SO! I have been tagged by Rebecca, a Not-So Desperate Housewife, for this Christmas 'Hoopla' as girl named Andrea at Life Song has dubbed it. While similar to the 'dreaded "m" word' it is NOT to be called the 'M' word!

So here are the rules:

1. List 12 random things about yourself that has to do with Christmas
2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word
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.
5. If you want to -- please give me, Andrea, some link-love as the 'Hoopla-Creator'. I love new blog-traffic.

SO here we go!

1. I love Christmas music! So much so infact, that the ONLY stations on from Thanksgiving to whenevertheystopplayingit is the all-Christmas channel! My husband goes a little nuts I think but he does it for me :-D And I listen to it at times when I might normally not - paying bills, baking, blogging, and having company over, it just makes me happy :-D

2. I like Prime Rib for Christmas dinner better than turkey. My hubs usually makes an amazing turkey dinner but we tried out a prime rib the other day and THAT will be our dinner from NOW ON! w00t!

3. I WISH I didn't procrastinate so much wrapping gifts. I end up waiting until right before to wrap the majority so it seems like WAY too much work for little reward. It seems like I just wrapped all that stuff and now they're tearing it all to pieces! I would have liked to have worked on that this year, however it is the 15th and I have not ONE present wrapped ... ::SIGH::

4. I love watching holiday movies with the kids. My fav is the Santa Claus. I usually don't care for Tim Allen, but he makes a GREAT santa :-D I also like the OLD Christmas movies, things looked so festive and nice back then.

5. One holiday tradition we have is getting new ornaments each year. They are supposed to represent us - right now. When I used to pick out the kids' ornaments they would always get the character they were most into that year, so my tree is covered in power puff girls, scooby and now Dora :-D I also pick out an ornament that represents my husband and I as a couple, and all of us as a family. So 6 new ornaments a year, our tree is getting FULL!

6. As much as I hate having to share my kids' time, I am going to look at the bright side. This year we have all 4 kids for Christmas eve and then we take them to their other parents Christmas morning at 8. I am NOT going to think about what they/I are missing out on, I am only going to focus on what we have. It is going to be GREAT this year.

7. Our tradition Christmas breakfast goes back to something my mom and I always had, pilsbury cinnimon rolls :-D We ALWAYS had those and they were soooo gooood. So I started that tradition with my family, even my first year away from home. Ever since then, 11 years ago, we have always had them. This year we will have to get up at 6 and open santa's stuff, but OH WE *WILL* make time for cinnimon rolls :-D

8. I miss that 'new tree smell' in the house. We broke down a few years ago and bought a fake tree because of the savings in cost, time, and EFFORT and we love it! But wow I miss that new tree smell. We have tried getting tree trimmings and wreaths to bring the smell in, but it never really works. DH says that next year we are getting a REAL tree.

9. I miss my friends. Of the course of the last year +, most of my best friends have moved away. Last year I had a holiday dinner with two of them and their hubby's, it was so much fun. My birthday is Tuesday and I won't be able to celebrate with any of them. I have tried to get a few people together here but it's JUST not the same. I miss them.

10. I love baking and gifting and crafting! I love thinking about other people and how to make them happy. So I make food, make presents, and think really hard about what they would like and what would make them happy, and THAT makes me happy! Kinda funny but just thinking about how to make someone happy makes me happy :-D I'm a giver ;-)

11. I loved being FROSTED and loved even more FROSTING! I can't wait to do it again next year!

12. I love the feeling of Christmas. I love the way I feel surrounded by the lights and the cold air and the songs and the decorations. I love that MOST people are nicer too. It could be the new place we live, but I think {read: hope} people feel the same way I do and try to feel that way all the time. I love thinking about Christmas Eve and morning and being with my family and being warm and happy together.

There ya go! 12 things about Christmas about me :-D I will go ahead and tag Sherry, Anne, and Rachelle - if ANY of you do it - LET ME KNOW!!!! ;-)

OK, tomorrow I think I am gonna post my TOP 10 FAVORITE Christmas Movies EVA! I think I MIGHT make a tag out of it too! So check back and check it out :-D