Christmas Traditions

I am counting down the seconds until this work day is over. Then I will be freeeeeeeeee!

Saw this on Ashley's blog as well as Katie's so why not! Here are my Christmas Traditions!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate fo shiz! Egg Nog makes me think of liquid eggs, ugh no thank you!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He wraps them, in Santa paper duh! The stocking stuffer's are all naked presents though...

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White! I love the classic, simple look of white lights. Anyone else think the led lights are blinding?? Like the colored led lights? Burns my retinas. Or maybe, because I live in MN and won't see the sun until April, I'm turning into a vampire? 

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No but I should dang it! A green tortilla chip doesn't quite cut it...just sayin.

5. When do you put your decorations up? The day after Thanksgiving!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I love a good ham. I would be a terrible vegetarian. 

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Every year on Christmas Eve, we would go to my Grandparent's house in Minneapolis with our whole extended family of my Mom's side. I'm talking like 33+cousins it's a BIG family (my Mom had 6 siblings). Us kids would all "play" in the basement for hours, actually we were told to stay down there (smart) while the adults hung out upstairs. After dinner, we would be responsible for clean up (again smart) and after that it was present time (you better believe the dishes were done quickly). One year while cleaning off plates, we heard bells outside and a thud, I remember my girl cousins and I looking at each other all wide eyed thinking "could it really be him?" Like 15 minutes later we heard that famous "Ho! Ho! Ho!" and clear as day bells ringing in my Grandparents living room. We all took turns sitting on his lap, taking pictures and reassuring him that we were on the "nice list".  After Santa left, we ran outside to see if we could see him flying away with those reindeer. No such luck, but we did see reindeer prints on the roof of the house. We were sure of it!! On our drive home that night, I remember watching the stars the whole way home hoping to catch a glimpse of that sleigh. 

Funny the things you are so sure of as a kid!! I hope I can create these memories with my kids, grand kids etc. 

For no reason other than I apparently want to embarass myself, here is me as a first grade, Santa believing child. I like to call this beauty "mullet Dottie." You know you all have a pic like this...I hope.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I was probably like 9, I think. My neighbor was a couple of years older and broke the news. After arguing with her for days, telling her I've seen him, I've seen photos of the North Pole, she's stupid, etc.  I think the next year I believed her. I started to watch for details closely and realized  Santa wrote just like my Mom in cursive. I've always had a knack for attention to detail...(This is why I write out my kids names' left handed.)

 This note was found on my Husbands pillow case last year! Too funny!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, we currently have 5 places to go for Christmas so we have to use our time wisely. This year we are doing a Christmas Eve Brunch with my Aunt then, Christmas Eve Evening is spent with my Husbands family.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? With lots and lots of white lights, tons of ornaments from my childhood, the kids special ornaments and "normal" ornaments, ribbon, bows and this year some pieces of cranberry. It's so pretty! The sight of your 1 year old chucking your ceramic ornaments across the room, not so pretty! I feel like the lady in this video (That Erica posted yesterday, watch it if you haven't already!) 

Here is "The Tree". This was before the ornaments but you get the idea.

 

 This is the "other tree" in our basement. Kid tree if you will. I just let her do what she wanted with it.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it ONLY around Christmas, but then DREAD it and I'm ready to move south.

12. Can you ice skate? Hellz to the yeah! I grew up ice skating every weekend. We would go to Open Skating for hours on Saturday and Sunday's. Was one of my favorite things to do.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? The one that sticks out in my mind is the Speak and Spell. Remember that one?? That was my version of the iPad. Ha, ha!!

 

 14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with family and taking way too many pictures!! The conversations and laughs are what life is all about!

 15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Sugar cookies with homemade frosting that my Aunt makes. I'm gaining lbs just thinking about them! 

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Elf on a Shelf is climbing the ranks at our house but I also love giving ornaments to my kids every year and seeing taking them out year after year and thinking about the memories that are tied to them!

This is Wilbert...our Elf.

17. What tops your tree? A snowman holding a star.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Giving! Not going to lie though, I know what 2 of my gifts are this year from the husband because I am a super sleuth and I'm pretty excited! (Not that I searched for them, a box was delivered with the company name on it and the other one I guessed as he was looking for the store!) 

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Normal ones, yum! Chocolate ones, yuck. 

20. Favorite Christmas show? Christmas Vacation!! 

21. Saddest Christmas Song? Hmm, not sure.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas is Youuuuuuuuuuuu!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!