Dolphin’s Dock

Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper, unless I have recieved a gift bag, in which case I will reuse it.

Real tree or Artificial?
Artificial. Why kill a young, growing tree, just so it can sit in my living room for a month and then get fed into a chipper? The artificial we have now is a little dinky in our new place (though it was perfect size for the townhouse), but it was free (from my parents) so I ain’t complaining til we an afford to by a bigger one.

When do you put up the tree?
Generally the tree and lights go up the first weekend after Thanksgiving, then I give the cats a week to get used to it being there before adding ornaments.

When do you take the tree down?
No later than the first weekend of the New Year (usually before).

Do you like eggnog?
I don’t think I’ve ever actually had it. Doesn’t strike me as something I’d like, but I’d try it at least once.

Favorite gift received as a child?
Hard to say, but I remember being INCREDIBLY excited about a Nerf Bow N’ Arrow once upon a time (picture credit).

Hardest person to buy for?
EVERYBODY. I dislike picking something out for someone else.

Easiest person to buy for?
I guess if I had to say, I’d say TheBoyfriend™, because I’m usually spending a bit more and I usually have a better idea of what he’d actually want.

Do you have a nativity scene?
Well, technically TheBoyfriend™’s mother gave us a nativity ornament for our tree this year, so yes.

Mail or email Christmas cards?
In person!

Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
I had a family member once who was distant enough that she shouldn’t have bothered to get me anything, but she did anyways. I got a 4-inch plastic ruler.

Favorite Christmas Movie?
The Nightmare Before Christmas

When do you start shopping for Christmas?
It varies. This year I started a couple of weeks ago. I’m done now.

Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Maybe a “Secret Santa” gift here or there.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Enh…

Lights on the tree?
Umm… Of course.

Favorite Christmas song?
Anything traditional or traditional with the slightest jazz twist. This year I’m loving the Christmas songs Micheal Buble has out (but then who doesn’t swoon everytime he sings…). I dislike “pop” remakes of Christmas songs and I LOATHE Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

Travel at Christmas or stay home?
I go to my parents. Once TheBoyfriend™ and I build our new house, we’re going to try to have everybody come up and have Christmas there.

Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blixen and Roudolph (oh yeah and “Olive, the other reindeer”)

Angel on the tree top or a star?
Nothing this year. Last year we had a big snowflake.

Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas Eve. Sleep in on Christmas morning.

Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
Traffic.

Favorite ornament theme or color?
Our tree is in silver and blue.

Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Enh…

What do you want for Christmas?
To spend time with my family and friends. Anything material thing that I want that is less than what I can reasonably expect others to spend on me, I’ve already bought myself.

• We really were in need of doing laundry before leaving to visit my parents, but it just didn’t get done. No worries, my parents don’t mind if we bring laundry home with us, and in fact they like it during the winter because they vent their dryer into the house (filtering out lint), allowing it to pull double duty as supplemental heat (and humidity), reducing the strain on the heat pump. So we decided to pack light and bring home only a basket of laundry, to wash the first night and wear from the rest of the weekend. Unfortunately, I thought TheBoyfriend™ packed the basket, he thought I packed it, and it wasn’t until we arrived at my parents’ (four hours away) that we noticed that in fact no clothes other than those on our backs had actually made the trip with us.
• My aunt is well known for giving strange Christmas presents, but this ear she offered a bit of a “pre-Christmas” present that was actually kinda nice. It’s one of those wax-dipped teddy bears that I’m sure you’ve seen, this one wearing a Christmas hat. The neat thing is that it’s pine scented, so set on the mantle in close proximity to the (artificial) tree, it gives the impression that the tree is in fact real and fragrant. I even caught myself thinking “wow, this tree smells so nice” a few times as I was putting lights on it, and I KNOW it’s artificial. The only downside is it’s a bit too strong to completely remove from it’s clear bag, so it’s sitting on the mantle still partially wrapped.
• Speaking of the tree, I got it up. I’m not like my mother who likes the tree up as soon as possible and can sit in the living room with Christmas music playing and stare at the thing for hours on end, but I do admit to enjoying having a Christmas tree around. I will NOT however put one up until after Thanksgiving. I put ours up yesterday and put the lights on it. I’ll give the cats a week to get used to it being there and then hang the ornaments this weekend.
• My grandmother likes to watch her grandkids open presents on Christmas (Christmas Eve actually, that’s when we have that side fo the family’s celebration). Every year, for quite a few years now, she gives my mom $50/grandchild and let’s my mom do the shopping. So now is the time of year when my mom is asking me what I want for Christmas that costs $50. You’d think I’d learn by now to be expecting it, but I’m never prepared. Plainly, if there is something that I particularly want that is <$50 I typically just go buy it myself.
• Speaking of presents, I found an excellent deal this Cyber Monday morning on the perfect gift for TheBoyfriend™. I won’t mention what it is here on the off chance that he decides to read this (though it’s been a LONG time since he’s read my blog). I already had in mind what I was going to give him, but when I came across this item (which I wanted to get him but it was a bit too pricey every where else), I revised my plans.