1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Neither - a hot apple pie. Apple Cider heated with cinnamon, a shot of Tuaca and a dash of whipped cream. YUM!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
He wraps them, they go under the tree late Christmas Eve and nobody better touch those babies until Christmas Day. Shaking behind mom's back is okay, however.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colored lights on big tree in living room and white lights on small tree in family room.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
The weekend after Thanksgiving and Bah Humbug! to anyone who says, "WAAAAAYYYY too early." Don't look at them, I say! ;-P

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
EXCLUDING dessert???? EXCLUDING??? Harrumph! Now I don't have a favorite, so there.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Getting a bottle of Heaven Scent. I thought I was so grown up.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
My younger brother spoiled everything for me by telling me. YES, my younger brother. If ignorance is bliss, I'm ecstatic.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes. Just one.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Living Room - color lights, all kinds of ornaments. Sometimes we put cascading ribbons on, sometimes not. Family room - white lights, gold ornaments, small gold ribbons.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
Looks beautiful from inside my house.

12. Can you ice skate?
Ha! I haven't gone in a hundred years. At least.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Many favorite gifts for different reasons.

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
First, remembering the religious meaning behind the holiday. Second, family and friends and the feeling of hope and love that the holidays evoke.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Pumpkin bread and cookies that are only made for Christmas.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Buying each of my sons one or two ornaments every year that they hang on our tree, and that they'll get when they strike out on their own. It will be a tree of memories, as they'll remember where they've been and what they did as kids (vacation ornaments, guitars, Santa bowling, Santa fishing, football and baseball ornaments, etc.).

17. What tops your tree?
An angel.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Giving - any day.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Oh Holy Night, Believe by Josh Groban from Polar Express and My Grown Up Christmas List by Natalie Cole.

20. Candy canes???
No.

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Polar Express, Elf, Holiday Inn, and Love Actually, which technically isn't a Christmas movie but I watch every year during the Christmas season. Oh, and a cheesy made for tv movie called 'Borrowed Hearts' with Eric McCormack and Roma Downey. It's on this Friday morning if anyone cares...lol.

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Cookies and milk with carrots for the reindeer.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Egg nog

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
He wraps them in special paper.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yes, a whole kissing ball.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually my birthday-December 11th.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Dressing

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Baking sugar cookies with my mom

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I have two older brothers-that's how!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Sometimes

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
We have tons of ornaments. My mom started collecting ornaments for each of her kids when we were born, so when we each got married, we received big boxes of ornaments for our trees. I have three teenagers and have done the same for them. Plus, I love to travel and every time I take a trip I bring back an ornament as a souvenir. I have also made lots of ornaments. Our tree is truly a story of our family's life.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
I like it for a little while. It has snowed once in the 14 years we have lived in Austin.

12. Can you ice skate?
I have done it a few times, would not attempt it now!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Purple Stingray bike with a banana seat

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Celebrating the birth of Christ with my family, being together.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Pumpkin cheesecake, eggnog pie, fudge, pralines

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Going to church on Christmas Eve, then coming home and eating tamales and chili

17. What tops your tree?
Star

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

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Oh Holy Night

20. Candy canes???
I hang them on the tree and I make peppermint bark with them

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
The Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Decorated Sugar Cookies and Milk or Eggnog

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot mocha with rum

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wrapping paper, that sometimes matches ours and sometimes looks like brown paper bags.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White and golden yellow

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Our stuffed stone sheep ram likes a snack, so he's chewing on a sprig.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
After son's birthday, mid month.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Wild boar with port sauce

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
None--it's the adult memories that resonate.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Once I had kids, I learned the truth about Santa.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
What gifts? Santa has to bring them all.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Fresh flowers, ornaments shaped like food, and lots of crocheted snowflakes.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
In California? It looks nice in pictures.

12. Can you ice skate?
Nope, but I like to watch other people.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Too many to count.

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Family, decorating, doing things together.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Home made ice cream and sticky toffee pudding.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Making Christmas Eve dinner--fondue.

17. What tops your tree?
BUg silvery snowflake

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

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Mele Kaliki Maka--it always makes me laugh.

20. Candy canes???
Not to eat, maybe as decor. Or not.

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Remember the Night, with Barbara Stanwyck and Fred McMurray

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Cookies, vodka and hay

This is Fun!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate, with a generous splash of Peppermint Schnapps, a dallop of whipped cream, and a peppermint patty garnish.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Dh and I wrap them.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White lights on outside and traditional tree. Chili pepper lights on Christmas Cactus and pink flamingo lights on pink tinsel tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Weekend after Thanksgiving. Any time BEFORE T-day and I run screaming away.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Raw oysters. It's a Maryland thing.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Getting the honor of lighting the tree. It's still my job!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember ever believing in santa. I guess I'll have to ask Mom about that.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
No.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
The main tree in the LR has white lights. Since I was a child, my family has been going to the same Christmas shop to pick out our "Special Ornament" for the year. So I have 36 (Mom picked out my 1st one when I was -1 month old) ornaments from my life. We also hang all the ones people have given us throughout the years. It makes for a very eclectic tree- my Raggedy Ann hangs next to DH's Starship Enterprise for example. The only theme on that tree is that every ornament is special for some reason.

I have a giant pencil cactus (actually it's a succulent) in my game room that I decorate with chili pepper lights and southwestern ornaments.

My dining room is getting really silly. I have a tabletop fushia tinsel tree that I decorate with pink flamingo lights and pink birds. It's ridiculous and I love it.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
    I only love it when skiing. I used to love it in MD. I hate it in NC because nobody around here knows how to drive in it so I get really worried that people will be seriously hurt or killed.

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes. But I'm better at roller skating.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
My favorite gift was a trip to Hawaii with DH.

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
I'm an atheist, but celebrate Winter Solstice. The most important things to me are 1) spending time with family and friends and 2) remembering that the days are now getting longer so I can stop being depressed.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
See #1!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
The special ornaments. We still travel to MD and go to the same store with my family and pick out the special ornaments.

17. What tops your tree?
Copper star for the SW and traditional trees, a pink peacock for the pink tinsel tree.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
I love giving the perfect gifts to my loved ones.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen. I don't mind any Holiday songs as long as I don't hear them until AFTER THANKSGIVING!

20. Candy canes???
A couple, only the original flavor

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Mine is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. DH's is Die Hard. He watches it every year while wrapping presents.

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Nothing...

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Egg nog. Unless it's snowing and then it's hot chocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wraps them. He always coordinates the wrapping paper according to the person who is receiving the gift. He's very creative.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White only.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yes. I have this old fake ball of mistletoe that I've hung for the past 25 years. My DH and I bought it the first year we were married.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
After my daughters birthday which is Dec 5.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Cornbread and oyster dressing.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Believing in Santa. He would jingle his bells outside my window and I would be too excited to sleep and too afraid not to.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
The fifth grade. My friends howled with laughter when they realized I believed.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We open one. It's always new pajamas for the kids (who are 23,20 and 17 but still want those new PJ's!)

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
We've given our children a new ornament every year and when they marry then they take them to their new home. So for now they are on my tree.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
Love it, love it, love it.

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes! I'm pretty darn good at it for an old person!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
A Chatty Cathy doll. I still have her. She no longer chats.

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Celebrating my Savior's birth. His birth changed history. And it changed my life.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Fudge. I eat one piece and gain five pounds.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
We drive around neighborhoods looking at all the decorations. We started doing this when the kids were small. we'd bundle them up and take them and come home and drink hot chocolate.

17. What tops your tree?
An angel.

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

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Oh Holy Night.

20. Candy canes???
Always

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Christmas Vacation (chevy chase)

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Cookies if we have any left. If not, a few carrots.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate with marshmallows.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa sat them under the tree when I was growing up but he wrapped them for my kids. They were close in age and Santa was afraid they'd get mixed up as to which presents were theirs.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
We always had colored until new tree this year with white lights. See my post re vent about prelit Christmas trees.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Thanksgiving weekend.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Probably the Christmas cookies I make.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Putting the presents under the tree from my aunt who lived far from us. Her wrapping was a work of art. The gifts weren't wrapped so much as decorated. We'd open the box of gifts from her (she was in Fla. and we were in Ohio) and ooh and ahh over every gift.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I asked my mom after the Christmas when I was in third grade. Boy was I disappointed.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
No, that would be cheating. (ha ha)

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
With clear iridescent, beads, white lights and many mismatched ornaments.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
I like it especially before Christmas.

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes. I enjoy ice skating with my daughters.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Um, not really. I've had many gifts I've liked.

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Spending time with my family and all the traditions that are unique to us.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Christmas cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Hmm. Not sure about this as we have many I like.

17. What tops your tree?
An angel.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
I really like both!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Carol of the Bells.

20. Candy canes???
Nope.

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Cookies and milk of course!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Egg nog, because it's the only time I have it.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa just sets them under the tree. Each of the 2 kids had a "side" and their filled stocking was set down in front of their Santa gifts.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White on Christmas tree, white on fresh greens garland on porch, white on 5 living Christmas trees in the front yard.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yes, a sprig on the arch between kitchen & DR.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Begin December 1st.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
My French Canadien mother's meat pies (toutiere)that are served on Christmas Eve.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Picking our my dad's voice among those singing in the men's choir at Midnight Mass. They sang in a choir loft accompanied by a big pipe organ. It was soul stirring to hear.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We celebrate Christmas at my parents' on Christmas Eve, so the presents from "my side" are opened then. DH, our kids and I do an exchange at home Christmas morning. Then we head to DH's folks and open "his side's" there. It's fun, but we're beat at the end of Christmas Day!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? DH loads a fresh cut, very full tree with white lights. Then we wrap garlands of white wooden beads around it (we bought those 30 yrs. ago when first married - a huge splurge for us at the time!) Then we have assorted ornaments that have been collected and given as gifts for the past 3 decades.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
Since we're in NH, we expect to have it every Christmas. These days I want it just for the week of Christmas, and then it could disappear. I just hate driving in it.

12. Can you ice skate?
We have a big back yard rink that DH has put up every year since my daughter played ice hockey in high school. I make a few cameo appearances on it throughout the season.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
A kitten named "Beckett" that DH surprised me with the first year we were married.

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Family, family, family! I would love to do away with all the gift obligations.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
My mom's eggnog pie.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
"Reveillon" - the Christmas Eve celebration at my parents'.

17. What tops your tree?
Three huge gold bows that DH made out of wired ribbon - so that if you're looking at it from the LR, or coming in the front door, or through the front window, the top of the tree is "dressed."

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Honestly, neither. I find it really stressful trying to find the perfect gift for people each year, and I always feel people have done too much when I get their gifts.

I do have a history of making Christmas Cookie Platters that I've given to close family and special friends for years. I love giving those, and people seem to look very forward to them. They begin reminding me about them around Halloween!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Religious - O Holy Night
Secular - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

20. Candy canes???
If I'm hungry enough..But I really prefer Peppermint Bark!

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
"It's A Wonderful Life"

22. What do you leave for Santa?
When kids were home - Cookies, milk and carrots for the reindeer.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Homemade Egg nog with whisky and brandy, please.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
wrapped in "Santa" paper. Stocking gifts are unwrapped

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White on Christmas tree, white on garland around door, colored on bushes outside (for the kids)

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
nope

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually first weekend in Dec.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Vermicelli with lobster sauce served on Christmas Eve.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
The outside big bulb lights glowing under freshly fallen snow.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We are at my bother's on Christmas Eve, so the presents from "my side" are opened then. We usually open our immediate family (dh and kids) close to Solstice. Santa presents on C-mas morning. Then DH's family celebrates Christmas Day, either here or at his sister's house. Parents are gone on both sides of the family.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
white lights. Ornaments that have been collected over the years--from the kids, from our travels, etc...a very homey feeling tree.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
I like it, but as I've gotten older, I hate to drive in it..

12. Can you ice skate?
yup. even backwards! :-)

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
dh asking me to marry him

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
"Family, family, family!" I agree!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
One of my many cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Christmas Eve and the 7 fishes...not quite 7 anymore now that my grandmother and parents are gone...but definitely seafood on Christmas Eve

17. What tops your tree?
A new silver wire star.

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

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing and The Carol of the Bells

20. Candy canes???
on the tree

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Elf, It's A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Muppet Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th St. (1947) The Ref

22. What do you leave for Santa?
nothing!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
BOTH - sorry! Egg Nog w/ nutmeg or Hot Chocolate w/ a shot of Butterscotch Schnapps.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap! & he always seems to know what color's we've decorated in that yr.!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White in various sizes & finishes. I would like to do the house in colored lights just one yr. though. Not the tree though!

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
I keep meaning to! My Nana ALWAYS did!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually 2nd wk. of Dec. although I'm finally getting it together & we've already begun!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Hmmmm.... My mom's corn pudding. But her mashed potatoes are perfect. Her Ham is too. Did I mention her cherry pies?!

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Well.... It's not my favorite but my family discusses it & laughs about it every yr. at my expense. When I was little I would get so worked up, excited & anxious about Christmas Day that on Christmas Eve I'd start getting sick & w/o fail every Christmas morning until I was 8 or so, I'd throw up as soon as my feet would hit the flr. Everyone would wait for me every morning while someone took me to the bathroom as soon as I woke up.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
When I pulled the beard off of Santa & made all of the kids start crying. My mom always reminds me of how I yelled "YOU'RE NOT THE REAL SANTA CLAUS!" & yanked his beard off. We were asked to leave.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes, it was the only way my mom could get my nerve's to settle. DH asks me every yr. if I need to open a present on Christmas Eve & I always say 'No thanks, I'm a big girl now!'

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
In gold. Also with ornaments that look like old mirrors and old Russian icons.

Okay - that sounds really pretty!!!!

This yr. I have a red whimsical tree in the LR, I'm aiming for an elegant woodland tree in the office & I'd like to do a small cars, planes, trains & boats theme on a small white tree in the playroom.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
LOVE IT! But I'd better be inside enjoying that doctored up hot chocolate by a fire.

12. Can you ice skate?
Nope. That'd mean I'd have to go outside.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
There are so many great gifts, but last yr. my sister who lives out of state & doesn't have much money to spare, put together a small basket of her favorite things. It makes me feel like we're together during the yr. sharing & introducing each other to new things. You can't beat that!

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
The shear magic, wonderment & joy of it all. My heart just sings - it feels like anything is possible!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
My mom's cherry pie.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Watching It's A Wonderful Life w/ a bottle of red wine w/ DH.

17. What tops your tree?
Usually a finial but I just found a great angel that I hid in the back at Bombay.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Totally giving! In my family we look all yr. long wherever we go for each other & we never ask for lists. You never know when you'll find the most perfect thing at some little dive on a wknd. trip in August & it was probably under $10! DH's family seems to always ask for lists & go at the last minute. Then they never get me anything off of it! It's taken me a long time to get used to the whole list & generic wrapping/ bag thing but I finally have.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Holy Night by Bing but I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is a real close runner up!

20. Candy canes???
Sometimes at DS1's insistence. He always wants you to have what he has.

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Either The Santa Claus or Elf.

22. What do you leave for Santa?
In our family -- we ALWAYS leave out the Best Scotch and shortbread. Mum always says that Santa will need a "warm-up" by the time he gets to our house ...... even when I was very little -- Santa always got a crystal glass of The Best.

Milk & cookies but I think we may be starting a new tradition this yr.! Thanks Teacats!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot Chocolate with a can of whipped cream

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wraps some, big ones open and displayed.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Multi in family room white on big foyer tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Sometimes

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Right after thanksgiving, but the real tree around the 10th

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Turkey with Stuffing

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Midnight Mass and not being able to sleep

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Older sister

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
When my kids were small "1" usually it was christmas pj's

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
The family room is a total mixture, all colors and home ones that the kids made in school

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
Love it, love it, love it ! It is snowing now!

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
My ironing board "toy"

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Family of course

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Home chocolate toffee candy

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Opening gifts one at a time to enjoy each others (6 daughters) otherwise total chaos.

17. What tops your tree?
Angel

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

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
All I want for Christmas is you - Mariah Carey

20. Candy canes???
On the Family room tree

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Christmas Vacation - Miracle 0n 42nd Street

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Cookies and Hot Chocolate - Carrots and Celery for the Reindeer

oops 34th St not 42nd

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Egg nog "neat" with a sprinkling of nutmeg

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
He wraps them, usually in paper with his picture on it.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
It depends. Half the family prefers colored the other half (including me) likes clear. Putting lights on the tree is the most thankless job at Christmas

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Of course. Kisses never go amiss at the Holiday Time. Ditto!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Anytime fter December 2 - my daughter's birthday. The tree usually goes up about 2 weeks before Christmas - this year probably the 15th, when both of my younger kids will be home from college

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Stuffing and gravy

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Opening our gifts - our family has a "system" that makes it last all morning

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Don't remember

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
The kids get pajamas and a special ornament to put on the tree on Christmas Eve

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
With all the ornaments that we have collected through the years. Including an angel my youngest made in kindergarten made out of a plastic spoon, metallic ribbon and tinsel

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
Love it in small doses

12. Can you ice skate?
No, I fall flat on my a$$. DH grew up skating and playing hockey

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Suede coat

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Having the family together

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Cookies, especially 7 layer bars and Nanaimo bars

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Decorating the tree and having eggnog and cookies

17. What tops your tree?
A lighted star

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Mostly giving, but receiving is fun too.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Carol of the Bells

20. Candy canes???
No. But nice for decorating around a holiday arrangement! Ditto

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Don't have a favorite

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Cookies and eggnog

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate with whipped cream

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa wraps presents every year in paper with some kind of Santa Claus print on it - no other designs or characters on the paper, just Santa. Different paper each year. That is only for the Santa presents, tho. The rest are wrapped in other paper.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White only on the tree and normally outside, but this year (again) younger DS is requesting colored lights outside, so I have given in. Nice mom that I am :^)

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yes, a kissing ball in the entry hall.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually after December 15, never sooner, sometimes later. The only thing we sometimes do is put on the outside lights earlier, when we get a warm day, but they don't get turned on until after the 15th.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Christmas favorite is ham balls. Thanksgiving fav is stuffing.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Going to bed with no tree up, and waking up to find the fully decorated tree and presents and stockings - it was magic!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
   The truth is that Santa is real - the joy, fun, memories, excitement, sharing, love and magic that he represents are the spirit of the holiday!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We did as kids, as we went to my grandparents for Christmas Eve dinner and opened our gifts from them there. We don't do that, nor have we ever let the kids open anything the night before. That is not the holiday, imo.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
White lights, ornaments that we have collected over the years - no two the same. The kids and DH and I each get a new ornament every year. The boys will take theirs with them when they move out on their own in years to come, as a start for their own trees. Also ornaments the kids have made in school and ones that we have been given as gifts.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?
HATE IT! Two more winters after this one, and I hope I never have to deal with it again, or at least almost never. Warmer climes, here I come!

12. Can you ice skate?
Used to as a kid, even took lessons. Not now - my knees are bad and if I fell I would be there until spring when the ice melted and I could dogpaddle out.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
A portable typewriter when I was about 12. Yes, that was long before computers, thank you. LOL

14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Sharing some time with my DH and sons, when they have no school and we can just hang out. Sitting by the tree on Christmas Eve while I recite "A Visit from St. Nick", a tradition since the kids were babies and I used to hold up the pix for them to see in the book.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
I have a chocolate mousse cake that is my favorite.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I think reciting "A Visit from St. Nick" as mentioned above just before the kids go to bed. The boys, almost 17 and just turned 21, willingly participate, younger DS being the keeper of the book.

17. What tops your tree?
A sterling silver star made by Lenox that I have had for 33 years. The kids take turns each year putting on the topper. I recall when they were so little that DH had to lift them to put it up there - now they are 5'11" and 6'2" - no lift required to reach anymore!

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Giving something that brings joy.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
I have too many to mention, but my kids know Christmas is near when they hear me singing "On December 5 and 20, fum, fum, fum".

20. Candy canes???
Peppermint sticks in hot chocolate, otherwise no.

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Holiday Inn. Love The Bishop's Wife, too!

22. What do you leave for Santa?
A special santa plate from Waechtersbach that matches my holiday dishes along with a matching mug. Cookies of whatever variety is around and some milk. A few carrot sticks for the reindeer if we have any handy. Each of the kids writes a note to Santa and leaves it with the milk and cookies, and Santa always writes back.