Know your elves #5 CarrieAnne

Loughc

Good morning and Happy Friday one and all!
Week 5 already! Wow we are flying it!!

So this thread will be active for about a week giving you plenty of time to drop in and ask any questions you may have for CarrieAnne.

I'll kick it off with some standard questions,

1) What is your favourite thing about Christmas?
2) What brought you to the Christmas Forum on boards?

CarrieAnne

Good Morning...

1) What is your favorite thing about Christmas?
This is probably the most complicated answer. I love the essence of Christmas that I think we all enjoy, the feeling of hope, love, kindness, joy and laughter. I am religious and love the Advent season. I love wine and enjoy any reason to organise get togethers with friends and family. (People accept this better around Christmas time than other times of the year.) I love the feeling of anticipation, the Season itself, and the way it evokes happy memories of Christmas's gone by.... I JUST LOVE IT ALL.

I suppose its a cheat answer above... my favourite thing is FAMILY, and what family means at Christmas.



2) What brought you to the Christmas Forum on boards?
My H uses this site for After Hours and other threads. I started to lurk and THAN somehow found the Christmas board...
and i was home...
... with like minded people.


Thanks for the questions... and for organising this LoughC.

washiskin

Who would you like to see cover a Christmas song & what song would that be?

Do you prefer going to Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?

CarrieAnne

washiskin wrote: »

Who would you like to see cover a Christmas song & what song would that be?
I love Bruce Springsteen's version of Santa Claus is coming to town... so maybe let him have a go at another classic... I love fairytale of new york which can't be improved on.. but maybe we could see another side of it?



Do you prefer going to Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?

I love Christmas Eve Mass, for multiple reasons.
Its magical... the baby has been born and Christmas has begun.
It means on Christmas Day we are not tied to Mass times.
As a child it was a treat to be allowed up for Midnight mass and i think some of the Christmas magic crept into my mindset for that than.
These days I bring my children and we keep an eye out for Santa on the way home... and it has begun... its Christmas.

CarrieAnne

Sorry washiskin... first time using quote reply and ... got it wrong!

washiskin

What is your favourite side dish for the main Christmas feast?

Do you have a special decoration that take pride of place?

Do you have a Crib?

AlanS181824

Hi there!

Here are some questions for you.

What's your favourite thing about Christmas?

Describe your typical Christmas ever/Christmas day, how do you prepare?

Do you spend Christmas at home or away with family?

Do you prefer a large gathering or a small one?

What's the most you've ever spent on a Christmas decoration?

What's the most you've ever spent on a present?

Least (if any) favourite thing about Christmas?

Finally, I've never experienced Christmas before, what is it and why does it mean so much to you?

Cheers!

CarrieAnne

What is your favourite side dish for the main Christmas feast?
I love stuffing.
My sister makes the most fabulous potato stuffing... she makes it on Christmas Eve in vast quantities. Then its shared out to different houses... its so good, we eat it on its own ... just to check its perfection!


Do you have a special decoration that take pride of place?
One of the most special decorations is a little angel, in memory of my baby girl who we discovered just before Christmas, would not be staying with us for long after her birth. Every year putting up her angel on the tree is poignant. Sad and happy, and grateful for her siblings that have managed to break her wings with their enthusiasm. But a little superglue worked wonders.


Do you have a Crib?
I have a lovely fixed crib that my Mam gave me. But we have a plan to buy a bigger one with figurines... have looked last few years. Myself and H have different taste... so looking for something we both love.

CarrieAnne

What's your favourite thing about Christmas?
My favourite thing is FAMILY, and what family means at Christmas.

Describe your typical Christmas ever/Christmas day, how do you prepare?
Typically... I usually have a full house, so hopefully by Christmas Eve the house is clean and the beds are made for the guests etc...
I am a bit of an organiser, so would have the most important part of the shopping done already.. but Christmas eve is for the fresh food and treats... and running into town for these few items in a relaxed manner.
I know it sounds trite but Christmas Eve is for visiting family and relaxing and the start of the fun.
AND joining in the excitement of the impending visit from Santa.
Midnight Mass (at 7 or 9 - early but handy for small children), followed by tea and ham sandwiches at my Mams house.
Home to put the babies to bed... make sure all preparations are ready for Santa, milk and cookies out. Maybe a few drinks... depending on how exhausted we all are.
Christmas Day - I am up first (6ish) to put the turkey in. Back to bed hopefully before the children wake up ... all downstairs (in laws as well) to see what Santa brought. Madness... laughter.... Christmas music on the telly... chocolate for breakfast.
H does the proper tasty big breakfast...
Prepare veg (all hands on deck - the bonus of their being extra adults in the house, done in no time).
Family arrives around 1 - a few years back I broke away from serving a starter... and we have cheese and crackers, salmon and champagne in the sitting room relaxing (with children interrupting every 10 minutes to show us new toys etc...) This leaves the kitchen free to set up table and pull meal together. Family when they arrived also brought cooked ham and stuffing and any other side dishes previously agreed.
Sit down to Dinner whenever its all pulled together - lots of wine, tea or Fanta as required...
Desert in the sitting room or at the table - depending on how we feel.
The last few years when the weather was good, we fit a nice walk just around the village looking at lights and visiting the crib...

Sometimes I don't' know where the day has gone... it just flies... and than children to bed, and a sit down..
Maybe a movie and wine... or we play cards... or sit and chat.... it all depends on the humour. BUT thankfully it is all good, and we go with how we are feeling on the day.


Do you spend Christmas at home or away with family?
Christmas is at home with family..... Its how I like it.

Do you prefer a large gathering or a small one?
I love large gatherings, the more the merrier and let everyone join in the madness and help.

What's the most you've ever spent on a Christmas decoration?
Very reasonable 10 Euro on an individual bauble... but I did buy 3 on that day!

What's the most you've ever spent on a present?
I can't think of anything very expensive... As a family we put a cap on spending... so in general its the thought not the financial value of the gift that counts.


Least (if any) favourite thing about Christmas?
When people get caught up in the financial madness of Christmas and miss its inner secret and beauty. (It dosent have to take HUGE presents and HUGE money to have a fabulous Christmas.)



Finally, I've never experienced Christmas before, what is it and why does it mean so much to you?
Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus, the birth of hope, and even for those not part of the Christian faith... they feel its magic and potential.
It means so much to me because of my belief and from that stems my love of the magic, pageantry, family gatherings, parties, fun, laughter and the chance for us all to PAUSE for a few days and relax and see each other. (How many of us see people during the Christmas Season that we never see for the rest of the year.)




Thanks for all the questions... if I have gone overboard answering... sorry... i just LOVE even thinking of the Christmas fun!

AlanS181824

Love your answers Carrie!

Thought of those questions on the spot so glad you were able to answer them easily.

It'll soon be my turn and I can't wait, this was so a great idea Lough has thought up!

CarrieAnne

Thanks for the questions Alan... and yes HUGE well done to LoughC for coming up with the idea!


As for answering... i have to delete some detail.... i am a real talker and turns out i can ramble on while replying to questions too!



Looking forward to your turn.

Jude13

Are you a OCD wrapper, straight cuts for the paper and all fancy or the more sellotape than paper wrapper?

Similar for opening, do you tear the wrapping off or painfully keep the wrapping in one piece?

Both in relation to presents

washiskin

CarrieAnne wrote: »

As for answering... i have to delete some detail.... i am a real talker and turns out i can ramble on while replying to questions too!

I hear ya on that point! :rolleyes:

CarrieAnne

Hi Jude...

Are you a OCD wrapper, straight cuts for the paper and all fancy or the more sellotape than paper wrapper?
I used to work in a gift shop and learned to wrap clean and fast and maybe a bit basic but nice. These days I have a few small helpers... so there are chances you might see the gift through the multiple applications of selotape or it could look like its already been opened and re patched!


Similar for opening, do you tear the wrapping off or painfully keep the wrapping in one piece?
Ohhhh we are rippers.... carpet can't be seen through the paper on Christmas morning.

Thanks for the questions.

delw

Hi CarrieAnne,
What's your favorite childhood memory of Christmas?

Which do you prefer Christmas cake or Christmas pudding?

So after a hectic Christmas day do you chill out on St stephens day or do it all again?

Loughc

Great answers so far CarrieAnne! You summed up the Christmas period really well for me when you said its like a big PAUSE. I always feel that at Christmas. It really feels like your life stops and all worries and stresses fade away if only for a few days!

CarrieAnne

Hi Delw,

What's your favorite childhood memory of Christmas?
As a very small child in a new (empty) house, we went to bed on Christmas Eve and there was no tree up etc...
I have the best Mam and Dad in the World and between them and with Santas help.... a carpet was laid in the sitting room and a tree put up with the most beautiful Christmas tree lights.
We woke up the next morning to a cosy sitting room (no longer a cold tile floor) and a real Christmas tree and presents and it was just Fabulous.
As a child I thought it had been all Santas work.


Which do you prefer Christmas cake or Christmas pudding?
I actually don't like either of these Christmas treats....


So after a hectic Christmas day do you chill out on St stephens day or do it all again?
St. Stephens day is a more relaxed affair... lots of fun still, hopefully a walk on the beach... and more yummy turkey dinner, but without the work!

[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the questions!

delw

CarrieAnne wrote: »

Hi Delw,

What's your favorite childhood memory of Christmas?
As a very small child in a new (empty) house, we went to bed on Christmas Eve and there was no tree up etc...
I have the best Mam and Dad in the World and between them and with Santas help.... a carpet was laid in the sitting room and a tree put up with the most beautiful Christmas tree lights.
We woke up the next morning to a cosy sitting room (no longer a cold tile floor) and a real Christmas tree and presents and it was just Fabulous.
As a child I thought it had been all Santas work.


Which do you prefer Christmas cake or Christmas pudding?
I actually don't like either of these Christmas treats....


So after a hectic Christmas day do you chill out on St stephens day or do it all again?
St. Stephens day is a more relaxed affair... lots of fun still, hopefully a walk on the beach... and more yummy turkey dinner, but without the work!

Thanks for the questions![/QUOTE]


Thats a great answer

Loughc

Yea i loved that answer too. It got me right in the feels!

SarahLil

CarrieAnne great answers!
Do you have a set date the decorations go up each year?
Do you hang Christmas stockings up?

CarrieAnne

Thank you ALL for the questions and being interested in my answers...


I am a self confessed Christmas NUT.

CarrieAnne

SarahLil wrote: »

CarrieAnne great answers!
Do you have a set date the decorations go up each year?
Do you hang Christmas stockings up?

Hi Sarah,

I don't have a set date... but as early as I can get away with it.
My H would not appreciate the Christmas Season as much as myself, but in fairness to him, he tries to tolerate it as best he can.
Usually we put the main decorations up at the end of November, they would have to be up for the Toy Show.
I love having them up .... I know others like *the two weeks and enough period*, and there is nothing wrong with that, but personally i love getting a good six weeks out of them if possible! ;-)
(I might not have them down on the 7th, but i never turn on the lights after the 6th... so as there is a set end date... I try and work flexibly on the start date! )

ODD ADDED COMMENT: I know someone who puts them up before me, but takes them down on St. Stephens day.... and it makes me want to cry!


Yes we have stockings... the first two were cheap pound shop numbers for H and myself (i embroidered our names)... than as we were blessed with our babies... we added stockings as they arrived.
The stockings don't go up in November though .
(probably the day before Christmas Eve... too much temptation to drag the mantlepiece stuff down! )


Thanks for your questions!

liamo22

So if you had to work either Christmas Day or Christmas Eve what one would you do?

CarrieAnne

liamo22 wrote: »

So if you had to work either Christmas Day or Christmas Eve what one would you do?

Without a doubt... Christmas Eve ....
I have worked many Christmas Eves in my time, but while I would have preferred to be off, i still would work for any Christmas Eve to be off for Christmas Day.

It is THE DAY...

I know that might sound strange from A CHRISTMAS NUT, who starts her celebarations in November and loves it all till the 6th of January... and loves every day.... BUT above all days... I love Christmas Day.

PLEASE NOTE : (now having said all of the above... that is presuming I am finished for 7pm on Christmas Eve to start my EVE celebrations!)

AlanS181824

CarrieAnne wrote: »

Without a doubt... Christmas Eve ....
I have worked many Christmas Eves in my time, but while I would have preferred to be off, i still would work for any Christmas Eve to be off for Christmas Day.

It is THE DAY...

I know that might sound strange from A CHRISTMAS NUT, who starts her celebarations in November and loves it all till the 6th of January... and loves every day.... BUT above all days... I love Christmas Day.

PLEASE NOTE : (now having said all of the above... that is presuming I am finished for 7pm on Christmas Eve to start my EVE celebrations!)

I love your answers so much, you come off as such a bubbly charming person, I'd imagine your Christmas' are loads of fun!

Although having said that there ain't no place like home for Christmas!

CarrieAnne

AlanS181824 wrote: »

I love your answers so much, you come off as such a bubbly charming person, I'd imagine your Christmas' are loads of fun!

Although having said that there ain't no place like home for Christmas!

Thank you... .... I do believe in having fun when we can.
(Life is too short to do anything else)


AND ABSOLUTELY : There is no place like home for Christmas!!

CarrieAnne

Slan...

I just wanted to say thank you all for your questions, for those who read, and for LoughC for organising!

Looking forward to more Christmas memories and perspectives from other Christmas fans....