A few Holiday questions ......???

[tangotori]

Re: A few Holiday questions ......???

When do you put up your tree? Take it down? About 2 weeks before Christmas and about 1 week after.

Real or Fake? Real - my ex-BiL has a Christmas tree farm! Unfortuantley this year we don't have a tree because we're in the middle of renovations... but we have lights!

Do you wrap stocking gifts? Some yes, some no... depends on the gift.

Do you wrap Santa gifts?Some yes, some no... again, depends on the gift.

Favorite Holiday tradition? My Norweigian Great-Grandma once told me a story about how, back in Norway, the kids would get Rice Porridge for dinner on Christmas Eve. This was because it was their tradition to stay up very late for midnight mass, then go home to open gifts... the porridge filled the kiddies tummies! So... loving the story, I took over this tradition and make my GGram's Rice Porridge for my family every Christmas Eve.

Best gift you've ever received? I've received some pretty terrific gifts over the years... I'd have to say ALL of them!

Best Gift you've ever given? Every year I get excited about a gift (or two) I'm giving...

Do you celebrate Christmas or something else? We celebrate Christmas.

How do you spend Christmas Eve??? Usually we spend Christmas Eve at home with family. This year, because of our kitchen renovations, we're having Christmas on Christmas Eve... we're going to a Steak restaurant then we'll go home and open gifts. Christmas day will be filled with demolition(!) and the kids (20,19 & 17) will go to their other parent's homes (mine to his dad's and his to their mom's).

Are you done your shopping? Not by a long shot!!

Whats your holiday meal look like? Steak and salad or some other legal vegie! I'm going to have to think about desert or some other yummy treat for eating while opening our gifts.

Honestly will you stick to this WOE plan? Absolutely!

Whats your biggest pet peeve about the Holiday season? Consumerism and Commercialization.

If your only gift this year was the ability to change one thing about yourself or someone else who and what would you decide to use it on??? My Mom passed away three years ago... I'd change things so that she could be with me/us this year and for many years to come.

Vickie

[apple]

Re: A few Holiday questions ......???

When do you put up your tree? Take it down? Thanksgiving....Day After Christmas

Real or Fake? Fake...this year. Next year, I got outvoted to donate our fake one to the thrift store and buy a real one....they're so messy!

Do you wrap stocking gifts? Nope...it's more fun to yank them out and see the faces.

Do you wrap Santa gifts? Nope...the jig was up a long time ago about the fat man in a red suit with a fake beard that scared the beejesus out of my kids.

Favorite Holiday tradition? We go sledding and to the movies (as long as there's something decent to see as a family)!

Best gift you've ever received? Seeing my girls smile every Christmas morning.

Best Gift you've ever given? That's hard to say....everybody "says" they like their gifts Dare them to say otherwise...lol....

Do you celebrate Christmas or something else? Christmas to our family is celebrating Jesus' life and relationships. It's really a time of reflecting about relationships and being thankful...and my extended family likes to gather around one spot all at the same time. The Grand Canyon hole? My family held a reunion there...(not really, but it seems like....lol).

How do you spend Christmas Eve??? Dinner with the monsterous extended family and then hit church for the candle light/communion service

Are you done your shopping? Almost...just a few more things

Whats your holiday meal look like? I'm taking a veggie/meat/cheese tray w/3 kinds of dips to the family gathering, and then we'll have a nice ham dinner with just my little family. Breakfast Christmas morning is a tradition of quiche, fruit, and biscuits (not for me this year!).

Honestly will you stick to this WOE plan? Yes...I WILL keep in mind of making the best possible choices and focus on why I'm making those choices.

Whats your biggest pet peeve about the Holiday season? I give in to not making good choices....I need to write something on my forehead.

If your only gift this year was the ability to change one thing about yourself or someone else who and what would you decide to use it on??? My gift to me would be to just relax and enjoy being with my family and extended family (no matter how many there are in one room at the same time), and make the best choices possible to stay focused.

[apple]

Re: A few Holiday questions ......???

If your only gift this year was the ability to change one thing about yourself or someone else who and what would you decide to use it on??? My Mom passed away three years ago... I'd change things so that she could be with me/us this year and for many years to come.

Vickie

Aaah....may this Christmas time be a wonderful time remembering the good times, Vickie!

[apple]

Re: A few Holiday questions ......???

Santa only brought one gift for my kids also.. I wanted them to know that mom and dad paid for all there gifts...

Ain't that the truth! My oldest said one year, "If Santa gave me all these gifts, what did you and daddy give me?" we went to the 1 present from Santa until youngest was about 2 and she freaked out from then on about the man in the red suit. She had nightmares thinking of this man coming down our chimney....poor kid...

[hrgillespie]

Re: A few Holiday questions ......???

Sandy thats exactly why we do the one gift from Santa as well ......... kids seem to think Santa has no budget but they get that we do ........ It's funny no one has ever asked why all of their friends gifts come from Santa and only one of theirs .......... must be kids don't talk about it nearly as much as we do!


Apple Christmas to us is all about family and conversation and focusing on Jesus Birthday. I feel so bad sometimes for friends and family who are so stressed out about all the extended family they have to buy for. My daughter had to buy 17 present for extended family on her BF's side, neices and nephews and cousins ect ......... We don't do that we gather as a family for a meal and each family does gifts for their own family and thats it. I am defintly doing my grandchildren but each of my girls don't do for eachothers children. With seven siblings it would get out of control eventually if they had to buy for neices and nephews ect .........It's much easier just to know that loving eachother and spending time together is whats expected.

Merry Christmas everyone keep the answers coming It's really fun reading along.

[tangotori]

Re: A few Holiday questions ......???

Whats your biggest pet peeve about the Holiday season? I give in to not making good choices....I need to write something on my forehead.

Apple... make sure you write it backwards otherwise you won't be able to read it in the mirror!

[Atkid]

Re: A few Holiday questions ......???

I have wondered about how we all might do things a little differently and why ........ especially coming from diferent regions and backgrounds and thought it might be fun to compare a few things and learn a little bit about eachother in the process.

When do you put up your tree? Take it down? Put up the weekend after Thanksgiving and take down on Kings Day...Jan. 5th?

Real or Fake? Fake for the last few years now.

Do you wrap stocking gifts? I don't give stocking gifts, we give fruit and candy in stockings.

Do you wrap Santa gifts? They are left unwrapped under the tree, my youngest is now 13, and the only thing she will have unwrapped will be a music keyboard. All her other gifts will be wrapped.

Favorite Holiday tradition? Opening gifts after dinner, and eating oysterdressing.

Best gift you've ever received? Hmmm, I'd have to say handmade christmas stockings that my friend crocheted one for each of my family with our names on them, and then 10 years later when I had another baby, gave me one with her name on it. It is the gift that keeps giving and makes me smile every year!

Best Gift you've ever given? Don't know, as far as the kids are concerned, they seemed happy with a lot of things.

Do you celebrate Christmas or something else? Christmas.

How do you spend Christmas Eve??? Going to Mass, and then either out to eat.

Are you done your shopping? I wish, still have to get out and find that Keyboard!

Whats your holiday meal look like? Turkey, baked spaghetti, spinach casserole (affectionly know as "Green Stuff"), oyster dressing, broccoli soup, fried sweet potatoes, apple, pumpkin and chocolate and banana cream pies.

Honestly will you stick to this WOE plan? I will probably slide off a little, can pass on the spaghetti but will eat my oyster dressing and a taste of the green stuff.

Whats your biggest pet peeve about the Holiday season? I hate shopping because I never know what to get anyone.

If your only gift this year was the ability to change one thing about yourself or someone else who and what would you decide to use it on??? If we are talking miracles here, I would use my Miracle on my dad who recently found out he has Pulmonary Fibrosis, the disease that literally takes your breath away.