I'm Always a Kid on Christmas!

I'm (un)officially done with my first semester of grad school, so to celebrate I'm linking up with Helene and Tay for I'm Always a Kid on Christmas!

I get SUPER excited for 24 hours of A Christmas Story, a family tradition.

A house in my hometown has this in their window every year

I love any excuse to listen to excessive amounts of Vince Guaraldi, the guy who does the music for the Peanuts.

I love, love, LOVE to go looking at Christmas lights. Like, LOVE. I could do it every night if I had the time and the money for gas. And light parks.

My Dad's church does the LoveFeast service every Christmas Eve and it's one of my favorite traditions, even if we only started about 5 or 6 years ago.

circa Xmas '89

Christmas Day is an excuse to wear PJs all day - if you know one thing about me it's that I loooove my PJs!

There's lots of fun parties to go to and people to see!

PRESENTS - even when I know (almost) everything I'm getting (like this year). I can never quite contain my excitement for presents.

Christmas card shoot with my new seesters, circa 2001

Shopping for other people. I absolutely LOVE brainstorming and then shopping for gifts for my loved ones.

Shetland Ponies. Let me explain, apparently when my dad's dad was a little boy, he always wanted a Shetland Pony. Somehow that transferred into our family calling our biggest, most expensive present our "Shetland Pony." So every year, I get excited to find out what my Shetland Pony is! I almost always know, but it's still exciting to open it and see it for the first time!

Having any excuse to dress up. Even if it is in a home made tacky sweater.

Tacky Christmas/White Elephant/End of the World party last year

Christmas food. All of the food. Turkey. Stuffing. Cookies. Candy. Kahlua. All of the food.

Dressing my dog up in Christmas sweaters.

Watching the weather to see if it will actually be cold on Christmas.

IT SNOWED ON CHRISTMAS LAST YEAR. IN TEXAS.

Friends and family. Spending so much time with them to the point you're tired of them. But you still love them so you never want to leave/them to leave.

Christmas Music. "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidayyyyyys," anyone?

What makes you feel like a Kid on Christmas?

Christmas Survey

Can you believe it's Christmas Eve Eve?! Where did December (and 2011) go?! Anyway, I've seen this survey on a few blogs and thought I'd partake in the festivities!

1. egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate, please.
2. does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa wraps all his presents now, but once upon a time he left a few unwrapped.
3. multi-colored or white lights on tree/house?
White on the tree. Multi-colored or white on the house. Unless it's icicle lights, then those are always white.
4. do you hang mistletoe?
I think my dad and step-mom do.
5. when do you put up decorations?
My mom usually does it the weekend after Thanksgiving but this year we waited a bit since we were unsure of Nappy's reaction. (He's done very well, if you're dying to know.)
6. what is your favorite holiday dish?
I love all the cookies and sweets! I have the BIGGEST sweet tooth of anyone I know.
7. favorite holiday memory as a child.
My grandmother used to have this old stuffed Snoopy that she'd dress up for Christmas and Easter. I loved walking into her house Christmas Eve to see him in his Santa suit on the piano. I love Snoopy in general.
8. when did you learn the truth about Santa?
What do you mean? ;)
9. do you open a gift on Christmas eve?
Most years I open presents at my dad's on Christmas Eve. When I was younger we always went to the aforementioned grandmother's house for presents.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
My mom's tree is all Santa ornaments. My dad and step-mom usually have two trees, one with angels and the other is ornaments my step-sisters and I made and random cutesy stuff.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
Never comes on Christmas in East Texas (except two years ago I think it was, we had flurries on Christmas Eve - it was crazy). But I love it! I'm dying for it to snow so Nappy can frap through it!
12. Can you ice skate?
Not. At. All.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Excellent question. I honestly don't know.
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Having time to spend with family and friends.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
I'm good with a simple sugar cookie haha
16. what is your favorite holiday tradition?
24 hours of A Christmas Story on TBS Christmas Eve and Day.
17. what tops your tree?
I don't think any of my family's trees have anything on top... I told my mom I'm going to get her a Santa hat for her topper next year.
18. which do you prefer: giving or receiving?
Giving - especially if I know what i'm giving is what the person wants! But I love getting gifts, too - I won't lie.
19. candy canes. yucky or yummy?
I'm just not a huge peppermint person and candy canes are just fancy peppermints.
20. favorite Christmas show?
A Christmas Story and Elf are my top two favorite Christmas movies, for sure.
21. saddest Christmas song?
Are there sad ones?
22. favorite Christmas song?
Santa Baby, Baby It's Cold Outside, and All I want for Christmas is You.

Now it's your turn!

Music Monday: Christmas Edition

We're under a week left till Christmas! I've been done with Christmas shopping for over a week now but some people I know (*cough-my dad-cough) are not done. Or weren't this weekend. But that's beside the point. The week of Christmas is here and it's time to listen to NOTHING but Christmas music because in a few short days, it won't be socially acceptable to listen to it 24/7 and my Holiday XM stations will disappear again.














Will you be watching 24 straight hours of A Christmas Story Saturday and Sunday? It's a family tradition with my family. We're a tad obsessed. It's definitely my favorite Christmas movie. I dare to say of all time.

What are your favorite Christmas songs and movies?

PS - A Little bit naughty and a whole lot of funny just came on my iTunes shuffle.

Holiday Hoobeewhaty?

I love looking at Christmas lights. Love love love. A few years ago my friends and I started Tacky and Tasteful, where we drive around a look at lights and deem them tacky or tasteful for our own enjoyment. Just for the record, blow ups in yards are always tacky. Unless it's Snoopy. And then, Snoopy is only not tacky if he's by himself. Multiple blow ups is the cardinal sin of yard decorations. We're totally kidding... except the blow ups. And the moving reindeer. Those things are scary.

ANYWAY. There's a family here in town (except they moved this year so they're not technically in town anymore) that does a fantastic light show every year (except last year, which was sad). But here's a glimpse of their old house and their amazeballs (yea, I brought it back) light show.


I know, right? The fact that they're not in town anymore (and Nappy being sick this week) has put a damper on jumping the car to go sit over there to watch multiple times. But this weekend, my friends and I are finally hitting the streets and the light parks to look at lights! I'm SO excited!

This might be the best thing we've found. Ever.

What are some of your favorite parts of Christmas time?

Favorite Friday

My second Favorite Friday! This week, in honor of Christmas, my favorite is A Christmas Story. Especially when it's on for 24 hours on TBS starting at 7 pm on Christmas Eve. Here's the trailer from this 1980's cult classic. My dad introduced me at a very young age and obviously, it's a tradition to leave you TV on TBS for pretty much all 24 hours with this in the background. Nothing says classic Christmas movie like a movie that includes a leg lamp, let's be real.



Target clearly knows of A Christmas Story's awesomeness and although I've only seen this commercial once, I'm pretty obsessed with it. I finally found it yesterday and since it fits with my Favorite this Friday, here it is.



I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families this weekend.

Day Twenty-Seven, Eight, and Nine

I told you I'm not motivated to finish this at all, but luckily tomorrow will be the last day and then I won't have to feel guilty any more...

Day 27 - A photo of me from last year and how I've changed...

This is exactly a year (and a few days) old. Most obviously how I've changed: I'm 22, not 21; I graduated from college; I'm unemployed; I no longer live with these two fabulous ladies because I live at home with my mom due to the unemployed-ness. I also think my temper has changed. I get frustrated over some of the most random things and way more easily than ever.

Day 28 - My favorite movie.
This is a toughy because I love movies. I'm obsessed. At any given time, there are at least 3 movies I'd love to see in theaters. Then I have to buy the ones I like when they come out on DVD. I am obsessed. I guess currently a few of my favorites include, but are definitely not limited to:
Remember Me

A Christmas Story

Anchorman

Day 29 - Something I could never get tired of doing...
Good question... I'm exhausting the list of my favorite things in my head and I can imagine myself getting tired of most, if not all of them. I guess what I'd get LESS tired of would be being creative. I love the creative process and being hands on while creating whatever it is I was thinking of.

ONE MORE DAY!!! I'm so glad. This 20 day blog challenge didn't sound too awful at the beginning but it's just bad now.