Sunday Stealing: Celebrating Christmas

I'm linking up with Bev for Sunday Stealing today!

Star or Angel?  Actually, I have a snowy owl at the top of my tree.

White Lights or Colored Lights?  Our current tree is pre-lit with warm white lights, but we have had rainbow, all red, and for a couple of years blue and green.

Blinking Lights or Still Lights?  I always seem to choose still lights, but sometimes I'll see a display at someone else's home with blinking lights and think it's really pretty.

When do you open your gifts?  At home we've always opened them on Christmas morning as soon as everyone is awake...though when the kids were very little we'd wait for my parents to get there (they'd come as soon as we'd call and say we were awake). Now Tim and I still open our gifts to each other first thing before heading to our daughter's home around noon. Up until this year we often opened gifts then had dinner. This year we opened gifts, but didn't have dinner until 5:00 to allow the kids to play and the rest of us to relax.

Do you buy gifts for your pet?  Of course! I buy them for my granddoggy and kitties and my furry sister, too. Daisy got lots of treats and toys this year. I gave the other dogs treats and new sweaters. The kitties got catnip-laced toys and those were a big hit! 

Be honest: What's the worst gift you've ever gotten?  A homemade gift that was supposedly made by our son's children (which I loved) but I later heard our daughter-in-law saying she just slapped them together, doing a crappy job to make it look like the kids did it. After that it meant nothing. I'd rather have the nothing they usually give us than something faked.

Have you ever traveled for the holiday?  Growing up, my family often traveled either the weekend before or after Christmas to celebrate with my mom's family.

Did you see Santa as a child?  Absolutely! My mom has photos of me with the Big Guy every year from age 3 to about age 8 or 9.

Can you name all the reindeer?  Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Prancer, Vixen, Donder, Blitzen...and Rudolph.

Have you ever gone caroling?  A few times years and years ago.

Do you drive around and look at the Christmas lights?  Yes. Tim and I just did this last night. It seems like a lot more people decorated this year than normal.

Have you ever left Santa cookies?  I really don't remember if I did as a kid, but we always made sure our kids left out cookies and milk plus carrots for the reindeer.

Have you ever had a white Christmas?  We had one this year. It started snowing on Christmas Eve and snowed all day on Christmas and until about lunchtime yesterday.

Have you ever made a gingerbread house from scratch? From a kit?  Not from scratch, but I made one from a kit with the grandkids a few years ago.

Be honest: Do you think the season is too commercial?  Yes.

Imagine you were going to create the quintessential holiday soundtrack -- which song(s) absolutely must be included?  White Christmas, I'll Be Home for Christmas, Mele Kalekimaka, Christmas in Killarny, I Celebrate the Day, Hallelujah...everything, really. I listen to Christmas music all through the season. Yes, I am one of those people who start listening in November.

What are your Christmas pet peeves?  Stores that advertise a fabulous special and then only have like 2 of the item; grouchy shoppers; grouchy cashiers and other store staff; and the lack of Jesus in the celebration.