1. What’s the best Christmas present you’ve ever received?
Interestingly, I covered this in last week’s Five Question Friday.
It was an electric typewriter that I received when I was a kid, enjoying Christmas at my grandparents house in Ohio.
Sometimes, when I’m doing some writing, I still wish I had that typewriter.
There is something about the click, click, click of the keys on a typewriter that makes the writing seem that much more fascinating.
2. Worst/Funniest White Elephant gift ever received?
I kinda take a White Elephant gift exchange for what it is.
You get what you get and you don’t get upset.
However, one year, I was at a holiday party and we were playing the gift exchange game.
One of the people at the party was a recent transport from down South and wasn’t really sure what to bring for a gift.
So, she brought a carved, wooden squirrel.
The woman who opened the squirrel had some very unkind things to say about it, and I remember watching as the giver just kinda slunk out of the room, got her coat, and went home.
I remember feeling sick to my stomach and so sad for her.
Someone had already reprimanded the woman who had made the remarks, but it put a fairly abrupt end to the game.
Again, I say…You get what you get and you don’t get upset.
3. Is your Christmas tree plain and simple (white lights and matching ornaments) or is it wild and crazy (colored lights with lots of ornaments collected over the years)?
It’s a mix.
White lights and a mish-mosh of ornaments.
Handmade ornaments from the kids to handmade ornaments from my childhood and fancy ornaments we’ve been given over the years.
I have four kids. I can’t imagine not having their ornaments displayed proudly right next to the fancy ones.
It makes them feel special and it shows the world that this is who we are.
Our tree is a good reflection of our lives.
Messy and complicated, inconsistent with lights that work some days and don’t others, and pretty and polished when we’re working at it, but basically, just a happy celebration of six lives lived together, for better or worse.
4. “How” do you iron your clothes? The old fashioned iron/ironing board way, the shower, back in the dryer, etc.
Ahahahahhahahahaha.
Oh, wait, that wasn’t a joke?
Now that I’m finally on top of the laundry situation around here (yes, you read that right…I’ve conquered my demon) I do my ironing like this:
When the dryer buzzes, I jump up from wherever I am, race to the dryer, fling open the door and pull out the still hot clothes. I give them a good shake and hang them right on a hanger.
Viola!
Clothes ironed.
5. How much baking do you do for Christmas and what are your “must make” items? (I’m looking for recipes here, peeps…)
I do about this much baking for Christmas.
What?
You can’t see that?
Exactly.
Okay, that’s an exaggeration.
I usually bake for the custodians and secretaries at my school.
I know the principal gets the big bucks, but let’s be honest…without the custodians and secretaries, the school doesn’t function.
Ask any teacher.
They know.
However, I usually just do chocolate chip or plain, old sugar cookies.
Last year, though, I took Rolo candies, put them in the oven for a few minutes, then pressed them on top of pretzel squares. (Google Rolo’s and pretzels for recipe) Actually, they are probably in last year’s December blog posts.
Those were ridiculously delicious.
Other than that…not a holiday baker.
And thus ends another edition of Five Question Friday.
Loved them all! I hate baking. My go to “cookie” is a pretzel with a Hershey’s Kiss melted in the middle and an M&M stuck in it. People love them though.
Comment by Jen — December 16, 2011 @ 8:15 am |