11 days until christmas survey

Umm...I don't have a photo...sorry...it's just silly nonsense fun...I'm such a huge fan of surveys...but fun original surveys....

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper all the way. Um, Big island never had gift bags growing up. What is that? That's some newfangled fancy thing that martha stewart people do.

2. Real tree or artificial? Real trees, today, Scott and I bought our first tree together. And I named it "Rockie." If it was possible, I would have cuddled with the tree when we got it home, instead, I had to settle for an awkward prickly hug.

3. When do you put up the tree? TODAY!!! Well, whenever we found a tree that was in our budget. Scott mocked my bargaining skills today when I was playing hardball with the tree selling teenager.

4. When do you take the tree down? I compromised and told Scott we would take it down the day after Christmas. Little does he know, that just means I'm going to put Rockie in our backyard with the other regular trees so he has a chance for a little normalcy again. When I was a kid, I kept a skeleton of a christmas tree in our backyard until march.

5. Do you like eggnog? NOPE!!! Are you surprised?

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Oh boy, the nerd in me is going surface. My TWO favorite gifts were...when I was six, I begged and begged for a typewriter so much that both my parents and my grandparents gave me typewriters for Christmas. I used them until their ink ran out and then I would run a watercolor marker across the metal keys for every word. My second favorite gift was a toy microscope I got when I was in the fifth grade. I wish I still had it.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope, but give me time. We had one and only one box of ornaments and decorations growing up and they remained consistent throughout the years. It consisted of some broken muppet head ornaments, a christmas tree I made in kindergarten, out of a toilet paper tube covered in painted cotton balls, and a nativity scene that had seen better days. Baby jesus was missing a few limbs and joseph had disappeared leaving mary a modern woman and single mother. But I could play with that barnyard scene for hours.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Scott...I think I'm going to take him on a surprise date to the Honolulu ballet. Not because he likes the ballet...but because I have no ideas and I came up with this plan. I'm going to act so excited about having this huge surprise for him that he'll feel like he has to act like he loves it and constantly reassure me that it's a great gift. I also have a hard time with people you need to buy gifts but you don't know very well. Because then it's gift cards but I am not satisfied until I find the cheapest deal.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My cousins Sierra and Jaren...I give them all the things that I wish people would give to me.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Any type of food or goodies. You get a lot of "fluff" gifts as a teacher. I still remember getting a rose carved out of soap. The girl was so sweet, I actually held onto it for almost a year because I felt so guilty.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Hopefully, you'll find out one way or the other.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Already covered this one.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?Any day now.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? food...I'm sorry, that's too vague. Good food.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear

17. Favorite Christmas song? Have yourself a merry little christmas...or "o holy night" is a close second.

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Stay home...but we are going to New Orleans for New Years.

19. Can you name all of Santa's' reindeer? What are those? I think his surfboard is named "nalu."

20. Angel on the treetop or a star? I don't care...I prefer nothing...it's my traditionistl hubby who's raising a big stink about finding the perfect tree topper.

21. Open the presents Christmas eve or Christmas morning? Ummm, if you open them on Christmas Eve, then what the he** do you do on Christmas morning? It kind of defeats the whole idea of Christmas.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? the pressure to buy gifts for people who you love and really do want to give things to...but you don't necessarily have anything you particularly think they'd enjoy. I hate the "pressure" gift.

23. What I love most about Christmas? the lights, the music, the atmosphere...I almost can imagine it is cold outside.