Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas to you! I hope that you've had a wonderful day close to your nearest and dearest! I have!

I found these 20 Christmas Questions on Little Tin Bird's blog, and thought that it would be fun to play along!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper for me. I love choosing rolls of pretty paper, and buying co-ordinating ribbon and gift tags. I only use gift bags for bottles!

2. Real tree or artificial? Well, both actually! We had a real tree three Christmases ago, and it's still alive in the garden. It has blue lights twinkling away on it. We also have an artificial tree in the living room which we've had for a few years. And up in the loft I've still got my Mum's tree that she had when she was a girl, back in the 1930's. It needs a bit of TLC and I didn't get around to fixing it this year, but we'll have it up next year, for sure! It brings back so many memories!

3. When do you put up the tree? Always on Advent Sunday! I love seeing it through the whole of December!

4. When do you take the tree down? You'll probably think I'm a bit of a party pooper, but we take it down on New Year's Eve! I like to start the New Year all tidy!

5. Favourite gift received as a child? That's quite tricky as it was a long time ago! I can remember getting a wooden sewing box with layers that opened out when I was about 9, and one of my aunties gave me some sewing threads and a bag of bits of fabric and ribbons to go with it! I still use the box today!

6. Hardest person to buy for? My brother! He's so hard to buy for that now I don't!

7. Easiest person to buy for? That's easy! My best knitting pal Snoopydog! I know that if I like it, it's highly likely that she will too!

8. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail! I like to receive cards and to send them too!

9. Favourite Christmas movie? No contest - it has to be White Christmas! Guaranteed to make me cry, every time!

10. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Early! I start making a list in October, and try to get it all done before the shops get too hectic! Next year, I'm going to try to make more gifts (but only for those people who I know will appreciate them!)

11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so, but if I get given something that I know I'll never use, I pass it on to a charity shop.

12. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas pudding and custard! We always make our own pudding using this recipe and it's delicious!

13. Lights on the Christmas tree coloured or clear? Both!

14. Favourite Christmas song? I love Winter's Tale by David Essex, and Chris Rea's Driving Home for Christmas. Favourite carols are John Rutter's Angels' carol, and Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.

15. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home, home home! Nothing better!

16. Angel, star or ribbon at the top of the tree? An angel. Always have done!

17. Open the presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Always on Christmas morning, after breakfast!

18. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? People buying huge (and I really do mean huge) quantities of food at the supermarket. Who on earth can actually eat all that? It's like they're stocking up for a siege!

19. What do you want for Christmas this year? Well, I have got what I wanted from Mr JK - a swift! And we have our Christmas jigsaw too - it's become a bit of a tradition!

20. Traditional colours (red and green) or other colours? I don't have a colour theme. Some people seem to change each year, but I like to keep the decorations and add to them with little bits and pieces over the years! That way, they're full of wonderful memories! Decorations are pretty much limited to the tree and mantlepiece.

If you fancy playing along with the 20 Christmas questions, please feel free! Enjoy the rest of your Christmas Day, and go steady on those mince pies! xxx