I'm avoiding the chores that await me....so here is a post I've seen on many others. If you're reading it, you're tagged! (Mark makes a lot of fun of the whole "tag" thing....what a poor blog sport!)
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate, especially if it's really creamy....no marshmallows, though.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa fills each stocking and leaves the gifts next to them, but not under the tree...they are all unwrapped and ready to use!
3. Colored lights on tree & house or white? My sisters and college roommates are laughing at this one.....WHITE lights, NO EXCEPTIONS!! And, the anal side of me prefers them to be perfectly straight, all the same size, and the brighter white...not dingy yellow. (okay, so maybe I'm all anal--not just one side of me!)
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but I would if I had some!
5. When do you put your decorations up? I like to give Thanksgiving its proper respect, so I usually wait until December 1st, wherever that falls. (This year, my nephew was born that day, so decorating was put on hold for much more important things!)
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? For dinner, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, and my grandmother's mac n cheese (a starch lover to the core). For breakfast, it would have to be breakfast casserole and sausage balls....mmm, love it!
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Taking our annual trip to cut down our Christmas tree and then listening to Christmas carols while we decorated it. Also, the fun we sisters had sleeping in the same bed and waking up at 4 am to see what Santa brought!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Very early, unfortunately. I was always a "thinker" when I was little and it hit me one year while we were looking at Christmas lights. There was a Santa at the end of the "tour" handing out candy canes and I looked at him and just knew. All of a sudden, I asked my mom if Santa was real and proceeded to explain to her how unrealistic it was that a very fat man could fly around the world with enough toys for everyone in this sleigh of his pulled by reindeer and then fit down my chimney, all the while being an all-knowing and all-seeing old man. My final clencher...Santa always asked my name when we saw him at the mall...wouldn't he already know that? Wow, what a depressing child I was! No magical beliefs for me!!
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We always did growing up. Now, we let the girls pick out their most favorite gift (judging by shape, size, and shake-ability) to open that night, and save the rest for the next morning after our Christmas breakfast.
10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? Usually the slice n bake sugar kind with canned frosting on top, because the Santa that comes to our house happens to REALLY like those kind....and Rudolph always gets a carrot.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! Love it! Love it!
12. Can you ice skate? Not really. I haven't tried in years, so it might be a scary sight!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Ever? Man, that's a tough one. No, there's too many! Last year's favorite was my gift from Mark. He went and picked out two whole outfits from Ann Taylor Loft (my favorite store) and they were beautiful. It always means more when he picks them out himself!
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending quality time with family and making sure my children understand the "reason for the season".
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I'm not a huge dessert person, but I LOVE pumpkin pie or anything spice...cake, bread, etc. I also love Christmas candy, peanut butter kiss cookies, and peppermint bark. Okay, so maybe I am a dessert person!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Another hard one. As a mom, many of my favorites center around activities with the girls. Baking with Kendyll (Carlie will join us next year), decorating the house, and taking Christmas lights tours. Mark makes Christmas breakfast each year (omelettes!), which I love and we adopt a family, which always reminds us of how absolutely blessed we are. Two new traditions starting this year that might become my favorites are a family devotional on Christmas morning focused on the birth of Jesus, and taking time to decorate our guest room (& Kendyll's room!) with handmade Christmas decorations (glittery snowflakes, paper chains, and wreaths), welcoming and praying God's blessings on the many friends and family who come through and stay in our home.
17. What tops your tree? A Boyd's Bear angel, given to me by Mark's mom our first married Christmas. Along with a "fru-fru" berry/floral/twig/ribbon arrangement. Growing up, it was this UGLY cone shaped Santa. It was the "beginning of Christmas" when we placed it on top.
18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Definitely giving, especially to my children or to other children who need so much.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? "Oh Holy Night", hands down.
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Very yum. I especially like the Cinnamon ones!
Merry Christmas everyone!! I'm off to wrap some presents!
13 comments:
You and those lights. At least you were kind about my colored lights and didn't call them a HORRIBLE name like somebody else did!
I like white lights too. I really like the ones on the tree that twinkle (individually--not an entire flashing strand). This was a much debated issue at my house growing up. Every other year we had white lights (for my mom) and the other years we had colored (for my dad).
And I'm impressed that Mark buys you clothes. If Lane ever tries that, he'd better keep the receipt:)
chels,
i usually choose not to dignify your blog by posting a comment but i have to say that i agree with basically all of your either/or opinions. cassie would be proud.
Chelsea, this was fun to read! Your Christmas traditions sound so fun! You and I are the same about the white lights! I think my disdain for colored ones date back to the time I saw some on a rotating/revolving Christmas tree in a friend's trailer home when I was a child. They just don't seem very elegant.
Okay, just to clarify, Holly....he did save the receipts on the clothes and I did end up having to revisit the Loft---twice. He was a little worried about picking a size when I had given birth 4 months before...so he was a little off. But, it was the thought that counted. :)
And, I'm glad to hear so many like white lights too. I'm with you, Amber...my only reference to colored lights are traumatizingly ugly trees from my childhood! And, somehow I've never swayed. Why is it that those who use colored lights seem to prefer them mismatched and crooked??
Austin, I'm so proud that we are the same person. (I think that all the time on your blog....except for the sports opinions because I don't even know what you're talking about!) Love ya, BIL!
I've seen just as many mismatched (sizes and styles) and crooked white lights as I've seen colored lights. I think the real issue is neatness. Whatever the color they MUST be straight and we must NOT have too many "themes" going on (i.e. blue on the bushes, white on the house, red and green around tree trunks). It seems that too many people out there put lights on EVERYTHING. Simple, in my opinion is better!
Oh, and get rid of the plastic figurines! (Sorry, just really opinionated regarding this subject...always have been, though, haven't I?)
Sara, was that someone else me?? I hate colored lights but I can't imagine what I would have called them... wait, maybe if I think long enough I'll remember. . .
Not you, Ang. Don't fret. This person will have to remain nameless, so all I'll say is....think paint.
That's so funny, Ang...I totally thought she was talking about you too! Sara, I can't think of who it is!! Now it's driving me crazy! (I couldn't remember what it was she said even when I thought it was Angie, but she was definitely the most likely to say something "memorable" from our house in college!)
Chels, I love reading about your traditions and am always impressed by your hospitality during the Holidays! I think it is really neat that your decorate your guest room- what a great idea!!!! I also love that you give Thanksgiving the proper respect...I love fall decorations too :)
Chels,
She's also done some pretty "memorable" things too! Love ya Ang!
Sara
Yes, and now I'm about to be a mother... Scary, huh? I'm way more mature, I promise. :) I'm sure I'll be hit with a daughter that will make some memorable choices as well, my payback I guess.
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