Happy Monday everyone!
I hope you all had a great weekend. The Viking and I spent our weekend finishing up our Christmas shopping, having a Christmas cookie exchange and game night with friends, and sleeping. At least I slept a lot, these dark days are rough on me! The above picture was taken this Saturday at the “brightest” time of the day, basically it never looks brighter than dusk this time of year! Thankfully Reykjavik is full of charming colorful houses and pretty Christmas lights to help brighten things up!
Oh and bright red bikes, those help too.
On the bright side (see what I did there:) the days will start getting longer after tomorrow and I am already looking forward to midnight sun.
And I am just hours away from being on Christmas holiday and I can not wait!
I have big plans for the next two weeks, they include lots of reading, daily naps and eating all the Christmas cookies in the house. It is going to be a glorious two weeks. Now if only the snow would come back it would be the perfect Christmas!
Really though, I am going to be pretty bummed if I don’t have a white Christmas. I mean I live in Iceland how can we not have a white Christmas?!
Moving on.
With Christmas just a few days away, and my Christmas holiday just hours away, how about a Christmas quiz to kick off the Christmas festivities!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Both. Every year my mom has the most beautifully wrapped gifts. She has a different theme each year and all the presents look so pretty. Every year I have high hopes for myself that I will have some of her skills and attempt to go all out with my wrapping. This works out for the first few, and then I usually end up stuffing the rest into gift bags. I need a few more years to practice!
2. Real tree or artificial?
I would always have a real tree if I could. Nothing beats the smell of a real Christmas tree. But, to be honest an artificial tree is what we have had for the past several years and they are just so pretty and convenient. If only they could make artificial trees that smell like the real ones!
3. When do you put up the tree?
The weekend after Thanksgiving. At least I try to. It is hard waiting to put the tree up until after Thanksgiving since they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Iceland but I try and wait. It is common in Iceland to not get your tree until the 23rd but I just can’t wait that long!
Our first Christmas tree in Iceland, it was a real one!
4. When do you take the tree down?
Growing up we used to always take the tree down on either the 1st or 2nd of January. In Iceland the tree is taken down on the 6th of January which is the last day of the Christmas season.
5. Favorite gift received as a child
This is a tough one! I remember getting a Furby (do you guys remember those creepy little thing?) and thought it was the best thing ever. And then there was the year of the razor scooter, that was a good year. Every year though I can think of one gift that has really stood out. The ultimate Christmas gift though was when we got Azora, nothing beats a Christmas puppy!
She still thinks she is a puppy
6. Hardest person to buy for
The Viking. He always gives me the best gifts but for some reason I am always clueless of what to give him. I guess I stress myself out trying to find the perfect gift for him since he always nails it. This year though I actually finished shopping for him first so maybe I am finally getting better at shopping for the Viking.
7. Easiest person to buy for
My sisters. I love shopping for them, if only all my shopping was that enjoyable.
8. Favorite Christmas film
I love all Christmas movies! Every year I have to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, all three of the Santa Clause movies and Elf. I still need to watch Elf this year!
10. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas
The Christmas breakfast is always my favorite. I am going to miss my families breakfast this year!
11. Lights on the tree (Colored or clear?)
I prefer clear but either make a tree look so pretty.
12. Favorite Christmas song
The Little Drummer Boy, it always reminds me of home and my family for some reason.
13. Travel at Christmas or stay at home?
Stay at home. Christmas is meant to be cozy at home!
14. Favorite Christmas cookie?
White chocolate cranberry, I can’t enough of them! I also love those chocolate peanut butter balls, those are delicious!
15. Favorite Christmas tradition?
I have a bunch of them! You can read about my favorite Christmas traditions here.
16. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning. Now that I have the Viking in my life we compromise and do both, gifts on Christmas Eve evening and Christmas morning.
17. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
The malls, it just totally stresses me out having to go shopping this time of the year. One year I will be that person who finishing her Christmas shopping in October, maybe.
18. What is the “silliest” family tradition you do, or miss doing?
Singing karaoke. For a few years my family and I would sing and dance around in our pjs on Christmas morning, seriously too much fun! This year the Viking may be forced to dance aruond and sing with me :)
19. What do you want for Christmas this year?
I honestly had the hardest time writing my list this year. I am hoping for my little sister to visit me this summer after her high school graduation so I asked that instead of gifts we just put money aside for her trip. Keeping my fingers crossed she gets to come!
20. What holiday traditions are you looking forward to most this year?
This Christmas will be spent celebrating traditions completely different from my own and while I am going to miss my family traditions I do love celebrating Christmas in Iceland. I find Christmas really relaxing and cozy in Iceland and I am looking forward to spending Christmas day just relaxing and eating all the leftovers. The tradition I am looking forward to most this year is the Christmas Eve lunch because of all the delicious food!
And with that I will leave you with a picture of my parents house at Christmas time, there really is no place like home for the holidays!
Question of the Day?
Your turn! Share your answers to the above questions????
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