My Real Life

1. If you bake during the holidays, what is your favorite thing to make?

I don’t bake any more during the holidays than I do the rest of the year, which is not much.

My friend, Allison, actually gave me a recipe that I was absolutely going to try to make this year.

Haven’t quite gotten to it.

In years past, I have baked chocolate chip and sugar cookies for the secretaries and custodians at our school, because, as any teacher or administrator can tell you, it is the secretaries and custodians who run the school…not the administrators.

I may do that over the weekend, but I think that will be the top of my holiday baking this year.

2. Present giving: Gift bag vs wrapped box?

Depends on the gift.

Gift card…always a bag.

Hostess gift…gift bag.

Presents for the kids?

Wrapping paper.

I got a great deal on some paper after Christmas a few years ago and so I’m stocked in wrapping paper for a few years, so it’s not really something I stress about.

3. What do you keep your thermostat on during the winter/summer in your house?

In the winter, we’ve been known to hover between 58 and 63.

The kids have all adapted and we dress warmly, however, I’ve been having some circulation issues with my diabetes, and I may wind up needing the heat a bit higher this winter, as my hands and feet are just icy, these days, when everyone else is just fine.

In the summer, I think we do 72, but to be honest, I don’t really remember.

Some days, anything is better than outside, so as long as it’s a little cooler indoors than out, we’re good.

4. When thinking of your “Christmas to-do list” what percentage “done” are you?

2%.

I haven’t had a second to go shopping, and the things that we want to get are things you need to go check out in a store and really can’t get online.

I’ve had a few things delivered, but that’s really it.

So, 2% sounds pretty accurate.

5. Do you do the “Elf on a Shelf”? If so, is your Elf naughty and what shenanigans has he gotten into?

No.

I really have some issues with the Elf.

I hold nothing against anyone else who does it, but it’s just not for us.

The whole naughty Elf thing gets me, too.

Isn’t the whole idea of the Elf that he’s there, reporting to Santa whether your kids are behaving?

So, why on Earth would he be misbehaving?  Shouldn’t he lead by example?

I don’t know…creepy.