Holiday Q&A with The Center

Each year, it feels like the holidays sneak up on us faster and faster! This year is no exception - Thanksgiving has already flown by and more celebrations are right around the corner. Seriously, right around the corner! How does that happen? We took a quick break from our busy schedules to share some of our favorite things about the holidays.

Q: What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Sam: Putting up the Christmas tree with tons of ornaments!

Sam's Tree!

Shannon: Sleeping in and then sitting down to a big breakfast, still in my pajamas. Cozy PJ's are the best part of any holiday.

 

Alana: My family used to always open gifts early on Christmas morning. When my sister-in-law became part of our family, this tradition changed to Christmas Eve, because she couldn't stand to wait for Christmas morning. It started out with one gift a piece and now we are complete Christmas Eve gift openers. The rest of the evening is spent playing with whatever games or electronics we've received and of course sleeping in on Christmas. Not a bad tradition if you ask me!

Q: What is your favorite holiday movie?

Sam: Elf and Christmas Vacation
Shannon: The Grinch (cartoon version)

Alana: Love Actually, hands down. This movie reminds me to slow down during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and realize that Love Actually is all around.

Q: In your opinion, what food/drink is a must have for a holiday feast?

Sam: A Honeybaked Ham
Shannon: My aunt makes the best noodles.
Alana: Buckeyes, or peanut butter balls for all of you non-Ohio State lovers out there. I grew up with my aunts and Grandmother making buckets of this amazing candy. It doesn't quite seem like the holidays without downing enough of these to put myself into a diabetic coma til the new year!

A nervous Alana making Buckeyes without any assistance for the very first time. 

Q: Do you decorate for the holidays - inside, outside, neither or both?

Sam: Both, of course!
Shannon: Inside. At the house I grew up in, getting up on the roof and putting Christmas lights everywhere was my favorite part of the holidays. Now that we've moved, getting the lights up (and down) is not quite as easy and they also aren't as visible. I do love driving around different neighborhoods and grading people on their decorations according to my own grading system based on my personal lighting preferences.

Shannon and her siblings after decorating for the 2011 holidays.

Alana: Decorating for the holidays is one of my favorite things. While I decorate inside, one of my favorite things to do is decorate outside. I live in a neighborhood where most everyone, with the exception of myself, seem to be empty nesters and decorate with white lights and wreaths. In my typical go against the grain fashion, I enjoy putting up the tackiest clark Griswold display of lights I can manage. Rainbow icicle lights, check! I can't help but smile every time I pull up to my house, knowing I'm adding a little spice to the neighborhood.

Note: This is not Alana's house. But, if she could have her way, it would be. Also, Shannon would give this house an A+ for effort, not mixing multi-color and white lights (solid color strands are okay), having gone above and beyond just the yard and bushes (the roof!), and incorporating other holiday decor into the overall design.

Q: When do you do all of your shopping?

Sam: I feel like it changes every year, sometimes early, sometimes I wait till a couple days before.
Shannon: I am not usually a good shopper, so I tend to put it off longer than I should, or I convince myself that everyone would really love a new mix and I make CD's... and everyone loves them! ;)
Alana: I'm always a last minute shopper. Every year I say I'm going to get started on this early. However, there are only a few days before Christmas and I've barely started. Maybe next year?!