Getting into the holiday spirit

Time for a Christmas survey! (Copied from Purple)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I think wrapped presents are a lot more fun, but I resort to the bags sometimes when I'm in a crunch.

2. Real tree or artificial? Always, always, always REAL! I really don't get the point of a fake tree. The smell is the best thing about having a Christmas tree!

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the first or second week of December. Unfortunately we don't get one this year. :( We'll enjoy my parents' tree though!

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually when it starts to die sometime in January. We keep that sucker for as long as we can!

5. Do you like eggnog? I love all things holidays... EXCEPT eggnog. Bleck.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? That's tough, I got a lot of good ones over the years! Oh wait, I know- Bernie! My dog who lives at my parents house! He was a Christmas gift- the best one!

7. Hardest person to buy for? Hmm... not sure. Maybe parents, on both sides (for different reasons).

8. Easiest person to buy for? Usually Corey, but I'm having trouble this year...

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope. I'm not much of a religious person.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Although we've never actually sent any out ourselves. We should definitely start next year.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Mean question! I couldn't answer that...

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Ditto Purple's answer: Love Actually. Best best best movie!!!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I'm a super duper procrastinator. I'm the sucker at the malls on Christmas Eve.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably, but I can't think of specifics.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? The O'Dell's yearly plate of homemade cookies, fudge and other yummy goodies!

16. Lights on the tree? Of course!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Everything Trans-Siberian Orchestra

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I prefer to stay home, but if family is far away, then traveling it is!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolf. (Ok, I cheated a bit because I had Purple's answer right there in front of me before I deleted it and wrote it myself!)

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We've always had an angel, but I like the idea of a star better. Next year, I'm getting a star!

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? As a child my sister and I got to open 1 present Christmas Eve. Everything else Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? I grew up a couple of blocks away from Valley Fair Mall in San Jose, which meant that around the holidays, it was impossible to go anywhere without massive traffic. Luckily I don't have to deal with that anymore!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Green is my favorite color... everything is green is nice! Corey collects Star Trek ornaments.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Christmas dinner has never been a big deal for us. We don't have a traditional meal. Although this year we're doing turkey and all the fixings since we missed that meal for Thanksgiving!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Something small that we can easily transport to Japan!

Yay for the holidays!! For the heck of it, here is a picture of Zoey (our puppy who we had to put to sleep in May) eating our last year's Christmas tree: