Christmas Traditions

I've seen this around a few places...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Anything I can recycle. I'm trying to knit or sew a few drawstring bags for little gifts.
   
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. The real kind seems to bother our allergies.
   
3. When do you put up the tree? Right after Thanksgiving, although this year we were a bit late.
   
4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day or the next day.
5. Do you like eggnog? NO! And though it's not my favorite drink, we make Boiled Custard. It was Dede's recipe (my father's mother) and we made it every year. My brother loved it, but me...ehh. It's not the Custard's fault. I don't even like to drink milk.
   
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My sewing machine (I was 12).
7. Hardest person to buy for? My BIL. He buys himself everything he wants as soon as it's out. The iPhone, DVD's, a new Cannon.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? One for each year we've been married...plus a few extra. I thought it would be fun to collect these like I'd heard on a Focus on the Family radio broadcast. We have a nativity pocket advent calendar, a large white ceramic set that was a gift when we got married, a veggie tales set, the playmobil set (7&5's room), the little people set, a wooden set (that's in 3's room), a carved wood set that was a paint your own kit, but I like it unpainted, a crafted nativity that I made before we were married, a set made from clothespins that my dad made before I was born, a super cute mini nativity from my neighbor last year, and a precious moments set (not the fancy kind...this one is plastic figures for the kids to play with), and this year I printed off a set free from the internet somewhere (wish I remembered where). It's "The Nativity Story" a shadow puppet play set. I'll cut out the pieces and then we'lll back light it. The kids are really into shadow puppets this year. This will be a fun one. I love that they play with most of these sets.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? E-Mailed last year. Not sure about this year yet.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? That's a hard one...
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Probably a Charlie Brown movie.
    
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? August
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably not.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas Cookies! My Gram used to start making cookies right after Thanksgiving. And my mom's cousin G always sends a box from OR and I LOVE his lemon cookies.
16. Lights on the tree? Colored lights.
    
17. Favorite Christmas song? Right now...Away In The Manger...because how cute is that when a 3yo. sings it.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? My whole growing up years, we traveled to Napa for Christmas. The last few Christmas' we've spent at my SIL's...that's just an hour from here...I don't really call that travel...but we're not really home either.
    
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes, I can.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Immediate family gifts on Christmas Eve...gifts with the In-Laws Christmas Day...gifts with my family...different every year.
    
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? This year *glitter*. I sweep the floor at my Craft Store job. I come home covered in glitter.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? Blown glass. We have some fancy ones we bought. And last year, M & I actually took a glassblowing class and came home with ornaments we made.
    
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I
24. Angel or star on top tree: A Star
25. Favorite meal: My Gram always made Swedish Pancakes for breakfast on Christmas Day! She'd get up so early to get started, and then keep a bunch warming in the oven. She was usually turning pancakes for 15!