After a rather hectic, funny, embarrassing start to the week things have thankfully calmed down. Well, sort off. The women in the office are now sending me “funny” video clips of people freaking out at mice. Just as well I have a sense of humour????
The only thing with things calming down is that there is less to blog about, so when I saw this on Jenty’s site I thought it would be perfect for today, even though I am not that much of a Christmassy person.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends on the present, some just suit bags better whilst other NEED to be wrapped. I mostly wrap though. I love ribbons and things.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, we always had a real one when I was much younger and it was my job to sweep the pine needles. I still remember it!! Ugh those things got every where.
3. When do you put up the tree? 1st Saturday in December. I think that is a Swedish tradition, or at least that was what the people I knew did and I thought it quite a good idea so I have stuck to it.
4. When do you take the tree down? My mom always said that it was bad luck if you left it up more than 12 days after Christmas, and although I usually leave it to the last day it comes down then. My Fairy lights stay up all year though.
5. Do you like eggnog? Don’t know, I have never tried it. I do love Glüg though, which is a Swedish drink similar to the German Glühwein. Yum, yum, yum. You get it at all the Christmas Markets. Yum, yum, yum.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A Noddy doll that had a cord and when you pulled it the doll spoke
7. Hardest person to buy for? My parents in law. I don’t see them that often so don’t know what to get them. This is my husband and my second Christmas married and this year is no easier than last!
8. Easiest person to buy for? My husband
9. Do you have a nativity scene? No
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both. I used to be quite particular about sending cards but have slackened in the past few years.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Cant’ really remember a really bad gift.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I don’t really have one.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start “looking” and thinking about it from about October but have not actually bought anything yet.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Never, but I do recycle the wrapping paper or bags.
15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I don’t think I could narrow it down to one thing! I love roast meats, potatoes etc but I also love mince pies! Mince pies with ice cream, mince pies with cream. Christmas pudding, with ice cream, Christmas pudding with cream, with custard, with brandy sauce with……. Oh yes and a new delight my Mother-in-laws Christmas cake – YUMMY!!! We are trying to convince her to bake us 2 this year but she is not going for it.
16. Lights on the tree? On the tree, on the house, on the trees outside, along the curtain rails, strung over basically everything that might be available and nearish a plug! The only thing is that they are up all year! My only rule is that they must be white and non flashing. I don’t like coloured lights (except on the tree)
17. Favorite Christmas song? Seeing as I can’t sing, I don’t really have a favouite song. I do get Riding on a sleigh stuck in my mind though.
18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? We have breakfast with my mom and then travel on Christmas day to my husbands family (they live 300km away). We find the roads are quite quiet then. We usually stay a couple of nights and then come back home.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? No, I don’t even know how many there are.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The busyness of the shops, the constant Christmas carols, Boney M, the daft email cards, no parking at the beach, uhm did I mention I am not a Christmas person.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? All my ornaments are silver. I will usually buy 1 or 2 more a year, as well as more fairy lights to replace the ones that blew during the year.
My Happy Pace! 
Okay, being a Christmas freak like I am….love this post and if you dont mind think I am going to copy you.
Love the blog by the way, I am a PE girl myself.
We don’t even have a tree or decorations! We’ll step up to the plate when we have kids.
Christmas Eve we spend with my family, where we have a traditional Christmas Dinner and open the presents. On Christmas Day we have a Christmas Lunch with my in-laws. My favorite Christmas food is the marmelade gammon I make (a Jamie Oliver recipe) and take to both occasions. My mother in-law always makes duck with cranberry sauce, which is also delicious.
I try to do my grocery shopping at 8am over this period, because the shops are just crazy. As for gifts, I try and buy as much as I can online.
Hanlie – very sensible to do the shopping online! My family has made a rule this Christmas that we are not too buy gifts over R50. My brother is getting 2 pairs of socks!
Hayley – please go ahead. Enjoy.
My mum once canelled a Boney M concert single handedly, when she trod on the lead singer’s toe at Ronaldsway airport while meeting my grandmother..
I hope she recieved LOTS of thankyou cards?
that Glug drink sounds very interesting!
I was going to ask what Boney M was, but I see from 6000’s comment that it must be a horrible band? Is it just a seasonal band? Or do you hate them year round? : )
Jennifer – They are an old band that seemed to bring out tape/cd etc of Christmas carols. And the are played ENDLESSLY at this time of year!!! Every shop, lift or house with somebody over the age of 60, unless of course their children (me) got to the CD and hid it. Sorry mom – I have NO idea where your Boney M is…. Honest!