Christmas in July 2013 - Day Ten - Quick and Easy Christmas Questions

Question mark courtesy of http://www.afterfiftyliving.com/lifestyle/recreation/The_World_s_toughest_holiday_quiz__or_is_it__/

Lucie's come up with another great list - I know I've done one of these before but they are always so much fun...here we go...

• Shopped early for presents or are still procrastinating?
I have a deadline for my family usually around Thanksgiving so that I can match the requests to the budget and see what bargains, if any, I can still find.

• Buy presents because you enjoy giving or because you feel obligated?
Absolute enjoyment only - I don't feel any obligation.  Over the years, gift giving has been reduced to pretty much my immediate family (Vic and Sophia) and my two nephews.  The adults (my sister and brother-in-law and Vic and I don't exchange gifts unless we are together and then we have one of our Target shopping expeditions - see below).

• Enjoy all the holiday cheer or “Enough already. Give me my present.”?
I love all the holiday cheer - the build-up to Christmas morning is my favorite part.

• Open presents on Christmas Eve or wait until Christmas morning?
Christmas morning - tried the Christmas Eve thing once and hated it.

• Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Mostly wrapping paper but there are usually a few gift bags and reusable gift boxes in the mix.

• Real tree or Artificial?
Artificial - love the smell of a real one, but hate the mess.

• When do you put up the tree?
Thanksgiving Day afternoon.

• When do you take the tree down?
Boxing Day or shortly thereafter.

• Do you like egg nog?
Love it!

• Favorite gift received as a child?
A set of red American Tourister luggage - I felt so grown-up!

• Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, I bought one about twenty years ago from Current.  It was very inexpensive but I am amazed at the beautiful craftsmanship.  The faces are really lovely - some of those inexpensive sets have faces that look like Mary and Joseph have really been on a bender the night before!

• Hardest person to buy for?
Vic.  I usually end up taking him to Home Depot and asking, "What tool do you want for Christmas?".  Occasionally, he'll make a random comment about something he's seen and liked, and I file that away for future reference right away!

• Easiest person to buy for?
Sophia.  That girl has an Amazon.com Wish List going from December 26 on - all I have to do is pick items that fit the budget and press Place Order.

• Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail and I'm sorry to say that less and less people participate any more.  So sad, I love to get cards, photos and family newsletters in the  mail.

• Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
A rotary telephone (ugh, I'm really dating myself here) from what was shortly thereafter an ex-boyfriend.

• Favorite Christmas Movie?
White Christmas.

• Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
I don't think so.

• Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Fruitcake, a genuine English fruitcake.

• Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Clear.

• Favorite Christmas song?
Once in Royal David's City.

• Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Stay home although traveling is beginning to appeal to me now that it will just  be the two of us.  Of course, it would have to be Paris, or a Christmas Market in Germany, or a week of West End shows in London!

• Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?
Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Prancer, Vixen and Rudolph!  Is that all of them?

• Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Can't really think of one - inconsiderate shoppers maybe?

• Favorite ornament theme or color?
No favorite theme or color for ornaments - they are all multi-colored.

• Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Our Christmas Eve buffet that usually lasts for a few days - Baked Ham with Pineapple,  Caesar Salad, Chilled Shrimp, Smoked Salmon, Pâté, French Bread, Green Olives, Cheese Board.

• What do you want for Christmas this year?
Haven't decided yet - I'd like a Kindle but I want to get Vic a Samsung Galaxy Tablet so that will pretty much eat up the major gifts budget.  The DVD set of Monarch of the Glen would be nice - it's one of my favorites that I haven't added to my collection yet.

I thought there was a Family Traditions question - that's where I was going to cover the Target shopping expedition.  It must have been on another list but I'll cover it here anyway.  When our extended family gets together (the three of us and my sister and her three), we go to Target a couple of days before Christmas.  Each person takes off around the store and makes up a list of things they would like (any one item not to exceed $25 and ideally, a selection of items so that two or three of them total $25).  We meet up again and swap lists.  Each person takes the new list and buys $25 worth of items, takes them home and wraps them up.  So, under the tree are things each person wants, but they don't know which of the things on their Target list were actually purchased.