Holiday Hoopla!

I wasn't specifically tagged by anyone for this, but since Christmas is my favorite holiday, I thought I'd join in the fun.

Rules
1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas

2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word (which, for you bloggy newbies, is meme)

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

Let the randomness begin!

1. My parents planted a pine tree in the front of my house when I was born. Every year we'd hang lights on that tree to help Rudolph find his way to my house. I could reach the top of it at one point. Now it's so tall I can't see the top of it when looking out the front door anymore.

2. One of my greatest Christmas memories was watching the Santa Bear cartoon on Christmas Eve before going to bed. I decided that I really wanted a stuffed Santa Bear that year and so I left a note with the hot chocolate (Santa needed something to warm him up) and cookies asking Santa if he had an extra one would he leave it for me. The next morning there was a Santa Bear under the tree with a note from Santa saying he found an extra on in the sleight. I very much believed in Santa that year.

3. My mom used to tell me that if there was something I wanted for Christmas and she bought it, we had to leave it for Santa's elves to come pick up so he could bring it for me on Christmas Eve. One year she bought me a brown teddy bear and we left it out on the dryer in the back room for the elves to come pick up. A little while later I checked on the dryer and the bear was gone. I really thought elves picked it up. Turns out, mom tossed it into the dryer hoping I wouldn't check for it.

4. My parents would only set up the Christmas tree the week before Christmas and take it down the week after. Now I set up my tree the day after Thanksgiving and leave it up until New Years.

5. I'm looking forward to those handmade ornaments Bug will bring home from school. I still have most of the ornaments I made in school, even thought they are not on my tree.

6. When I got married my mom gave me the big box of Christmas ornaments that we had collected over the years. I'm talking those old glass balls, and bags of tinsel, strings of lights (those big bulbed ones and the little ones, too). I finally went through it all last year and tossed a bunch of stuff that was broken or I just wouldn't (or shouldn't because it was a fire hazard) use. I still feel guilty about that. I did keep a few things like the glass Christmas tree topper my parents had for years, but never used...

7. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail every year and string them above my mantel with a string tied between 2 wall sconces and mini clothes pins from my baby shower.

8. I mail out as many cards as possible, but if I'll see you before Christmas, prepare to have a hand delivered card. I'm kind of a cheapskate.

9. On of my favorite Christmas presents was when I was 3 years old. I got a Fisher Price Little People House. I played with that thing for hours. Now I've recently passed it down, along with my Farm and Merry-go-round to Bug. I hope he enjoys the hours of fun I had with that house.

10. I grew up with a wood burning fireplace, but my parents always said it was difficult for Santa to get out of the fireplace since it basically locked from the outside. We used to leave our front door unlocked so Santa could get in easier. We lived out in the country where there was no one around and Dad locked the door as soon as Mom had me in bed, but still. Since we, too, have a fireplace that latches from the outside and don't want to teach that leaving our door unlocked is ok, we created a Magic Key to leave for Santa. We are going to give it to Bug this year and every year we will put it outside by the front door so Santa can let himself in.

11. My favorite holiday treat is Hot Chocolate. I recently found an awesome recipe for Hot Chocolate that I modified for my taste. I'm thinking a cup sounds mighty good with lunch on this cold snowy day.

12. I hate coming up with a list of things that I want for Christmas, even though it makes it easier on those who want to buy for me. I always feel greedy by asking for things that I normally wouldn't buy for myself. And Darling Hubby is so hard to buy for. I don't like to buy things from his list because I feel like I didn't put any effort or thought into it. I always feel like I have to top the gift from last year...but I know that's just silly and I really don't try to do that anymore. I've never been able to top the $300 Lego Star Destroyer I bought him in 2003.

I'm tagging Annie and Shell, since they are blogger newbies and need to have a bit of Hoopla to really get them initiated to the blogging world.