Christmas Survey

I am not liking the new text enhanced stuff blogger is doing by highlighting random words!! And how do I put links in??

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
I'm not sure I've tried eggnog, but hot chocolate with loads of marshmallows and whipped cream--yum!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?
Santa wraps the presents. I don't see the excitement (at least for the parents) of just leaving presents out so when the kids get up at 6 and parents are still in bed, so much for seeing their excitement!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
I like white lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope.

5. When do you hang your decorations up?
Usually we have a (real) tree up by the second weekend of December. I try to start putting some decorations out December 1st.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
We don't really do traditional holiday dishes? What would be traditional holiday--other than cookies??

7. Favorite holiday memory from childhood?
Going to California for Christmas one year to visit my Aunt & Uncle. I'd love to do that again for Christmas, even if my Aunt and Uncle don't live there anymore!!

8. What's on your Christmas Wish List?
too long to list :) but if I have to pick three, we'll go with Becky Higgin's Project Life (I'm now leaning toward the Clementine kit), a JoTotes purse, and a vacation!!

9. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?
After church, my Mom, sister, Gradparents, uncle, Great-Grandma and Aunt come over and we have late dinner and open gifts. Though we cut out gifts for the adults as of last year, so just my kids open gifts from the relatives.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Very carefully. Haha. I have a collection of houses from Hallmark (I think I have 29 of them now). I say every year that I want a small tree with all my houses and then our big tree to be a themed color, but again that didn't happen this year!! Maybe next year??

11. Snow. Love it or dread it?
I would love enough of it so it looks pretty outside, mostly if I don't have to go out in it.

12. Real tree or Fake tree?
I love the smell of real, but I find needles year round in our carpet...a wee bit annoying, and painful.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Most recently, probably my camera. Though I guess that was a pre-Christmas Christmas gift :)

14. What's the most important thing about Christmas for you?
Knowing what the TRUE meaning of Christmas is. That is, the birth of our Savior.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
I will eat sugar cookies (MY sugar cookies) and those corn flake/marshmallow wreath
things several at a time.

16. What is your favorite tradition?
The Christmas Eve church services. When I was young, our school sang every Christmas Eve. Now my kids sing with their school on Christmas Eve, too.

17. What tops your tree?
Depends on what tree we are talking about here...I have a star somewhere, and a big ribbon on another.

18. What do you prefer: giving or receiving?
I like giving. But receiving sure can be fun, too ;)

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Christmas music should only be on starting Dec. 1. None of this day after Halloween business. But my favorites would be Carol of the Bells and O Holy Night. I love playing both on the piano!!

20. Candy canes: Yuck or Yum?
I could go without. They are such a mess for kids!

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
I love Polar Express

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Cookies, milk, and sometimes reindeer food.

23. Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?
The kids open their gifts from Santa, then we usually go to my Dad & Stepmom's for brunch and gifts. Then off to Mike's family in the late afternoon.

24. Do you prefer to shop online or in a mall?
Online is the way to go! Unless the shipping is an arm and a leg, then it nearly kills me to buy something online. I really don't like to go to the mall.

25. Christmas card or Christmas letter?
I love a Christmas card with picture(s). Seriously--Mike's friend from college sends a TWO page letter on 8 1/2x11 paper with font size 7 or 8. Way too much information if you ask me. And the fact I need a magnifying glass?? Forget it. Keep it short and simple, I really do like to hear what people have been up to.

Answer one of these questions in the comments section...or all of them on your own blog.

Merry Christmas!!

by the numbers

• amount of money Shutterfly wanted me to shell out for my cute Christmas card--$160
• amount of money I spent making a knock-off of the very same card--$17 for 100 envelopes, $2.50 each for a pack of 8 1/2x11 kraft & white cardstock pack, $20 for prints from Walgreens, and the remaining cardstock I used my stash.
• 1000=number of miles on Mike's brand new car already (he insists I've put on the most miles listening to XM radio in the driveway late at night)
• 5=the number of people I have left to buy some Christmas presents for
• 4 equals the number of people in this household that have been sick this week (flu-sick. Yuck) Kaycey and I have been spared for the most part.
• 15+=the number of baths poor Sadie had in three days
• 12+=the loads of laundry since Monday I've been attempting to do
• 7=the number of gals I know expecting a baby (or two!) between February and May (and two of them are expecting twin boys!!!!)
• 2=the number of bedsheets I rolled in a ball and threw in the garbage, not being able to handle the grossness
• 2 pairs of pants in the garbage (see end of last bullet point)
• 2 out of 3 kids back at school today
• 2=the number of shutterfly books ordered this week (I spent way too much time with their new customize feature! Just like a scrapbook!)
• countless hours of sleep lost this week
• Here's hoping for a healthy and better week ahead!!