Melissa tagged me with this fun Holiday Questionnaire. I'll do anything to skip out on more packing (today, I'm tackling bathrooms and closets), so here's my answers:

1) Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both - I love the look of wrapping paper, but it seems like every year we have several gifts that are downright impossible to wrap so I rely on gift bags.

2) Real tree or artificial? Artificial. I have horrible allergies and sneeze when I'm around the real thing.

3) When do you put up your tree? Normally, a few days after Thanksgiving. Since we're moving, we won't be putting up a large tree - just one of those tabletop miniatures.

4) When do you take the tree down? I'm usually ready to take the tree down a few days after Christmas. I love the way the decorations look, but it's nice to have the house back to it's usual state.

5) Do you like eggnog? Yes! Southern Comfort makes the best commercially produced eggnog, IMHO.

6) Favorite gift received as a child? That's a tough one. Probably the year I got my Barbie Dream house and a Polaroid camera. I spent hours setting up the house, posing my dolls, and taking pictures of them. I bet my mom still has those pictures somewhere..... By the way, I still have that house and have since given it to Taylor to play with (although I still like arranging the house).

7) Do you have a Nativity scene? Not really. I started buying pieces of Lenox China's Nativity scene for my parents years ago as a holiday gift, but since my mom really doesn't decorate anymore, she's given it to me. I need to get more pieces before I can really display it all.

8) The hardest person to buy for? Bret's dad and step-mom. Bret is a close second - he always wants things that I can't pick out myself (fishing or golf items, computer parts, etc.)

9) The easiest person to buy for? My mom. I usually have an idea of what she'd like months before Christmas arrives.

10) The worst Christmas gift you ever received? I take the 5th on this one.

11) Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Confession time: the last few years I've been horrible about the Christmas cards. Guilt got to Bret last year (after we had received so many from other people) and while I was out finishing Christmas shopping, he and Taylor sent out some by mail. Next year I promise I'll send out those cute photo ones of the kids!

12) Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story - I even bough the movie this year on DVD.

13) When do you start shopping for Christmas? Either the day after Thanksgiving or short thereafter.

14) Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but we've thought about it!

15) Favorite things to eat at Christmas? My grandma's holiday cookies (she used to make lots of varieties), fudge, and party fare (all those snacks and appetizers you only get in December). If Bret was answering this question he'd say Rawburger (raw hamburger mixed with spices and some vegetables) - I can't bring myself to eat the stuff not to mention the fact I'm afraid of getting E. Coli.

16) Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored, but I've been seeing lots of trees with clear lights lately and I really like the way they look too.

17) Favorite Christmas song? I don't think I have one - I like quite a few and find myself humming them during the holiday season.

18) Travel at Christmas or stay home? Since all of Bret's family lives out of town, we'll generally make a trip to visit everyone sometime before Christmas. Since we've had Taylor, we generally stay at home for the actual Christmas Day.

19) Can you name all Santa's reindeer? I remember it because of the story (it was one of my favorite Golden Books) On,Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen. On Comet, and Cupid, and Donner, and Blitzen. Rudolph leads the pack, but wasn't in the original story....

20) Angel on the tree top or a star? I have a ceramic angel. It was a gift from a teacher that I helped in the classroom (grading papers, etc.). Thank you Mrs. Rein!

21) Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Taylor gets to open one present Christmas Eve (new pajamas) and the rest in the morning.

22) Most annoying thing about this time of year? The fact that Christmas decorations go up so early in stores.

23) What is the "corniest" family tradition you do or miss doing? I don't think we have a tradition! Ack... maybe we need one!

24) Ugliest Christmas decorations ever invented? I recently saw the most blinding outdoor lights ever invented - they were green, blue, and purple and they flickered. I think I saw spots for several minutes after looking at that house lit up.

25) Which looks the best...theme trees or homey trees? I like both. Ours is a homey tree full of fun purchased ornaments or ones that we've made over the years, but I love the coordinated look of themed trees too.

26) What does Christmas mean to you? Aside from the religious meaning behind Christmas, I look at it as a way to spend quality time with friends and family.

And now that my list is done, I'm tagging Sharon! As for a weather update - so far in Wichita we've been very lucky. The temperatures managed to stay above freezing overnight so we've mostly had a mix of rain and sleet - it's a good thing considering how heavy it rained at times last night (I could easily see how we would have had an inch of ice already). We lost power briefly overnight, but came back on fairly quickly. The weather is supposed to continue throughout the day and I'm crossing my fingers we continue to stay away from the significant icing - at least schools are canceled (Taylor is thrilled to have a snow day) so we don't have to get out in all of this!