Getting to Know Your Friends--Christmas Edition!

Welcome to the 2006 Christmas Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate or mulled cider—the Williams Sonoma mulled spices recipe is fab!

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

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White lights—nothing on the apt.—maybe icicle lights when we have a house.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but Marc would love it if I did! Maybe next year.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
The first weekend in December.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Every Christmas Eve growing up we had clam chowder—I don’t know why—but we’ve held that tradition.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
I love getting a new ornament every year and decorating the tree and hanging the stockings.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I can't even remember, but after we found out, we got to help play Santa to all my siblings until they found out, too!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes—Marc and I started the ever traditional pj gift. I think we’ll start a Christmas book tradition, too. This year Carter is getting How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
White lights, ornaments

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love to cozy up inside if it’s snowing but hate being caught outside in the cold, wet slush.

12. Can you ice skate?
Not really. I’ve been a few times.

13. Do you remember your favorite gifts?
One year, in middle school my parents totally surprised me with a leather bomber jacket. I’m not even sure that I had asked for it because I didn’t think I’d get it.

14. What's the most exciting thing about Christmas for you?
I love everything Christmas—decorations, baking, shopping, Christmas Eve, and of course Christmas morning. It’s even better now that we have kids.

15. What is your favorite Holiday dessert?
I love pecan pie—I know it’s a little Thanksgiving-y, but this year I’m going to try a recipe for cranberry pecan pie. We’ll see if it turns out. I also love this cranberry dessert with cream sauce.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I really can’t name a favorite. We have lots—gingerbread house making, yes out of real gingerbread thanks to my mother-in-law’s fab recipe. The tradition started with her. Other baking. Pj opening. A new ornament for everyone and a new music CD every year. Renting movies and watching on Christmas Eve to pass the time and hopefully get rid of the butterflies.

17. What tops your tree?
A star.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
I love love love watching my boys open their presents (that includes Marc). But I also anxiously anticipate the spoilage I receive from my sweetie. He's Christmas shopping for me as we speak!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
I’ll Be Home for Christmas—Martina McBride’s version is great. We got Jim Brickman’s CD this year. It has great songs, too.

20. Candy Canes?
Not a huge fan.