Happy first day of December!
In our little corner of The Bubble that is Orange County, California, (I know bubbles don't have corners – it's a metaphor….but that's not important right now) it seems that it has become mandatory to decorate for Christmas in the moments following Thanksgiving.
Seriously. The bird has barely hit the digestive tract and there are already inflatables in the yards, trees in the houses, and Christmas carols on every radio station. *sigh*
Well, as much as I LOVE Christmas, I'm still a die-hard and wait until about the middle of the month to pull out the decorations. Not that we don't do lots of fun things all month, and we're totally shopping and preparing stuff, but I just don't decorate until it gets closer to the date. See my explanation here.
But my advent calendar is up (yay!) and the fun is just beginning.
Loyal reader, Ody from Miami Lakes sent me the following Christmas quiz and I thought it would be a fun way to get the season started. (thanks, Ody!)
1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? Wrapping paper. I buy tons of rolls of one kind and wrap all my gifts the same way.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. (economic decision)
3. When do you put the Christmas tree up? after the 15th.
4. When do you take the Christmas tree down? January 7th. (despues del Dia de Los Reyes).
5. Do you like Egg Nog? Noooo. But I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Cuban Crema de Vie!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Skipper doll (Barbie's little sister).
7. Hardest person to buy for? Tony (brother-in-law).
8. Easiest person to buy for? Amy Kikita.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? No.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Always a photo card.
11. Worst Christmas gift you've ever received? Can't think of even one.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? It's a Wonderful Life.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? September.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes. Not giving details on this. =D
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lechón Asado.
16. Lights on the tree? Sometimes white, sometimes colored. I do my tree differently each year.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Handel's Messiah – The Hallelujah Chorus (makes me cry every time).
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
19. A favorite Christmas family tradition? Our Cucufate Pictures Christmas video that we make every year for my big, fat, Cuban family.
20. What time do you wake up on Christmas? Now that the kids are older – 9ish. (slowly recovering from Noche Buena the night before).
I'd love to know how you celebrate. So, if you're willing, put your answers in the comment section.
I do. I want to know. Your tree is up already, isn't it? It is, isn't it?? 😉
Okay, I’ll play …1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? Wrapping paper.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. It’s symmetrical and I love symmetry (it’s an OCD thing).
3. When do you put the Christmas tree up? It’s up already (hee, hee)
4. When do you take the Christmas tree down? After January 15th. (my birthday)
5. Do you like Egg Nog? Hate it!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A tape recorder. I would record songs off the radio (don’t laugh).
7. Hardest person to buy for? My oldest son.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, several around the house.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received? None. I appreciate the time and effort taken by someone in picking out a gift.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas Carol (the George C Scott version).
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I might have.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lechón, Mami’s Cuban tamales , platanos fritos, arroz con gris, yucca con mojo. Okay, now I’m hungry.
16. Lights on the tree? Absolutely.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
19. A favorite Christmas family tradition? Noche Buena at Mami and Papi’s house with the entire family.
20. What time do you wake up on Christmas? Around 6am, so I can quietly enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the fake TV log while listening to Christmas music all by myself before the day begins.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? both, depending on the gift2. Real tree or Artificial? I gotta have real…it’s a smell thing
3. When do you put the Christmas tree up? Anytime after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the Christmas tree down? Around June LOL
5. Do you like Egg Nog? In small amounts
6. Favorite gift received as a child? An African-American GI Joe with lifelike ‘fro.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad
8. Easiest person to buy for? best friend Casey
9. Do you have a nativity scene? No but I do have a tacky mechanical Santa
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both
11. Worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Socks!! When I was a kid. Now I’m all for it. I hate buying socks.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story and It’s A Wonderful Life
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? A week before usually
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Sadly yes
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lechón! Yuca! Flan! TURRON!!!!!
16. Lights on the tree? As many as will fit but only ONE color!
17. Favorite Christmas song? Ave Maria or Holly and the Ivy by Casey Stratton. Brings tears to ones eyes. So beautiful.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Go to my mom’s across town
19. A favorite Christmas family tradition? Noche Buena of course
20. What time do you wake up on Christmas? Whenever I damn well feel like it. Clearly, I don’t have children.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? Both. After gift wrapping for four hours, the rest goes into bags.2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial with the lights already on. One X-mass we put on lights so tight that we couldn’t take them off, we ended up throwing the real tree away with the lights on. Never again!!!!
3. When do you put the Christmas tree up? After Thanksgiving and within the first week of December.
4. When do you take the Christmas tree down? After Los Reyes Magos come, of course.
5. Do you like Egg Nog? No!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A Life Like Baby Chrissy Doll.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My oldest daughter, she loves everything!!!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, Several.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? It’s e-mail now.
11. Worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Once I received a set of plates to put your corn on the cob on and they were the ugliest plates I had ever seen. They were VERY BRIGHT in color.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Don’t have one.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? In December.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, for a white elephant game. 😉
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lechón and Yuca con mojo.
16. Lights on the tree? My pre lit tree has them in clear.
17. Favorite Christmas song? A Christmas to Remember by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. I know very Cheesy! 😉
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
19. A favorite Christmas family tradition? Lunch
at my in-laws with leftover food from Noche Buena.
20. What time do you wake up on Christmas? Now that our girls are older, we beg them to let us sleep until 9:00am. They do. 😉
This is great!! I Here I go;1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? Depends on size/shape of gift.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial (Make decorations from real Christmas tree branches, when my sister trims the real tree she always buys, to have the tree smell).
3. When do you put the Christmas tree up? Day after Thanksgiving – my mom always puts my tree up first and then my sisters…sort of a tradition, then we 3 put her tree up.
4. When do you take the Christmas tree down? Sometime after the Reyes Magos.
5. Do you like Egg Nog? Nope, I’m a Hot Chocolate w/marshmallow person.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Atari!!!.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, 2 a miniature one inside and one in the yard.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received? I can’t think of any ever. I love them all, they came from the heart.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Disney Christmas Special (cartoons, I know).
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? As soon as I am able to.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Uh, I would say yes.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lechón, Black beans w/white rice, Tostones, yuca, ensalada and my sisters flan!!!
16. Lights on the tree? Absolutely and everwhere else too!!!.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
19. A favorite Christmas family tradition? We always used to have Noche Buena at my parents – my dad would do the pig – but since he passed away 3 years ago, I’ve picked up the tradition, now it’s every year at my house w/my husband & brother arguing about how my dad would make the pig and trying to do it like he did. We spend the entire day and evening together!! and my mom reads a Spanish Christmas story to the grandkids (including all the older ones,they still gather around her when she starts to read)
20. What time do you wake up on Christmas? Whatever time my kids wake up (If I’m not still awake from cleaning up after the Noche Buena party and helping Santa put all the gifts under the tree, since he never arrives before the 24th!!!).
I love Christmas!!! and wish you and your family the very best this Holiday Season and always…
We love you, your family and your blog….
Merry Christmas Martha, Eric, Kikita, Adam, Lucy & Jonathan
from the Palau Family,
Lory, Guille, William, Andrew & Susanna!!!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? Wrapping paper.2. Real tree or Artificial? Real, it makes us feel more like we live in the cold north…NOT!
3. When do you put the Christmas tree up? 1st or second weekend in Dec.
4. When do you take the Christmas tree down? New Year’s day or the next weekend after. It’s my son’s birthday on 1/7 and I don’t want any Christmas around for it. I am traumatized b/c when I was pregnant I did not want him born on the holidays.
5. Do you like Egg Nog? NO, but Crema de Vie or Coquito Puerto Riqueno
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A tin doll house, really cheesy but I loved it.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband Raul
8. Easiest person to buy for? My daughter, Amanda
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, I have different ones I put out every year
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, I like to send photos of the kids
11. Worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Pantyhose, who the heck would think of that as a gift? They were pastel colored too, UGGGH
12. Favorite Christmas movie? I like “It’s a wonderful life”, but my mom’s favorite was “Christmas Vacation”. I love to remember her laughing at Chevy Chase. I miss her.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? After Thanksgiving. I leave black Friday to my dear, cooky husband.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Maybe but I don’t remember, I am capable!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lechón, Frijoles negros, yucca, bunuelos my mother in law used to make. Oh and my dad’s favorite, Turrones!
16. Lights on the tree? Yes, colored chasing lights
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
19. A favorite Christmas family tradition? We used to put names in a hat (my brother and his family, and my sister and hers) and have a secret gift exchange. The goal was to get the tackiest, wackiest gift so we could make eachother laugh. I miss that.
20. What time do you wake up on Christmas? My kids are teens now, so they sleep in a little more. We get up 7 am!, I make Hello Kitty waffles for breakfast and we video the kids opening their gifts. Then my husband and I open gifts when they are done.
Love it!!!1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? ok so i used to do the baggies but then my husband showed me how nice it is to see the anticipation on peoplees face as they open them so paper it is!! and my mom gave me rolls and rolls of them she had in her garage form like the 80s, um thanks mom…lol
2. Real tree or Artificial? This is the first year we do a real tree i had no idea which style to pick when i bought it at lowes lol
3. When do you put the Christmas tree up? after sanksgiving
4. When do you take the Christmas tree down? after dia de los magos
5. Do you like Egg Nog? Gross…
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My tape recordr too (shout out to the poster that had the recorder as her favprite too lol) i would interview my family like i was an anchor from channel 10 i still have the tapes, hilaious to hear my voice as a kid..
7. Hardest person to buy for? my mom
8. Easiest person to buy for? my daughter
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes its a ceramic plate in my guest bathroom, i have no othe rroom for it but it looks nice in there..
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Cards with pic of family, i really have to get to these soon….
11. Worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
12. Favorite Christmas movie? home alone
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yes i’ll plead the 5th
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? this will be my churros and hot chocolate i will begin making this year…
16. Lights on the tree? of course white blinking ones..
17. Favorite Christmas song? george michael, Last Christmas….Do They Know Its Christmas Time by band aid, that one makes me cry so much and makes me feel guilty…
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
19. A favorite Christmas family tradition? My mom started one where we go to her house and she cooks, um mom doesnt cook very well, so we all um eat before then serve ourselves veery little, sorry mom lol
20. What time do you wake up on Christmas? Around 7 am with my kids and het the video camera and begin taping!!
oh worst gift…..little itty bitty diamond earrings, they were like a little dot, you couldnt even tell i was wearing earrings….i think they were for newborns….