Time To Have Some Fun!

This challenge has now popped up on two different blogs in my reader, so I guess I better play. The first was Nancy's Life in the Second Half; the next was Emom at Life in the 2nd Half Century. Mandy at Mandy's Life After 30 came up with the idea.

Here are 25 questions to let you know more than you could possibly want to know about me. If you're reading this post, then you must:

(a) leave a comment and answer the 25 questions below,

(b) write the answers to the questions below in your own blog post (if you have a blog, that is) or

(c) call yourself a scrooge in the comments below and refuse to answer them.

I hope you choose (a) or (b) but if you choose (c) then I'll just let the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future deal with you. If you do decide to write your own blog post about it, please mention Mandy since she is the author of these important questions. (Writers credit and all that jazz - thanks!)

(1) What is your favorite Christmas movie? I don't really have one favorite. For old movies, it would be It's a Wonderful Life. If I'm wanting something new, The Santa Clause always makes me laugh. Even though it's not completely about Christmas, I enjoy Meet Me In St. Louis (imagine that!), and the holidays aren't complete without seeing at least part of A Christmas Story.

(2) What is your LEAST favorite Christmas movie? One year my boys tried to start a new family tradition on Christmas Eve--watching holiday episodes of Family Guy and South Park. Ugh!

(3) What is your favorite Christmas song? Too many to list...but I have a soft spot for Holiday Sing Along with Mitch by Mitch Miller and the Gang. My parents had the LP when I was a kid, and it was part of my collection when my kids were young. Now I have it on CD.

(4) What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy? Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. However, Boudreaux's Christmas (Boudreaux Got Run Over by a Mudboat), which is basically the same thing with a Cajun spin, always makes me laugh.

(5) What is your favorite Christmas drink? (i.e. egg nog, hot chocolate) Instant hot chocolate mixed with coffee instead of water.

(6) What is your favorite Christmas memory? The year Tony went with a friend to cut a tree on the friend's country property. He came home with one so tall it almost touched our ten-foot tall ceiling! The tree was so top heavy we had to tie it to the wall with fishing line secured to hooks.

(7) What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas? Anything my kids made for me.

(8) What is the worst toy/gift you've received on Christmas? Does it make me an incurable optimist if I can't think of one?

(9) What do you LOVE about the holidays? The feeling of goodwill and spirit of giving. People going out of their way to help others.

(10) What annoys you about the holidays? The commercialization of the season.

(11) Do you prefer star or angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else? For the past few years we've used a crystal-looking topper that's shaped like an onion dome. Before that it was a shiny gold star.

(12) What is your family favorite recipe at Christmas? I don't really have one. Christmas is our holiday to host the extended family, and I serve something different every year. That's my tradition!

(13) Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmastime? Definitely a Who!

(14) Christmas light displays - Love them or Hate them? Love looking at them, not so thrilled about putting them up and taking them down at our house.

(15) Santas at the mall - Fun times or Creepy? I think Santas are fun, but they look so lonely when they're sitting there by themselves with no kids.

(16) Christmas cards - do you send them, yes or no? We send fewer than we used to, but I love receiving them, and the best way to receive is to give, too!

(17) What is the best thing about Christmas, in your opinion? Having the whole family home.

(18) What is the worst thing about Christmas? Cleaning up after it!

(19) When do you put the tree up and take it down? We put it up sometime in the middle of the month on a day when the calendar's empty. When the kids lived at home, it would be a day when everyone was available to help. I take it down sometime after New Year's Day, after I put all the other decorations away.

(20) Out of the 12 days of Christmas, which day and item would you want your true love to give to you? Five Gold Rings. Everyone needs a little bling!

(21) Why do you think that Grandma got run over by a reindeer? She forgot to look both ways before she crossed the street..

(22) Who is your favorite reindeer? Rudolph. Gotta admire his spunk!

(23) Do you believe in Santa Claus? Absolutely!

(24) What is your favorite smell at Christmastime? Anything baking.

(25) What would make you happy at Christmas this year? Seeing the surprised look on everyone's face when then open their presents.

Thank you and pass it on!