Get to Know Me- Holiday Style

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? 

Neither, but if I had to choose I'd say hot chocolate. But even a few sips of it gives me a tummy ache and a headache from all the sweetness, and I hate the after-taste it leaves in my mouth. I sometimes wonder if people truly like hot chocolate or if they just like the romantic idea of sipping a cup of cocoa. I'd prefer hot chocolate mainly as a vehicle to get whipped cream or mini marshmallows into my mouth.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Unwrapped- but not under the tree. Designated areas such as couches, fireplace mantles, chairs, and ottomans are used.

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

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. I love mistletoe though. So adorable.

5. When do you put your decorations up? I like it right around Thanksgiving- before or after- but preferably within the week of Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? My mom's grapefruit slush she used to make on Christmas day. (It's a great concoction of fresh fruit frozen together and then mixed with Fresca when its time to serve it.)

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Christmas Eve movies. I still remember so well seeing "Mrs. Doubtfire," "You've Got Mail," and "Ocean's Eleven" for the first time on Christmas Eve.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Doubt began to creep into my mind in second grade when Nick Eyre shouted out he wasn't real during my show and tell when I brought a business card of Santa Clause's to show my class.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Pajamas. Always. My children will do the same. 

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Fancy. As much as I love the idea of sentimentality, in reality I prefer my Christmas tree to look perfect. 

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love snow. Snow is a must for Christmas. But I love that this year I'll have snow for Christmas, and 70 degree weather in January upon my return from Utah.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but not well. And it's not that fun.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Santa always got us our individual gifts, and my parents always gave us family gifts. We got motorcycles one year, a boat another, those gifts were always soooo exciting.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Besides my family.... music for sure. Christmas music makes Christmas. 

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Fudge, because I only eat it at Christmas time.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve in general. I actually enjoy Christmas Eve much more than Christmas day. I love being with my family, full of excitement and enjoyment.

17. What tops your tree? Sparkly branches and sprigs of more sparkly things.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Nothing beats the anticipation of giving a gift you'll know someone will love. I will expound on this at a later date. But I also know one gift I'm getting this year that I'm ecstatic about. Again, I will expound on this later.

19. Candy canes: yuck or yum? Yuck. They're sure cute though. I like other candies with candy canes in them though. Like... peppermint bark. Mmm!

20. Favorite Christmas show? If you read my blog 20% of the time you probably know this answer. "The Family Stone" is my favorite movie and favorite Christmas movie. Oh, I love it.

21. Saddest Christmas song? "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"- which is also my favorite Christmas song. But I don't like upbeat versions. I prefer it to be heart wrenching like Judy Garland's rendition.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? See previous question. I also LOVE "The Nativity Song" from the LDS Children's Songbook because I heard my great-grandma, my grandma, and my sweet aunt Jenae sing it year after year while we acted out the nativity.

23. Do you use an Advent calendar? No. But my children will.

24. Do you go to church on Christmas? If it's Sunday I do. 

25. What were your Christmas morning rules as a kid? We had to stay together in our rooms until our parents came and got us (usually around 6 or 7.) We could not peek outside into the family room, and we had to line up youngest to oldest before we descended the stairs. After a proper amount of time rejoicing over our Santa gifts, we opened the presents under the tree from youngest to oldest. I can't wait to build all these traditions with my own family.