The Jingle All The Way Christmas Tag

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” and as I’m gearing up for the festive season, I thought what better way that to jump straight in with a Christmas Tag.

Where will you be celebrating Christmas this year?
This year we are hosting Christmas in our own home. We have family coming for the day and I’m really looking forward to just being able to relax and not having to rush around visiting others

Who are you celebrating with?
We have my family and the Mr’s family coming together this year. I’m not sure how we will squeeze everyone in but it’ll be fun and cosy.

Do you own any ugly Christmas jumpers?
Many. I get told off for buying a new one each year but I like to have a choice and I can wear them all throughout the Christmas period.

How do you spend Christmas Eve?
Christmas Eve is one of my favourite days of the year. We bake mince pies, decorate the gingerbread house, feast on a charcuterie board filled with breads, meats and cheeses with family and friends before attending the Christmas service at our local church.

When do you put up your decorations?
Growing up it always used to be the 12^th December but now that we are fully fledged adults with our own family, we made the tradition to put the tree and decorations up on the 1^st December.

Do you have a decorating theme?
I don’t really have a theme but I do love the traditional garlands etc. My tree is an eclectic mix of decorations that we have collected over the years.

Do you have a tree topper?
A light up star that’s probably too big as we have to create a makeshift support so that it doesn’t fall off every year.

What’s been your least favourite gift that you have received?
I was gifted a festive loose tea set one year with a Santa tea strainer, whilst I would probably quite like that gift now, my 8 year old self was a little baffled.

What would you like to find in your stocking this year?
Since a puppy isn’t a sensible option, I’m honestly happy to receive anything

When did you start buying gifts this year?
Too late? I have the best intentions of starting shopping early every year, but it never happens.

Have you ever recycled a gift?
I won’t lie, yes I have. I hate the idea of gifts going to waste so I’ll happily re-gift if I know that someone else would like it and get some use out of it. It’s usually bath smellies though because I have sensitive skin.

What’s your favourite Christmas food?
I’m all about that Christmas dinner but over the Christmas period I love all the snacks from the mince pies to all the cheeses.

What do you leave out for Santa?
We like to mix it up every year so he doesn’t get bored. There’s always a treat like a mince pie and a tipple to keep him warm, last year we left a mulled cider which went down a treat.

Have you ever been carolling?
Back in my youth I was in the church choir for carolling. Nowadays we just go to Christmas mass and enjoy the carolling service there.

What do you usually have for Christmas dinner?
Everything! Honestly we go overboard with turkey or a 3 bird roast, Christmas ham, roasties, carrot & swede mash, honey roast vegetables, many stuffings, pigs in a blanket, sprouts, spiced red cabbage, cranberry sauce and lashings of gravy.

When do you open gifts?
The crack of dawn! It’s usually just after we have breakfast

How do you spend Boxing day?
Boxing day is usually a day when the whole family gets together for a buffet

Describe a Christmas present you wanted badly as a kid, but never received
There was a Mr Frosty machine that I asked for every year but never received, being an adult now I kind of understand why I never received it.

Have you ever kissed anyone under the mistletoe?
The Mr when we first got together

What’s your favourite character from a Christmas-themed movie, book, or TV special?
I love Buddy the Elf, I think you either love him or you hate him. His festive spirit excites me

If you were Santa Claus, what treats would you want to be left out for you on Christmas Eve?
Probably chocolates and maybe something savoury.

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?
I’m quite greedy and have three that I couldn’t possibly choose from, The Muppets Christmas Carol, Elf and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

Have you ever had a White Christmas?
The year Little Leg’s was born, it snowed throughout December and January but not on Christmas day…does that count?

Where do you usually spend your holidays?
We usually take turns by spending Christmas day with family each year. This year we are hosting so have family coming to visit us

What is your favourite Christmas song?
Where do I start? I love Last Christmas and also Driving Home for Christmas. They both leave me feeling super festive.

Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?
No! People do this?
We’re up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning to have breakfast and open presents. It usually takes a few hours to get through everything and tidy up.

Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? (No cheating!)
Dasher, Dancer, Donner, Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Prancer, Vixen, and Rudolph….did I get them all?

Which holiday traditions are you looking forward to this year?
We have so many traditions now. Some that we have continued from childhood and some that we have started for our own little family. Some of my favourites include, the annual mince pie baking, building the gingerbread house, carolling at church on Christmas Eve, picking out new baubles from the garden centre to add to the tree each year, ice skating, the annual panto trip and visits to the Christmas markets.

Is your Christmas tree real or fake?
We’ve had real trees before but this year we are going back to an artificial tree. I do love the smell of a real tree though.

What is your favourite holiday treat/sweet/food?
It’s got to be Christmas dinner, hasn’t it? I’m all about that turkey, the roasties, pigs in blankets, lashings of gravy…..It’s the only time of year when I overestimate my eating capabilities and pile my plate high!

Be honest, do you prefer giving or receiving gifts?
Giving. As nice as it is to receive gifts, I’m one of those people that struggles to think of what they want or need. I love buying for other people and seeing their faces, especially the children.

What is the best Christmas present that you have ever received?
Over the years I received some great gifts but as a child I remember being so excited when I opened the SNES and also the year I received a Lucy Locket, I took it everywhere with me.

What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season?
Lapland! I just think the whole experience would be magical and you are never too old for Christmas magic.

Are you a pro wrapper or do you fail miserably?
Before Little Legs, I used to have all the time in the world for wrapping gifts. There would be ribbon, elaborate bows etc but now its very much a military procedure. They don’t look terrible, they’re just not perfect.

Most memorable Christmas moment?
Our first Christmas with Little Leg’s. It was the first year of being parents and I remember the excitement that I felt for future Christmases to come.

What made you realise the truth about Santa?
I’m still a believer in Christmas magic but I had my suspicions confirmed when my mum fell down the stairs whilst carrying a stocking to my room.

What makes the holidays special for you?
It sounds so cliché but spending time with family makes it special. I really enjoy just spending time together, playing games, eating too much and having a festive tipple.

I’m tagging the following bloggers to take part in the Jingle All The Way Tag, Sophie from Life As Mrs D, Claire from Our Favourite Jar, Thia from The Honest Mums Club, Hannah from Saving Moving Mummy, Laura from Autumn’s Mummy, Lynsey from Mummy, That’s Me and Sarah from This German Mama.
Merry Christmas to you all!