I spent the weekend bowling, making aebleskiver and decorating the house for the holidays

So I don't have much to show here. Instead I will do a meme that my sister, Amanda, sent me via email over two weeks ago. . .

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper -- In fact, I'm coordinating all my packages this year. Plain red paper with black ribbon and black and natural straw ornaments.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial -- two actually. There is the big, traditional tree in the family room and a Swedish tree decorated with mostly straw ornaments and tomtes in the dining room. (I know, real trees are better for the environment if sustainably grown, but we bought the trees years ago.)
3. When do you put up the tree? near the beginning of December. We put it up yesterday (Dec. 8th).
4. When do you take the tree down? The beginning of January. Pete usually takes it down for me -- yeah! (I absolutely hate taking down the decorations, but enjoy putting them up.)
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, in moderation. I usually buy one carton so that I can make a few eggnog lattes during December.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmmm. . . don't really remember -- probably Capsela or Legos.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Pete. He never really wants anything and the one thing he likes -- books -- he has *lots* of already.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Maddie -- kids at this age (she's 8) are into letting you know what they want!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Um, no. As atheists, we don't really get into that sort of thing.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail -- although we are pretty bad at getting them out. We did purchase cards at IKEA in November and I got some stamps last week, so we are part way there.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I'll try to be nice here and simply say that people should probably not buy me clothes. (Except for my mom -- she buys us great jammies every year!)
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? New-ish: The Polar Express (watched it yesterday!) Old-ish: It's a Wonderful Life.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December -- I purchased my first gift last week and I'm almost done today. I start creating a list on Amazon in November and then go online and purchase things as I finalize them. I love having it all shipped to me so I don't have to deal with carrying heavy packages and fighting crowds!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I've never re-gifted, but I have re-sold or taken some to a charity shop.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge! I make Bambi's Fantasy Fudge. Bambie was our neighbor when we were growing up and was like a grandma to us. She made the best fudge. I'll have to post the recipe here soon.
16. Lights on the tree? Yes. Colored on the big tree and all white on the little tree.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Hmmm. . . anything traditional and secular.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home! We go to my mom's which is about 4 blocks away and the weekend after Christmas we go to Pete's mom's for the day which is only about an hour away.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Sure! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner & Blitzen. And don't forget Rudolph!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel on one tree and star on the other.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both -- we have a lot of family!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Shopping. I don't normally like to shop, so you can imagine how I feel about shopping this time of year. Thank goodness for the internet!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Love traditional, Swedish ornaments -- hence the Swedish tree.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Hmmmm. . . My mom makes an AWESOME Thanksgiving dinner, but she doesn't have a specific Christmas dinner, so it varies from year to year. Lately she makes her famous stew on Christmas Eve which is delicious.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A happy, healthy family and for everyone to keep their jobs. I'd also like an end to the recession and world peace -- not too much to ask, right?