20 questions

Hello!! Well, I'm not usually a copy cat, but this one I couldn't resist!! If you visited Little Tin Bird last week, you'll have seen she did a 20 Christmas Questions. Here's mine!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper - gift bags can be used in addition to wrapping paper, but not without - half of the fun about getting presents is ripping the paper off! (or delicately taking it off in my case, it's like a ritual!).
2. Real tree or artificial? Real real real all the way - I'd rather have nothing at all that a bit of plastic.
3. When do you put up the tree? A couple of weeks before Christmas, ie whenever I remember or have the time! No specific date though, it really just fits around whatever else that's going on, and whenever we feel festive enough.
4. When do you take the tree down? Hmmm when I can be bothered? Again, I'm not one to stick to dates, I'm not superstitious, so I take it down when it feels right. I like to enjoy the tree for a bit!
5. Favourite gift received as a child? You know what, I can't remember.... I have such terrible memory! I guess it might be an alarm clock I got from my grandparents over 10 years ago now. It's still working and I can't imagine waking up to anything else in the morning.
6. Hardest person to buy for? Guys in general! Or people who only like vouchers from a certain shop... it's pretty restrictive!
7. Easiest person to buy for? ME!!! HA!!!! Honestly, not that I buy presents for myself obviously, but I'm such an easy person to buy for! Easily pleased, not difficult in the slightest. Take note everyone!!
8. Mail or email Christmas cards? Real cards when I remember? Yeah I'm not particularly great with sending them out on time, or sending them out at all for that matter. In England, some people seem a little obsessed with them and give them to every single person they know, which is a little ridiculous I feel. So I take the opposite stand and only send them to the most special people! (Yeah that's what I tell myself to make me feel better!).
9. Favourite Christmas Movie? I don't really have one. I was fairly sheltered from the whole commercial aspect of Christmas until fairly recently and French TV at Christmas time tends to be mostly really old 70s classic - funny but not necessarily festive. In the last few years, I've got in the habit of watching Love Actually. It's not exactly a happy movie, but I like it nonetheless. And yes, I'm most definitely a Keira Knightley fan.
10. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Whenever I start thinking about presents, so usually in November. The earlier the better really, I hate being rushed at the end - kind of like now?!
11. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope. As I said earlier, I'm easily pleased, which means I like pretty much every thing!
12. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? Smoked salmon and blinis, foie gras, chestnut purée - French christmassy stuff!
13. Lights on the tree (coloured or clear)? Well, we didn't have any lights when I was a kid. Got my first set a couple of years ago because Boyfriend wanted some. And I have to say I love them. And they're clear. Because I like a colour theme on my tree, it's gold/ green/ red, so lights must be clear! That way, it remains pretty and traditional!
14. Favourite Christmas song? The sleigh song!!! I love the jingly bits!!! I need to find the lyrics to it actually, instead of just mumbling...!
15. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Well that's an interesting one! Not one for foreign people hey?! I always end up travelling at Christmas, whether to go to my mum's or see other people in the family. That's what happens when you're scattered in different countries! I long for the days when I can have everyone over, that'll be lovely!
16. Angel, star or ribbon on top of tree? At the moment we've got a star I made last year with wooden coffee stirrers - I know that sounds weird but it's cool I promise! It's simple and elegant. I ended up making it because I couldn't find anything to my taste in the shops. I'm not one for garish or scary looking angels! Actually, I'm not one for angels at all! So star or ribbon, that's the way to go!
17. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Always on Christmas morning. May sound a bit sad, but I still love pretending Father Christmas has been round and dropped off lots of presents. (No I don't leave biscuits out for him, I'm not that bonkers!)
18. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? How commercial it all is. I hate the fact that decorations/ cards etc start appearing in the shops at the end of October - honestly, get a grip people!! There's more to life than sales figures and profits!!!!
19. What do you want for Christmas this year? I'm not after anything in particular really. I just wish everyone could be happy and healthy in my family. There's so many people we miss and wish were still here, it's bittersweet at times.
20. Traditional colours (red and green) or other colours? Traditional all the way! I love what other people can do with different colours, but I like to stick to the safe green, red and gold. Can't go wrong like that and it stays nice and grown up! Maybe when children start being part of the equation things will change, but there's no sign of that yet so it'll stay that way for more Christmases to come!

Aaahhhh Christmas... only 4 days to go! Well, that's if the snow melts... Fancy joining the Eurostar queue anyone?!