Christmas Survey

Hello strangers! I hope you have all had a wonderful week.

Can you believe it’s Christmas Eve already?

This week has been absolutely nuts. I didn’t plan on taking an absence from the blog yesterday, but we’ve been having Internet issues at home. I woke up this morning with the same problem, and since I’m unable to locate our camera with pictures I planned content around, I thought a fun survey would suffice just fine today.

On another note, today is the last day of our Christmas services! Dancing has been going really well, and it’s been fun to get back on stage again. We have three shows today and then Scott and I will be joining our friends at their parents’ house for a Christmas Eve celebration.

I just love this time of year!

I’m also squeezing in what I can before a morning appointment at the gym, so let’s get right to it. Enjoy the read, and I invite you to join in and share some of your answers to the questions below!

 

 1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Both? This is a hard decision, but I would probably go with hot chocolate if I had to choose. I haven’t even had an eggnog yet this year. What’s up with that?

 

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Presents are always wrapped under the tree! And there are definitely a few labeled “From: Santa” every year…

 

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

Both! For years, Scott and I have enjoyed a mix of colored and white lights on the tree and around the house. The more the merrier, right?

 

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

No. But maybe we should? That’s cute.

 

5. When do you hang your decorations up?

I’m usually asked to wait until at least the first weekend of December, but it’s been earlier and earlier every year. This year, we broke everything out the week of Thanksgiving. If it’s snowing and it’s cold enough, I’m allowed… that’s what I say.

 

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

All of my favorite dishes are housed in Florida, which makes me really sad to have missed over the last few years. My Nana’s creamed corn will always be my favorite (we miss you so much!), and a close second is a three-way tie between my Aunt Sandy’s jello salad, my Uncle Bucky’s sweet potatoes, and my Aunt Karen’s macaroni and cheese. Yum!

 

 

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

Ever since I can remember, my family always got together with our best family friends on Christmas Eve.

We would gather together after our own church services, eat delicious food, exchange gifts, and watch Christmas Vacation. Every. Single. Year. The movie still doesn’t get old to me, and I really miss that little tradition since we’ve moved Up North.

 

8. What is on your Christmas wish list?

We didn’t do Christmas gifts this year. Scott and I kept things on the lighter side and only gifted small things to our parents. We are looking forward to Skyping with all of them at some point tomorrow! But, if I had to pick something, it would hands down be a new camera I desperately need for work on the blog. Mine is toast (and missing, apparently)!

 

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Growing up, my parents allowed us to open one gift on Christmas Eve. It was always fun to go through a selection process to find the perfect one. When we do have presents under the tree for each other, Scott and I do the same thing. I’m looking forward to sharing the tradition with our own family some day.

 

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

Lights, more lights, garland, ornaments we’ve collected through the years, then star!

 

11. Snow? Love it or dread it?

I think you all can predict my answer on this one. I enjoy looking at snow but I absolutely dread driving in it. Just, no. I will say, however, that temperatures are unusually high this year and it just doesn’t feel right. I wouldn’t mind a little Christmas miracle for some snowfall tomorrow. C’mon Santa!

 

12. Real tree or fake?

I would prefer a real tree, but Scott and I have yet to get one. We bought a pre-lit artificial tree the day after Christmas (for a steal!) several years ago and it’s great. We always add more lights to it, and we like to put “real tree” scents in and around it to help the house smell more like the holidays. I just hate throwing trees away! This way, we just take down the decorations and tuck it away for the next year.

 

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

Hmmm, last year my mom sent me (as well as brother and sister) a photo book with photos of us on Christmas throughout the years. It’s something I’ll cherish for years and years!

 

14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?

Spending time with the ones you love. (We’ll truly miss our families this year, and we’re thankful for our Michigan families for stepping in and inviting us into their homes!)

 

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

There’s too many! But, if I had to choose, I really do enjoy homemade Christmas cookies. I should really start getting on that one of these years.

 

16. What is your favorite tradition?

Ever since I can remember, my family and now Scott and I attend a Candlelight Christmas Eve service. I always tear up a little when I look around and see the room lit with candles to honor the birth of Baby Jesus. <3

 

17. What tops your tree?

This year? A star, but it’s pretty sad. Hopefully we’ll fix it so it doesn’t flop over next year.

 

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?

I love spending time picking out the perfect gift(s) for friends and family, and I love seeing them open them!

 

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?

I love so many Christmas songs. I could listen to the upbeat pop holiday music stations all month long (and I do), but I also love the classics. Some of my favorites are “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (<- ahhh, the Sam Smith version is amazing) and “O Holy Night”.

 

20. Candy canes, yuck or yum?

Yum! I had homemade white chocolate candy cane ice cream last night and… oh my!

 

21. Favorite Christmas movie?

There’s so many good ones! If I had to choose, I would say A Charlie Brown Christmas.

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My family always used to watch it the weekend after Thanksgiving while we amped up to decorate the house for Christmas. I still love watching it year after year!

 

22. What do you leave for Santa?

Nothing now (maybe he needs the diet?), but I used to leave cookies and milk for him and carrots for the reindeer. 😉

 

23. Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?

We always wake up and make a big breakfast like pancakes and eggs. Then we have video chats with our families (my parents, Scott’s dad and step-mom, Scott’s mom and step-dad, Scott’s sister’s family in Dubai, and then with my family at my sister’s house). If we don’t have plans, we watch Christmas movies at home and/or go see a movie in the theaters.

 

24. Do you prefer to shop online or in stores?

I enjoy doing some shopping in stores, but since we have to ship a lot of our presents back home, online is so much easier and sometimes cheaper that way.

 

25. Christmas letter or Christmas card?

Ever since we moved to Michigan, we like to do a Christmas card with a “Year in Review” of highlights on the back. I usually find a template online and then spend hours (and hours) layering white boxes and typing over the words to personalize it. This year, I used PicMonkey and Canva to design the back image, then uploaded and ordered them through Shutterfly.

Here’s a tip: Before you check out, google search “Shutterfly promo code” to get (sometimes multiple) discounts and free shipping!

 

Thanks so much for popping in, and I’ll be back in the morning with Friday Favorites.

Merry Christmas Eve!

 

Now I’d love to hear from you… (and it doesn’t just apply to Christmas)

 

Your Turn

What is your favorite holiday dessert?

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Egg nog or hot chocolate?