Christmas Meme... Take 2

I saw Amy at Keeping Up With The Schultz Family do another Christmas meme, and thought I'd play along too.  :-)


1. What is your Favorite Christmas Movie?
Love, Actually & The Family Stone

2. What is your Least favorite Christmas Movie?
Jingle All The Way


3. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Carol of The Bells & O Holy Night.

4. What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy?
Jingle Bell Rock.  I know almost everyone likes it; but for me...it just grates my nerves.

5. What is your favorite Christmas Drink? (ie. egg nog, hot chocolate)
Mint hot chocolate!


6. What is your favorite Christmas Memory?
That would be the year we slid down the mountain.  When I was about 10, it was our year to be with my dad's family in New Mexico. My aunt wanted to combine our holiday with her in-laws, so we all were going up to their house in the mountains.  Well, my aunt's Subaru & the snow didn't go along with that plan.  We got about halfway up this really steep incline...and slid backwards all the way back down.  It never occured to me to be scared.

7. What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
The best gift I ever received was two years ago - an industrial Kitchen-Aid stand mixer.  I worship that thing!
 8. What is the worst toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
Oh, by far the worst is getting socks for Christmas....

9. What do you LOVE about the holidays?
Just about everything.  Christmas spirit, shopping, cards, and decorating.
 10. What annoys you about the holidays?
Seeing the same commercial over and over and over again.  If I wanted the product - I would have bought it the FIRST time I saw the commercial.

11. Do you prefer star or angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else?
I prefer angels.

12. What is your family favorite recipe at Christmas?
I have my favorite dishes... but because I like cooking so much, I tinker with them every time I make them.

13. Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmastime?
Cindy Lou Who all the way!

14. Christmas light displays - Love them or Hate them?
LOVE THEM!  I adore driving around and finding all the tacky light displays.

15. Santa's at the mall - Fun times or Creepy?
I've seen a few creepy ones, but most of the time - fun!

16. Christmas cards - do you send them, yes or no?
Absolutely!  It's one of the few times I do snail mail.

17. What is the best thing about Christmas, in your opinion?
Giving everyone gifts.
 18. What is the worst thing about Christmas?
All the advertising.


19. When do you put the tree up and take it down?
It usually goes up the first week of December, and down a few days after Christmas.

20. Out of the 12 days of Christmas, which day and item would you want your truelove to give to you?
I'm a sucker for jewelry... Five golden rings.

21. Why do you think that Grandma got run over by a reindeer?
Blizzard conditions and perhaps a little too much eggnog.

22. Who is your favorite reindeer?
Vixen


23. Do you believe in Santa Claus?
Yes, yes I do.

24. What is your favorite smell at Christmas time?
Cookies baking, candy canes and the smell of snow.


25. What would make you happy at Christmas this year?
JC and the boys home from Afghanistan.


Here are the awesome Amy's answers. I'm tagging ALL of you! Please let me know if you decide to play along. I'd love to read your answers. :-)

Pay It Forward

*Blogger trouble again; sorry! This post was intended for Saturday afternoon.*

This morning, I went to get coffee at Dunkin Donuts, and was reminded why I take such joy in the Christmas season.  I know, I know....how exactly did coffee remind you of why you enjoy Christmas?

Well, I waited in line (in my toasty warm car) and ordered my iced latte (yes, this crazy girl loves iced beverages during the winter); when I got up to the window to pay - I was informed that the person before me had bought my coffee!! 

It bought the biggest smile to my face!  I, of course, said that I'd pay for the person behind me.  That brought an even bigger smile to the girl at the drive-through.  "Bless you", she said. "I have to tell you that this has been going on for FOUR HOURS."

I gasped in amazement.  I come from a city of nice people - but was utterly amazed that the Christmas spirit of giving had lasted that long.

*Afterword (ya know; since it didn't post like it was supposed to):
Being the caffeine-driven girl that I am, stopped at Dunkin again on my way home following Heather's birthday shin-dig.  I was a little sad that someone had stopped the trail of kindness - but by that time, it had gone on almost 12 hours.*

And that, is why I love Christmas.



 

Christmas Meme

I got tagged by Amy @ Keeping Up With The Schultz Family for a Christmas meme.  It seems like fun, so I'm going to play along.  :-)

After you finish this tag be sure to link up with Heather@ Top 10 Christmas; she orginated the meme and wants to share everyone's posts.


1. Have you started your Christmas shopping?
Yes!!  I'd be freaking out if I hadn't.

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions.
Every year we put up the nativity scene that my mom made back in the '70's.  :-)  And everyone in the family gets a new ornament each year.

3. When do you put up your Tree?
Usually the first weekend in December.

4. Are you a Black Friday shopper?
I've been on both sides; the consumer and the retailer.  NEVER AGAIN!  Though I do have some funny stories from working retail!

5. Do you Travel at Christmas or Stay home?
As a kid - I traveled every other year to my see my dad's family in TX/NM.  These days, it's celebrated a few towns away at my Aunt's house.  Last year, I was up at Ft. Drum most of Christmas Day.


6. What is your funniest Christmas memory?
Ah, that's an easy one!  That would be the year we picked out a tree that had been sprayed by a moose/deer.  Once it had been inside for a few hours, the tree (and very soon after, the house) REALLY STUNK!!  That was the last year of getting a "real" tree.


7. What is your favorite Christmas Movie of All time?
Hmm... I'd have to say Love, Actually.


8. Do you do your own Christmas Baking, what’s your favorite treat?
Yep, I certainly do my own Christmas baking.  I don't have one favorite - I do chocolate chip cookies, fudge, turtles, biscotti and many more.  :-)


9. Fake or Real Tree?
Um... fake.  See #6.


10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done?
The panic starts Thanksgiving Day if I don't have all the Christmas shopping done.


11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?
With any luck - no!


12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?
I take great joy out of everyone being together and talking over each other, watching TV and just enjoying the organized chaos.


13. What Christmas craft do you like the best?
All of them!!  Making little stocking for co-workers, doing Christmas cards, wreaths, etc.

14. Christmas music? Yes or No, and if yes What is your favorite song?
I love Christmas Music, but only AFTER Thanksgiving. I think "O Holy Night" and "Carol of the Bells" are my favorites.


15. When do you plan to finish all your shopping?
Usually- I'm done by Thanksgiving.  This year - I hope to finish this weekend.


Do you want to play along?

Just simply copy and paste the questions into your blog, and then answer them.

•Then tag 5 or more of your favorite blogs, and leave them a comment telling them they’ve been tagged.

•When you post on your blog, please spread some Christmas Cheer, and leave a link back to Heather's blog (Top 10 Christmas), and the blog that you were tagged by. (which is All The Small Stuff.)

Heather would like any blogger to participate in this meme, even if you have not been tagged She will go back and add your blog link to the list if you wanna play along.

I tag:

• Jane @ Moonflowers Mojitos and Me
• Sara @ This Beautiful Thing
• Sara @ Unwrap Life
• Kathie @ My Net Finds
• Janet @ Stuff I Think About
• Tiffany @ Memoirs of a Munchkin Mommy

Anyone else that wants to join in!  Just let me know that you took part too.

And finally - today's Christmas song.

Christmas Card List

Happy Friday!  I'm working on getting all my Christmas cards done this weekend.  So many people to send to this year!  ;-)

I love getting Christmas cards and I bet you do too.  If you want to be on my Christmas card list - email me!!  I'd love to send you a card!

And here is today's Christmas song.

Grr...

Well, I just realized that Blogger didn't post what I had planned for today.  Sigh.

I'll post it tomorrow instead... but I promised that I'd share a Christmas song a day, so here you go.  :-)

Wordless Wednesday

Beckett has taken to burrowing himself into my pillows lately....

Today's Christmas song:



I can't help but smile when I hear this song.  ;-)

Tuesdays At The Table - Leftover Turkey Enchilada Casserole

For those of you that only check in on Tuesdays - I hope you had a FABULOUS Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and food!

If you're like me, you have tons of leftovers.  I got tired of looking at the Turkey carcass on Sunday night and carved all the meat off of it.  :-)

My mom heard a turkey enchilada casserole on Rachael Ray, and passed it along to me.  I was only half listening - but it came out GREAT!

Leftover Turkey Enchilada Casserole

1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked turkey, diced
1 package flour tortillas
1 jar (16 oz) salsa verde
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons (approximately) vegetable oil

Mix diced turkey and about 3/4 (12 oz) of the salsa verde in a bowl and set aside.

Heat tortillas in the oil, one at a time for about  10 seconds.  Drain on paper towels.

In casserole dish, place a layer of tortillas. Top with ½ of turkey mixture and ½ of black beans. Place another layer of tortillas topped with turkey mixture and beans. Top with tortillas. Place the last 4 oz of salsa verde on top of tortillas. Top casserole with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Serve with sour cream and guacamole (optional).

What's cooking in your kitchen?

And now, for today's Christmas song of the day...  :-)