.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? It depends. This year I got a late start. I don't really like to shop, so that doesn't help.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, I'm super picky when it comes to bath products, so I've recycled fragrances that I don't like versus trying to return them when they go on super sale after Christmas.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I'm a cookie monster. My sisters and I are all fab bakers! Of course, I love Starbucks at this time of year, too...

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear. I don't even really like colored lights outside. I'm a pretty understated person.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I Wonder as I Wander. I learned it as a little Jewish girl in elementary school chorus, and it was probably the first time the truth of the gospel tugged at my heart. I still remember all of the words.


18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I love both...but I love being home more. I love the fact that I'm in Florida and (almost) have the best of both worlds. It would be perfect if Sally and her crew would just move into the house for sale across the street.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Well, it would be an angel (we have a wonderful one from Southern Living at Home) but our new tree is so tall that it bumps the ceiling, so Gabriel is hanging out in some lit greenery on top of the entertainment center. I actually have a beautiful gold and white bow on the tree in the living room, and a Christmas plaid bow and a gingerbread man (yes, I'm obsessed...I keep them in my kitchen even when it's not Christmas) on the tree in the dining room.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I usually let them open one the night before...but I don't do PJs every year!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People so overwhelmed by the "shoulds" of the season (I should give this person a gift, send out cards, bake, decorate....) that they miss out on the wonder of the incarnation.

23. What I love most about Christmas? Advent! I love the season of anticipation and the beauty of contemplating the miracle of God become man.

And more from Sally:

Don't be a Scrooge!!!
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Either but I'd prefer a holiday treat from Starbucks!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? "Santa" gifts are in the stockings (or under them) unwrapped. They keep the kids busy so dh and I can stay in bed an extra half hour or so!

3. Colored lights on tree/house? White

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Depends...were the Scouts out selling it while I was shopping?

5. When do you put up your decorations? Black Friday

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I'm not picky...and sushi taste yummy no matter the season!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: My mom remarried when I was in the third grade. We had our first tree that year (my bio father is Jewish). It was quite eclectic, because we didn't have many ornaments and filled in the gaps with stuffed animals, bows, cookie cutters, etc...we loved it.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What?? Santa isn't real??

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? It depends...see above.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? The living room has family ornaments, the kids' personal ornaments, souvenirs from our vacations, etc. The dining room tree is all of my treasures that the kids have made, plus my obsessive gingerbread collection and some cute red hearts from last year's IKEA sale.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love to visit, wouldn't want to live in it!!

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but not well.

13. Do you remember your most favorite gift? Our second Christmas together, dh and I splurged on a "real" tree, and my mom and I stayed up half the night making bread dough ornaments and cinnamon applesauce ornaments for it. We tied plaid bows on the branches and lit it with white lights (of course). We spent hours that would have been better spent studying for finals just hanging out and enjoying that tree!

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Advent and the miracle of the Incarnation.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? My Mom's pumpkin pie

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? We have a literal library of Christmas books that we pull out every year only in December. I also love our annual Channukah celebration...I've been known to fry up over twenty pounds of latkes!

17. What tops your tree? A bow.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I Wonder as I Wander. See above. O Holy Night runs a close second,but only if it's sung well!

20. Candy Canes? They make cute decorations

21. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? Yep...that's why I love Advent so much!