I am such a sucker for holiday fun and when I saw Natasha, Lindsay, Alexandra and Tina post a holiday survey on their blogs, I just had to hop on board!
I love reading about holiday traditions (your comments about special ornament traditions in your family made my heart melt), so I figured I would do the survey and then you can participate in the comments section of this post if you would like to share a little insight into how the holidays go with your family! Select any (or all) of the questions below to play along!
25 Questions: Holiday Style
- Eggnog or hot chocolate?
Both. And both with whipped cream.
- Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
He wraps them! All of my presents were always wrapped in one type of wrapping paper and my sister’s gifts were wrapped in another!
- Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White lights outside and colored lights on the tree! Now Ryan and I have white lights inside and outside.
- Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but we do have a mistletoe headband that comes out every year with mistletoe that dangles from the front of it so you’re always under the mistletoe.
- When do you hang your decorations up?
The day after Thanksgiving.
- What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Our Christmas morning breakfast is my favorite! We always have an egg and cheese breakfast casserole called cheese puff casserole and monkey bread.
- Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Our annual “Rudolph Walk.” Just thinking about that walk every year makes me so grateful for my wonderful father and the effort he put into making our Christmas so special.
- What is on your Christmas wish list?
The “big ticket” item on my list this year is a lululemon stride jacket, but I’m not holding my breath! I also would love a roll-up toiletry bag and the gunmetal BIC Band headband.
- Do you open a gifts on Christmas Eve?
We only open one gift on Christmas Eve and it’s always a new pair of Christmas pajamas.
- How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
With lights and random ornaments. Nothin’ fancy! I just want my tree to be filled with ornaments that have memories attached to them and that make me smile.
- Snow? Love it or dread it?
Love it and miss it terribly. My family’s first Christmas in Florida after moving from Illinois in 2003 was hard. It felt weird to see palm trees decorated with Christmas lights and go for a walk on Christmas wearing only a light sweater.
- Real tree or fake tree?
Impartial.
- Do you remember your favorite gift?
I was a serious tomboy growing up and I remember being so excited for the Christmas when I got a life-size cardboard cut out of Michael Jordan. Yes, I am serious. I also loved the framed copy of Ryan’s proposal speech that he gave to me the Christmas after we got engaged.
- What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?
Spending time with my family.
- What is your favorite holiday dessert?
I think monkey bread should count as a dessert, no? If not, my grandma’s homemade sugar cookies can’t be beat.
- What is your favorite tradition?
Now that we live in Florida, we decorate my parents’ boat with Christmas lights and take it up and down the nearby canals on Christmas Eve while blasting Christmas music. That’s a Florida Christmas for ya!
- What tops your tree?
An angel. Every year my family does a “drumroll” while my dad puts the angel on top of the tree.
- Do you prefer giving or receiving?
I kind of want to be Santa. I get so, so excited to give people gifts, especially when I think I got them something they will love but may not have asked for outright.
- What is your favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night.
- Candy canes, yuck or yum?
Meh. Put them on top of some peppermint bark and now we’re talkin’!
- Favorite Christmas movie?
Christmas Vacation. My family quotes this movie year round.
- What do you leave for Santa?
Cookies and milk for Santa. Baby carrots for the reindeer.
- Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?
My parents used to make me and my sister wait until we could see the first signs of sunlight before we’d get up! We always open our stockings at the breakfast table while eating cheese puff casserole and monkey bread and drinking orange juliuses.
- Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?
At the mall!
- Christmas letter or Christmas card?
We always do Christmas cards in my family, but I love reading Christmas letters from other people.
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Christmas CARD with picture attached please and thanks! I tired to do some online shopping this year and it’s just not the same. I love the mall because it is filled with some much Christmas Glamour, just gets me in the mood 🙂
the gunmetal BIC Band is my faaaavorite one. it’s gross because I wear it constantly. 😉
I love hearing about Christmas traditions. My husband and I are starting our favorite traditions with our children this year. Also, I love your stockings. I have been having a hard time finding a new one for my 6 week old! They are all just too gaudy!
I only had one thing on my Christmas list this year (and it’s being combined with my birthday present too)! My parents paid for my plane ticket to and lodging in New Orleans. I’m running my first marathon there in March!
And I think every suburban Chi family had a cardboard MJ! We did (and when I say we did, I clearly mean that we still do).
Love the fact you had a life size MJ in your room..Classic!
I love Christmas surveys! I’ll have to do this one tomorrow for some Friday fun! We have a lot of the same traditions – My brothers and my presents are always wrapped up in different wrapping papers, we always get christmas jammies on christmas eve and we eat the same breakfast every year on christmas morning!
Oh man, I laughed pretty hard at Sadie lurking in the photo of you and Ryan kissing….she’s adorable 🙂
best lululemon jacket EVER! hope santa includes it in your loot 🙂
i saw this on lindsay’s blog yesterday… i love little surveys too – they’re so fun. i plan on posting this one soon too! 🙂 love your answers!
I love this! The only Christmas traditions I have right now are with my family. This is the first Christmas for me where I’m not living at home. I can’t wait to start new traditions with my boyfriend – totally going to incorporate some of my family’s traditions! Like opening your stocking first, making french toast, always having a christmas orange in the heel of your stocking…ah I love Christmas!
Oooh I really hope you get the Stride Jacket! I’ve got a blue one (with Run:Speed sorts to match.. just because they were… on sale?) and love it!!! I might just have to steal this survey from you and post my answers soon! 😉
I am not a fan of egg nog, so hot chocolate with whipped cream! I used to have white lights on my tree, then I was gifted some FSU colored lights. Now my tree rocks the Garnet and Gold! I used to leave brownies and milk for Santa. I am pretty sure my niece and nephew leave peanut brittle and milk. I like giving, I want to give and give until I have no more money. That being said, I do most of my shopping at the mall!
Where are your and Ryan’s stockings from? So adorable!
pottery barn!
Thanks!! 🙂 Just ordered one for my BF!
O Holy Night is MY favorite too!!! SO great 🙂
That is an awesome boat tradition!
This is a really cute survey! I love reading about other poeple’s Christmas traditions especially since I don’t celebrate Christmast. I find it interesting 🙂
Yay for survey fun!! I loved reading your answers! That Rudolph walk sounds like a blast 🙂 and that peppermint bark?? YES PLEASE haha
Have a wonderful day!
Yay! So fun seeing you do the survey. I love getting a glimpse into how others do holidays.
Of note: that picture of you and Ryan should be framed.
And I’m dying at the Michael Jordan cut out. Only because I could SO see that being something you asked for as a little kid.
Christmas Vacation– YESS!!!! We watch that movie every year! It never gets old….
And my favorite christmas song is Christmas All Over Again by Tom Petty!
I love Christmas movies but haven’t seen (or heard of) the one you mentioned…that is going to change asap!
love. so stealing this for my blog post tomorrow!
I was a total tomboy as well. the oversized umbro shorts and t-shirts. wow.
We have a lot of the same traditions. This is getting me excited for next weekend!
Love the Christmas Eve boat ride!!! How much fun is that!
Your family sounds a lot like mine, Christmas is a very special time of year for my parents and I. I have soo many wonderful memories of Christmas as a kid.
Merry Christmas Julie!
I love this survey! I’m totally stealing this 🙂
Holy Night is my favorite Christmas song too. It gives me the chills when I hear it. Unfortunately, it’s also one that for the life of me, I’ll never be able to sing anywhere near in tune to it though!
Just got that lulu jacket. Best.buy.ever. Your gonna love it!
lulu jackets are the best!! And so is your favorite Christmas song – that’s mine too!
Any chance you can share the breakfast casserole recipe? I have a ton of guests coming and am looking for something to feed all!! Thanks!
Best roll-up toiletry bag…Brought it to Europe and LOVE it!!
http://www.verabradley.com/product/Category/Travel/Hanging-Organizer/1000947/defaultColor/Plum+Petals/pc/638/c/0/sc/646/p/1000947.uts
I’ve been eyeing this toiletry bag for the longest time! Now that I’ve heard a rave review, I think I’ll put it in my Christmas list (or buy it myself)! Now the tough part is deciding which pattern. Decisions, decisions!
shitters full.
That Lululemon jacket rocks! I got it for my b-day this year. If you don’t get it, gift it to yourself! 🙂
i’ve always wanted to try monkey bread. it looks so decadent!
So cute! This is the first Christmas my Dear and I are living together so it’s been fun sharing our past traditions and starting new ones! Also loving making DIY Christmas decorations 😀
Hi Julie, I have a (silly) question but I thought I’d ask you because among all the bloggers I’ve seen, you seem most approachable!
I’m really novice with the computer. I have microsoft word office 2010 and don’t know how to create folders or things like that; what are easy, accessible ways to learn?
How do you organize your ffitness and thngs? Do you use charts or just blog?
Hi Anne! Have you looked into computer classes at your local library? I know many libraries offer FREE classes that might be helpful! For me, I create folders for freelance work, pictures, etc. to help me stay organized. It would be kind of hard to type out descriptions without actually SHOWING you. I would definitely look into local classes or even Google/YouTube whatever it is that you’re trying to do. That has saved me a ton!!
This is too cute! I’m totally going to do this on my blog! And I’m sure christmas is weird in FL, I grew up in Kansas City and now I live in Chicago, so I’m used to the cold Christmases!
Gifts from Santa are unwrapped and fit in our stockings. Everything under the tree is wrapped and identified by giver. As a kid, one of our Santa gifts was always a new toothbrush. 🙂
Love this! I will definitely have to share on my blog too!, Im so excited!
OMG, I thought I was the only tomboy out there obsessed with Michael Jordan lol… For my 4th grade Christmas present I got an authentic jersey of his and still have it 🙂
Hope you find the pickle present this year :o)
Favorite Christmas song is Jingle Bells? by Barbara Streisand. Favorite Christmas movie White Christmas! And my favorite holiday tradition is that every year, on christmas Eve, I read ‘How the grinch stole christmas’ and ‘The polar express’ for my family. My mom cries EVERY year at the end of the polar express, when the sister can’t hear the bell anymore! So amazing.
LOVE this survey! So fun!! And super cute idea about the boat Christmas.. I wish it wasn’t so cold here in DC! I should get my butt to FL haha.
i love doing and getting xmas cards…they’re so fun!! they take up SO much time bc we put together a collage of pics but its definitely worth it. im not a huge fan of egg nog…so def hot chocolate for me…or actually, peppermint mocha from starbucks 🙂
That Lululemon jacket was on my christmas list too! Hope you get it!
What festive post! Seriously it just made me so excited for Christmas. I love the decorating the boat tradition!
Hi Julie, I did this on my blog too and linked back to you, this is such a cute idea! Here are some of my answers!
1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Definitely hot chocolate!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa always “bags” all of our gifts, and then sets them under the tree.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
We have white lights outside, colored lights on our “little kid tree” and white lights on our “adult tree”…overkill much? Maybe!
How fun!! Totally stealing this from you 🙂
gosh i love surveys.
you and me both!
I loved reading this! You have such wonderful family traditions that are so sweet. I’m wishing for that Lululemon jacket too!! Do you know where the mistletoe headband comes from? I’d love to get one of those! And I seriously love your dad’s tradition of finding rudolfs nose. SO cute!
You make me so happy with your enthusiasm for Christmas! When I told my roommate that I leave out cookies for Santa and a giant carrot for Rudolph she thought I was insane! So glad that people still do these traditions as they grow older 🙂
O Holy Night is my favorite song as well 🙂 Do you have a favorite version? I’m still on the hunt for the artist who nails the most dynamic part of the song “Fall on your knees…Oh hear the angels’ Voices!” Trans Siberian nails it, but I want vocals!
Post some tomboy pics! That would be too funny 🙂