Christmas Q&A

1. What do you usually do in the way of decorating for Christmas?
Every room usually gets a little Christmas decoration. Be it Christmas towels in the bathroom, or a Christmas knick-knack or candle in the office....it gets at least a little something.

2. What are you like at shopping for Christmas presents? Are they purchased through the year or at the last minute?
If I see something that just fits someone in June -- I am the kind of person that usually just gets it and gives it to them instead of hoarding it for Christmas so I usually do my shopping a month or 2 before Christmas. This year though I am making all my Christmas presents.

3. How do you decide how you will spend Christmas day?
It is up to Master how we spend Christmas. We are spending it alone. And I am looking forward to a romantic, cozy, quiet Christmas with just us two after how busy it has been lately. We just discussed what we will be doing with presents. Last year when at my family's house, we opened presents on Christmas Eve and Master expressed then liking it. So we think we will open some presents on Christmas Eve as well as Christmas morning. And then also have our stockings for Christmas morning.

4. Describe your Christmas tree and when do you usually put it up?
Growing up it always went up the weekend after Thanksgiving. But now with Master - his birthday is in early December and he doesn't like Christmas and his birthday to mix so we wait until after his birthday to decorate our tree. We have an artificial tree because of the cats and also my allergies. It has all red lights on it and then we have taffeta plaid ribbon that we use as garland I tie big bows in between each strand of ribbon. Then we have kind of a modge-podge of ornaments.....some that his Grandmother made, some that I have had for years and years. And now we have started getting our own. I have a set of ornaments that don't go on the tree. They are a hallmark series that I have had since the first one in 1984. And they are still going with them. They are lined up in the dining room on the cabinet counter that lines the dining room. I am missing 2 out of the series and I have thought about trying to find them but I am scared what the price will be like as they were early on in the series. I am thankful for my Mom keeping me up with them because there have been times where I didn't care about Christmas and said I didn't need the next one but now...I really appreciate them and enjoy them.

5. What do you remember about preparing for Christmas as a child?
As I have said in another post....my Mom made Christmas a big deal. We did all sorts of help in the decorating and baking. It was I think the only time my Mom let us into her kitchen!

We would have soup and appetizers usually on Christmas Eve and then go to church. We came home, someone in the family would read the story of the birth of Jesus and then we would sing some carols. We would finally start handing out presents. One person one package all the way around - youngest to oldest would open a present. As a very young child we would spend Christmas Eve at my Grandparents that lived out in the country where it snowed lots....we went to a country church for Christmas Even service. My Grandpa would come home early and make boot tracks in the yard up to the door and through the house....and also have reindeer prints and half eaten carrots left in the year.

6. Are there any pre Christmas related traditions in your household?
decorating the tree, driving around looking at lights, watching Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, baking - we just got done wrapping 82 chocolate caramels up...I am sure there are more but I can't think of them at the moment.

7. What is your gift giving list generally like? Do you buy for a small or large amount of people?
Ours kind of varies from year to year. This year we are buying for a smaller amount of people. And I making lots of gifts not only to save money but because I do think it will have a lot meaning for those that I am giving the items to.