Christmas with The Brushneens - The Christmas Tag

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?
I love Home Alone – I didn’t watch it as a kid, and started watching it when me and Ell got together, and we’ve watched it every year since – the kids love it – and Ollie esecpially loves to quote it. ‘Keep the change ya filthy animal’ – how can you beat that? I think its already been watched four times this year, thats how much we love it. Its always a tradition for me and Ell to watch National Lampoon Christmas Vacation too – I must’ve watched it more than 20 times and I still laugh my head off at it. I also love the cheesy movies on Hallmark and Christmas 24. I would watch them all day.

Have you ever had a white Christmas?

I can’t remember one as an adult – I think maybe the last one was when i was a child, but i don’t remember it too well. I think the last time we had proper snow here was when Ollie was a newborn and Izzie was two and a half, so four years ago. We don’t tend to get snow often living in the South West of England – I wish we did though, I love snow!

Where do you usually spend your holiday?

The last three years it has been at our house and i have cooked Christmas Dinner. The first year my parents and brother came, but my mum missed cooking, so the last two years it has just been the five of us. Both sets of our parents are local (within 15 minutes drive) so they will both pop around on Christmas Day. Its easier for us to stay at home with the kids now as they want to be playing with their presents. I love having christmas at home and i love cooking the dinner.

What is your favourite Christmas song?

Mariah – All I Want For Christmas Is You, but I love her whole Merry Christmas Album – I still have my original copy from 1994!

Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

We tend to let the kids open presents from family and friends when they are given to them (except from grandparents) so they have the chance to aapprtecate them and thank who has given them, but no we don’t otherwise.

Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

*SINGS* Now, Dasher, Now Dancer, Now Prancer, and Vixen, On Comet, On Cupid, On Donner and Blitzen – but do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the red nosed reindeer….

Which holiday traditions are you looking forward to this year?

We have done few already, such as visiting Santa, and going iceskating, we’ve also watched lots of Christmas Movies. I’m also looking forward to making our Christmas Ham an d’giving the taker a bath’. This year we started a new tradition of Elf on the shelf, and i’m really looking forward to him bringing the Christmas Eve Box – also we are going to the Crib Service on Christmas Eve which I think the kids will love. We also need to drive around and find the best Christmas lights.

The Turkeys bath…

Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

REAL! I love picking the tree, and I love having a real one – ours has been up since the last weekend in November and it has hardly dropped at all. I think this is the 4th year we’ve had a real tree now. I’ve linked our video of picking the tree below:

What is your all time favourite holiday treat/food/sweet?

I love Lindt Chocolates, and I love that we can get away with eating party food and cheese for dinner.

Be honest, do you like giving or receiving gifts better?

I love picking presents for others, especially the kids. I love seeing the looks on the faces when they open them. But who doesn’t love receiving them too?!

What is the best Christmas present you ever received?

Probably my Barbie camper van when I was six. My mum still says to this day what a nightmare it was to put together but I loved it.

What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

I would love to go either to somewhere really snowy, or a little American town in a big house that we could decorate, where it has snowed. Somewhere like you see in the cheesy Hallmark movies.

Are you a pro present wrapper or do you fail miserably?

I love wrapping presents -although I don’t do them fancy for the kids, only for family and friends – I pick and theme and we do bows, ribbons, you name it – I love beautifully wrapped pressies.

Most memorable Christmas moment?

Probably our most memorable Christmas was Ollie being born on 19th December 2012 – our special rainbow baby, after losing Sophie in February 2012, he was the most special gift we could’ve received that year.

What made you realise the truth about Santa?

I think someone at school told me *sad face*. Izzie is now 6 and she still believes – kids at school have said to her that Santa isn’t real but we’ve told her ‘if you don’t believe you won’t receive’. I still believe – I always check out the wind before going to bed on Christmas Eve.

What makes the holidays special for you?
I love having Ell and the kids at home, and just having some chilled time where we don’t feel under pressure to do anything. That family time is so precious as life is really hectic during term time, so I really appreciate any quiet family time we get.