On the most wonderful time of the year....

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?: Have to go with wrapping paper. Bags are sometimes necessary, but I love love love wrapping gifts and putting all the pretty bows all over them. It's really hard to beat!

2. Real or Artifical Tree?: I grew up with a real one so it's sentimental, but also a giant pain in the bum. Plus, a real tree costs every year what a fake one costs once and it'll last for, like, 50 years. Economics, people.

3. When do you put up the tree?: Day after Thanksgiving. Obviously. If I had my way, I'd put it up the second Santa rolls into Herald Square (there's a girl out there, K-Spence, who is after my own heart in this manner...and for that, I thank her!).

4. When do you take the tree down?: December 26-ish. It's just not Christmas anymore. I also don't listen to Christmas music after December 25th, despite my mother saying otherwise. She is wrong.

5. Do you like egg nog?: Yup. With or without brandy, it's frickin' delicious! I love the chubby holidays!!

6. Favorite gift received as a child?: That's a really hard one to say. I always loved the jammies my aunt would make for us every year. And once, I got the sheet music for The Little Mermaid soundtrack...that was pretty rad, especially since I got to play it all for the first time on my grandpa's big organ. Yes, I played Disney music on an organ. Go figure.

7. Hardest person to buy for?: My brother. No question about it. Every year, I ask what he wants and every year, he says, "I dunno. You're so good at choosing gifts, I'm sure whatever you get will be great!" Sheesh. It causes me great anxiety. He gave me a heads up this year, however. He wants an LP...yeah, like that won't be hard to find.

8. Easiest person to buy for?: Leo and Suki. Just some rawhide treats and a new collar and they are golden!

9. Do you have a nativity scene?: No, but I really want one. I'm holding out for the one my parents have, but they won't be giving it up any time soon. I'll have to pry it from their cold, dead hands.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?: When I do them, I do 'em right and send them in the mail. I love getting snail mail. It makes me feel special, so I figure other people must feel the same way as me!.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?: I can't answer that question. I don't think I've ever gotten a crappy gift. Unless it was white elephant, and then it's to be expected.

12. Favorite Christmas movie?: Either Muppet Christmas Carol or Love, Actually. Or The Holiday. Pretty much anything but It's A Wonderful Life. Gawd, I hate that movie.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?: I try to shop all year long to save myself the torture of the holidays at the mall. Usually I have everything done by late-November. I'm a bit behind the curve this year and still have some things I need to get. Ugh.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?: Yes, but it was legit. About a billion years ago, I got these giant stuffed animals...one was Flounder, another was Sebastian. I think I still have Flounder, but my teeny cousin also loved The Little Mermaid so a couple years ago, I went through all of my TLM stuff and sent it off to her...Sebastian was in the mix. She LOVED him!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?: My dad's fruitcake. Put aside all your feelings regarding fruitcake, because my dad's is the shiz. OMG. It's so good, I actually asked him to make a tiny one for my birthday one year. Nomz.

16. Lights on the tree: All of the lights. All of them, ever. Last year, there was approx. 1000 twinkle lights on the tree. LOVE IT!!

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home?: As a kid, I used to go with my family to Illinois and Pennsylvania every year. By the time I turned 16, we started staying at home in Colorado and I've loved every second of it! I'd be okay with taking a vacation from Christmas for Christmas some year...going somewhere tropical and amazing for a week and just chilling. And there was the time we went to Paris for Christmas. That didn't suck.

18. Favorite Christmas song?: I have to categorize for this.

Favorite Traditional: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Favorite Campy: I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas

Favorite Pop: Colorado Christmas

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph. Yes, I did that without looking it up.

20. Angel or Star tree topper?: Either is fine with me. I've had both. My friend has a disco ball right now, which is pretty much awesome. I don't care about the topper, so much as the tree topping ceremony!

21. Open presents on Christmas eve or morning?: It took 20 years, but we finally convinced my parents to let us open one small present on Christmas Eve. The rest we save for the morning. Santa comes in the night, after all!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?: That retailers seem to think Christmas starts in October...or, God forbid, July. WTF? Can't we just let each holiday have their own time?

23. Favorite ornament?: My parents have this gorgeous blown glass ornament with a rose on it. My sister and I fight over who gets to hang that one every year. I love it! And since she doesn't live in town anymore, I got to hang it this year. SUCKA!

24. Favorite food for Christmas dinner?: Gravy. Yup, I love the gravy. My dad makes the best gravy known to man and he taught me how to make it. I started as gravy watcher, moved to gravy stirrer, then graduated to gravy taster, and have recently been promoted to gravy adviser. YESSS!!!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?: A lot of things. Peace, love, and happiness most of all...for everyone. For always.