Holiday Tag

Jillian @ Random Ramblings started this holiday tag to get into the spirit of the season.  Thanks :)

1.  When do you usually know and feel that it's finally the holidays?
When many of the houses in my neighbourhood have their holiday lights & decorations up outside.

2.  What do you want for Christmas this year?
I have a few books I'd really like, Donkey Kong Country Returns for Nintendo Wii (brings out the nerdy child in me :D), iTunes gift card (mostly to get a lot of Beatles tunes!), and I always need Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm this time of year :)

3.  Do you go all out with decorations?
We scrapped and/or replaced some furniture this year, which meant giving away some indoor decorations, but we have several Xmas odds & ends throughout the house, our beautiful artificial tree (about 6' tall with tiny yellow lights, golden tinsel & lots of ornaments), and on the outside, we have red & green lights around our garage door, bookended by two green & red wreaths.

4.  What are you doing Christmas Eve?
My parents & I are going to my aunt & uncle's house to visit with the cousins, most of whom go their separate ways on Christmas Day.

5.  What are you doing Christmas Day?
My parents & I exchange gifts, have delicious gooey cinnamon buns for breakfast, and then starting in the early afternoon, we're hosting my aunt & uncle, a couple of cousins, and my grandma all at our house--turkey dinner, gift exchange, the works!

6.  It's Christmas time. What are you reading?
Right now, I'm halfway through The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, which I'm really enjoying & it's picking up, so I can't wait to reach the conclusion!  As for Xmas reading in particular, I don't have traditional reading material for this time of year, but I just love reading what I have on the TBR shelf and anything new I get for the holidays :)

7.  Favorite movie to watch during the holidays?
My all-time fave is Christmas Vacation, which we watch every Christmas Eve.  I also love to watch Babe, Edward Scissorhands, The Family Stone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, and any Xmas episodes of The Simpsons.

8.  Favorite Christmas song?
"Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time" by Paul McCartney.  Traditionally speaking, "The Little Drummer Boy" by Roger Whittaker, an Xmas LP my family listens to every year.

9.  Favorite holiday drink?
Hot chocolate is a great change of pace from the daily coffee run.  On occasion, I also love Bailey's.  I'm not really an egg nog kind of gal :D

10.  How is your Christmas shopping going?
I got a lot finished on Monday & baked a banana bread loaf for my grandma today, so I just have some stocking stuffers left to get for my parents and a couple more gifts for other "rellies" :)

11.  If you could spend Christmas Day anywhere else, where would you spend it?
It's hard to imagine spending Christmas anywhere but my own house, but if I had to, I'd love to go to a mountain resort or a log cabin atop some snowy hills perfect for skiing and sledding :)

12.  Any holiday traditions?
My family switches houses, so our turn comes every 5 years to host.  We also watch Christmas Vacation every Xmas Eve night and have cinnamon buns for Xmas breakfast.

13. Favorite thing about the Holidays?
Spending time with family and thinking about the new year ahead.