12 Questions of Christmas

Oh, Christmas. How wonderful it is to see you again! 

Hello there everyone, thank you for checking in with me! Today is December 13th, and please allow me to remind you that it's LESS THAN TWO WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS DAY! I don't know about you, but I for one, am pretty darn pumped! Bring on those presents, Santa! I promise I've been good this year!

In all seriousness, as I'm out and about going shopping, looking for presents to give to my loved ones. I find that homes throughout the neighborhoods are draped in beautiful, sparkling lights, while stores are covered wall to wall with fancy red bows and ribbons as good ole' classic Christmas music is playing joyfully in the background. So, I thought to go along with all of that Christmas cheer surrounding us, I'd do something a little different, but a whole lot of fun! I'm going to be answering questions from the "12 Questions of Christmas" tag! Which is beyond exciting as it's my first tag I've ever done here on When The Wild Things Grow.

It's pretty self-explanatory, but basically, there are twelve questions that I'll be answering relating to any and all things Christmas. I'm hoping you'll learn a little bit about yours truly, and how I like to celebrate. So, enough rockin' around the Christmas tree (That's the festive version of beating around the bush.) and let's get to answering these questions, shall we?

 QUESTION #1: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TRADITION? 

I definitely think that my favorite Christmas tradition would have to be watching The Polar Express on Christmas Eve with my mom. It's been our favorite holiday movie from the moment we saw it. It never seems to get old as the animation is still quite amazing and watching it is like witnessing a magical storybook come to life before your very eyes. 

It's always such a wonderful thing to be able to spend some quality time with my momma and my faithful pupper while sipping hot chocolate, eating our favorite snacks, opening just one gift from our stockings by a beautifully lit and decorated Christmas tree. "When Christmas Comes To Town" playing in the background, which happens to be one of the best songs from the movie...It all comes together as the perfect recipe for some strong holiday feels!

 QUESTIONS #2: WHERE DO YOU SPEND CHRISTMAS? 

I typically spend Christmas right here at my home in Maryland, with my wonderful parents and wonderful dog. We usually have a nice quiet morning opening all of our gifts together while we watch a little television and snack on the goodies we've received in our stockings.

Then later on in the day, we'll have a visit with my grandmother Beverly and my brother Ryan and his wife. They usually end up coming over to our home, but since we all live very close to one another now, who knows where we'll end up this year!

 QUESTION #3: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG? 

Goodness, I certainly have a solid handful! Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses, Christmas Time in Hollis by Run DMC and Holly Jolly Christmas (Micheal Bublé version) just to name a few! But, if I had to narrow it down to just one very favorite, it's safe to say that it's always been Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney.

 QUESTION #4: DO YOU DECORATE BEFORE OR AFTER THANKSGIVING? 

My mom and I usually put up the tree and do all of the Christmas decorating together after Thanksgiving, though she sometimes has to hold me back from decorating my room beforehand. Which, I don't mind too much. I'm always pretty eager to get started, but a it's a little more special when Thanksgiving has officially ended.

 QUESTION #5: TINSEL OR GARLAND? 

It's hard to choose because I actually really like the combination of both. Which is what we put together to decorate our stair railing in the house this year. I love that natural, woodsy effect that garland gives. But, I also love the sparkle and shine of tinsel. I think if I had to choose, I'd pick tinsel...Mostly because there are so many variations as far as colors and designs! I mean, look, we have little candy canes on ours! How perfect!

 QUESTION #6: WHO ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO SEE THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON? 

Well, I'm excited to see my whole entire family of course! I always look forward to seeing my parents, brother and grandmother open their gifts that I totally stressed myself out looking for...But, I do really, really love watching my dog, Posey open her gifts in the morning! Last year, she discovered that she could rip open her wrapping paper all by herself and watching the excitement build in her little brown eyes as the paper peels back bit by bit, only to see her face light up as a shiny new toy is revealed, just warms my heart! So, I guess she's what I'm most excited to see this year!

 QUESTION #7: DO YOU OWN AN UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER? 

At the moment I currently own four Christmas sweaters, and I am looking to purchase a fifth for my collection before the end of this year. However, they are most definitely NOT ugly. I think that mine are actually quite beautiful and they're a must-have for the holiday season!

 QUESTION #8: WHAT IS ONE CHRISTMAS FOOD YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT?  

Well, it may not be a food, but hot chocolate is my go-to "cannot live without it" drink during this time of year! As soon as that chill begins to take over the air, I need a hot cup of chocolatey goodness. (...Which I can never seem to stir up very well as you can see. But I promise, it still tastes delicious!)

 QUESTION #9: PEPPERMINT OR GINGERBREAD? 

Without a doubt, the answer is peppermint. Certainly, no offense to gingerbread. They're both delicious...But in my humble opinion, there aren't many flavors out there that are better, or more Christmasy than peppermint. The way it tastes, the way it smells...It's just like a little piece of heaven on earth! In fact, every single holiday season...Peppermint mocha coffee creamer is a must have for me. Sooo good!

 QUESTION #10: HAVE YOU EVER TRIED A FRUITCAKE? 

I've been on this earth for twenty-one years and I have to say, I haven't ever tried a fruitcake. In all honesty, I don't think I'll ever really have the desire to! Truth bomb, it's exactly like eggnog (gross) it's a classic...But you're unsure of why it's a classic.

 QUESTION #11: WHAT IS ONE THING YOU ASKED FOR THIS CHRISTMAS? 

This year I asked for a new iPod, which I did get thanks to my dad who went halfsies with me. I've been using the same iPod for the past, I want to say, five years and I decided it was time for an upgrade. (I know, I am definitely not someone who always needs the latest model, that's for sure. Haha!) Now, I won't lie...I'm sort of living the life of a "starving artist" you might say. While I do work a job outside of blogging and writing, those two things are my biggest passions in life and what I want to pursue. So, I dedicate a lot of my time and money to it. But, when chasing dreams, you sometimes have to cut some corners. One of them for me, being a smartphone. 

Since I'm left without a phone that has all of those fancy bells and whistles, for the time being, I use an iPod for things like taking nicer photos, browsing the internet, and using social media. It's just easier for me instead of paying an expensive monthly bill. I'm looking forward to using this bad boy on Christmas day, that's for sure!

 QUESTION #12: IF YOU COULD BE ANY CHRISTMAS MOVIE CHARACTER, WHO WOULD YOU BE? 

Hmm, now this is a tough one. There are so many Christmas characters I love, but, I can't really think of one that I relate to. So, just to pick one, I think I would want to be Snow Miser from "A Year Without A Santa Clause" since he's quick-witted, funny, and has the ability to control the cold weather...Which means, I could allow just the right amount of snow to come to my town. Just enough to be pretty to look at!

 Thank you for reading!
 

Wow, this was a lot of fun for me to do and I really hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of how I celebrate this beloved holiday. As always, I'd like to thank all of you for taking a moment out of your day to catch up with me! 

I'm excited to say that I have a lot of festive fun planned to share with you this month, so be sure to keep an eye out. I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of how I celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Who is the real reason for us to be happy this year and every year.  

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy holidays! Until next time!