Getting to know you: Christmas version

I saw this quiz on my friend Tammi's blog, so I thought I'd play along.  Merry Christmas!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper.  It's just not as much fun to "tear into" a gift bag.  However, I do also have a fondness for a certain gift box that has passed back and forth between me and the members of my family for quite a few years (no one throws it away, it's kept and used again the next year - it's probably been around for more than 10 years!).
 
2. Real tree or artificial?   Artificial.  I wish we had a pre-lit tree, though - I can't stand putting up the lights.
 
3. When do you put up the tree?   Before Emmett was born I didn't have a set date for putting up the tree (usually end of November or early December), but now that Emmett's birthday is December 2nd, I don't put up the tree until after his birthday is done.
 
4. When do you take the tree down?  No set date, but usually sometime after New Year's.
 

5. Do you like eggnog?  YES!!  Love it!!!  I drink the light version, though, and sometimes I add in a little skim milk, so I don't feel too guilty.
 
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't know if this was my favorite gift, but it was definitely one of the most memorable - the year we got a VHS VCR.  I remember shopping with my dad at Canadian Tire before Christmas, and he put some blank VHS tapes into our cart and I said to him, "Dad, we have a Beta" and he said "well, maybe they'll fit".  Turns out they did fit - in the new VCR!
 

7. Do you have a nativity scene?  Yes, we have three.  Two are mine (no touching!) and one is a Little People nativity set for the kids to play with.

8. Hardest person to buy for?  My parents.
 
9. Easiest person to buy for?   Annika.  
 
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  I can't really think of anything off-hand, but probably something from a "bring a gift, get a gift" exchange.  I usually would end up disappointed with what I got, so now we only participate in one of those kind of exchanges.
 
11. Mail or email Christmas cards?   I usually hand out most of our cards in person - I think I've mailed cards once or twice.
 

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?  White Christmas.
 
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?   Early December.  Every year I think I should start earlier, but it never happens.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?   Yes.  I don't have a problem with re-gifting - you just have to make sure the original gift giver doesn't find out!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  Hmmm, that's a tough one - so many yummy things to choose from!  I love "puppy chow" (Crispix cereal coated with chocolate, peanut butter and icing sugar) - it's always a Christmas treat for us.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?  Clear.  We also have clear lights on our house.
 

17. Favorite Christmas song?  My favorite non-religious Christmas song is "Sleigh Ride" (it always reminds me of my high school band), and my favorite religious song is "Away in a Manger."
 

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?  Does going to family gatherings around Southern Manitoba count as traveling?
 

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?  Dasher, Dancer, Donner, Blitzen, Prancer, Comet, Cupid...  Rudolph...  how many are there???
 

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.  However, when I was growing up my brother and I always opened our presents from each other on Christmas eve.  I may re-start that tradition with our kids when they get a bit older.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?  All the expectations - it seems impossible to be everywhere/do everything that we "should" be doing.  My cousin wrote a great post about this on her blog - definitely worth a read!
 

23. What I love most about Christmas?  Now that I have kids I think what I love most is seeing it all through their eyes - all the wonder and amazement and joy of the season.