Canada Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Christmas Poll
To get us all in more of a festive mood here's a little Christmas poll. I know there was one a few weeks ago... but I am too lazy to go find it, so hopefully there's not too many repeat questions!
1. Real Tree or Fake?
2. Favourite Holiday movie?
3. Best give you've ever received?
4. Best give you've ever given?
5. Favourite childhood Christmas memory?
6. Favourite Christmas baking item?
7. Do you wrap with paper, or use gift bags?
8. Would you ever spend Christmas down south somewhere (assuming finances, time of work etc. were not an issue)
9. Favourite charity to support at Christmas?
And a final challenge for those with some time on their hands...
10. PIP the best "ugly christmas sweater" you can find.
Re: Christmas Poll
1. Real Tree or Fake?
My preference is real, but Dave insists we use a fake because we don't spend the holidays home, and our real tree dried out/lost all it's needles. ?When we can spend more time home, we will use a real tree again.
In the meantime, we have the most fake tree imaginable, a silver tinsel tree which I love for it's kitsch factor.
2. Favourite Holiday movie?
The Grinch, animated version.?
3.? Best give you've ever received?
My dad bought Chloe (dog) for me when I was fostering her. ?I had had her for 2.5 months by Christmas and he arranged it so I could keep her instead of letting the woman we got her from breed her to recoup medical expenses from her rehabilitation. ?(Chloe was rescued by a private breeder, not a rescue group).
4. Best give you've ever given?
I have no idea.?
5. Favourite childhood Christmas memory?
Just the traditions in general. ?Waking up early to see what Santa left (stocking + one unwrapped gift each) then making my parents tea so they would wake up and we could open everything else. ?Then having Christmas bread.?
6. Favourite Christmas baking item?
Tough call. ?I like when my mom makes the wilton star trees (stacked cookies), but I like to make ginger molasses cookies, because they put Dave over the moon. ?:)?
7. Do you wrap with paper, or use gift bags?
Paper. ?Not the most eco choice, but I love to coordinate a new look each year. ?(Sometimes unbleached packing paper, sometimes a fun printed or coloured paper, it always varies.)?
8. Would you ever spend Christmas down south somewhere (assuming finances, time of work etc. were not an issue)
We did in 2004, with Dave's family.?
9. Favourite charity to support at Christmas?
I like to buy gifts for the angel tree in the mall near my parents old house. ?This year it's not going to happen, because I haven't been in London at all this month. ?The Salvation Army toy drive is different in Guelph, and I have a fondness for the ?Argyle Mall system (you pick an angel tag with an age/gender then buy for that child baby through age 16). ?Here it's just a generic drop off, and the mall doesn't have much info posted.
Instead, I may use unicef or oxfam to buy some relief items (like chickens, water filters or mosquito nets).?
?
1. Real Tree or Fake?
We have a fake pre-lit tree. set it up and push a button for the lights to come on haha.
2. Favourite Holiday movie?
My FI and I both love watching "Love Actually"
3. Best give you've ever received?
The scrapbook my FI gave me at our first Christmas together. I cried in front of his entire family
4. Best give you've ever given?
No clue! I'm happy about giving my 2.5 year old niece a Mr. Potatoe Head kit this year though. It's a giant Mr. Potatoe head, with 4 little ones inside.
5. Favourite childhood Christmas memory?
Putting the star on the tree while my dad lifted me up
6. Favourite Christmas baking item?
My FI's secret eatmore bar recipe. She let me have it this year since we're hosting my family
7. Do you wrap with paper, or use gift bags?
Depends on the gift, but I love paper
8. Would you ever spend Christmas down south somewhere (assuming finances, time of work etc. were not an issue)
Spent Christmas in Cuba one year. It wasn't the same. Later in life, I don't think I'd mind.
9. Favourite charity to support at Christmas?
I'm not sure if it's my favorite, but it something I haven't done before and the opportunity came.
This year, the dance studio I go to did a Blackless Christmas. Meaning, the Christmas tree in the studio had black tags with a gender/age on it. Ex, Girl under 3, Mom in need of hope, Boy 10 - 12. Those who wanted to participate picked a tag, and brought back a gift with an appropriate gift. The gifts and donations received are going to the YWCA Women's Shelter. The studio picked 2 here in Calgary. It was a wonderful idea the owner/instructor came up with, I was happy to participate.
2/40
1. Real Tree or Fake? Fake
2. Favourite Holiday movie? Christmas Vacation
3. Best give you've ever received? Remote Car Starter
4. Best give you've ever given? No idea
5. Favourite childhood Christmas memory? Opening presents! I just remember how much fun it was when I was a child to come down Christmas morning and unwrap all my surprises!
6. Favourite Christmas baking item? Shortbread Cookies
7. Do you wrap with paper, or use gift bags? Both
8. Would you ever spend Christmas down south somewhere (assuming finances, time of work etc. were not an issue)? Absolutely!! We actually used to drive to Florida when I was younger with my parents and cousins.
9. Favourite charity to support at Christmas? Sick Kids Foundation
My FUGLY sweater (because apparently I have time to spare!):
That is a fabulous sweater Mrs.Vicki!
2/40
1. Real Tree or Fake? Real growingup, but we have fake, once the kidlets get a bit older we will more than likely do a real one as well as a fake for our formal living room!
2. Favourite Holiday movie? Christmas Vacation
3. Best give you've ever received? Charm braclet from my mom!
4. Best give you've ever given? Not sure, I just enjoy giving my little one his gifts, this year he is getting a Chef's Kitchen from Santa, he loves them so I am excited for that.
5. Favourite childhood Christmas memory? Going to pick out our christmas tree as a family and shopping for my sibling
6. Favourite Christmas baking item? Whipped shortbread
7. Do you wrap with paper, or use gift bags? Paper, gift bags are too easy for nosey ones to look inside.
8. Would you ever spend Christmas down south somewhere (assuming finances, time of work etc. were not an issue) No way, but the week after or even leave the day after would be great, it is not the same to me.
-+- Santa's Annoymous, and I also make a donation every year in my mom and grandfathers name to the heart and stroke, I konw it is not a xmas charity but it means a lot to our family.
And a final challenge for those with some time on their hands...
10. PIP the best "ugly christmas sweater" you can find.
1. Real Tree or Fake? Fake
2. Favourite Holiday movie? National Lampoon's Christmas vacation
3. Best give you've ever received? my engagemnet ring
4. Best give you've ever given? N/A
5. Favourite childhood Christmas memory? Getting up on Christmas morning and thinking that santa had come with all of the gifts.
6. Favourite Christmas baking item? shortbread cookies
7. Do you wrap with paper, or use gift bags? both depending on the gift
8. Would you ever spend Christmas down south somewhere (assuming finances, time of work etc. were not an issue) yes but I would really miss the snow.
9. Favourite charity to support at Christmas? Animal Humane Society and santa's annonymous
And a final challenge for those with some time on their hands...
10. PIP the best "ugly christmas sweater" you can find.
1. We alternate. We have a real one when we are home or not gone for very long. We go on the tree trudge at a tree farm and cut our own down. It's more fun that way and they last longer. DH likes it better now that we have the easy tree stand from Canadian tire. You only have to water once a week and you just screw on the cap, stick it in the stand and then press a pedal and adjust the tree that way. It's pretty cool.
2. Either the grinch or It's a wonderful life or Alistair Sims Christmas Carol. It's not Christmas until I have seen all of these movies.
3. No clue what the best gift I have recieved is. The most memorable is when my older brother and I got a Nintendo for Christmas. Mom swore she would never by a video game system and when we opened it mom made us each open one end so we saw what it was at the same time. We freaked out.
4. Best ever given would have to be Il Divo tickets for MIL. We put them in their Christmas CD and she opened the present. Looked dissappointed opened the cd and saw the tickets. She said "oh tickets to something cool.' The she read the tickets and she started shaking and saying "Oh my god. oh my god. Wow REALLY? No? Yes? Really? Oh wow."
5. Best childhood Christmas memory was when our whole family got together and squeezed into my parents house (at the time around 20 people). It was the last Christmas with my grandfather and it was amazing. We piled the presents on a wall and it half burried the Christmas tree. My dad and grandfather made a present throne out of the biggest presents. It was great.
6., Baking item are Secrets a bar that contains graham crumbs, marshmallows, marachino cherries and are covered in chocolate.
7. Paper unless the item is impossible to wrap. Then I get a bag.
8. I don't think it's Christmas without snow. but the day after Christmas put me on a plane and make me warm.
9. I like the angel tree at the mall. This year though DH's office is buying Christmas dinner and presents for two families and I think that's kind of cool.
10. To be continued.
2. The Grinch who stole Christmas. Or Mickey's Christmas Carol
3. My engagement ring.
4. We got my FIL a copy of the page from Ellis Island when his father immigrated to North America and framed it.
5. I can't think of one right now. Both my uncle and grandfather passed away at Christmas time, so Christmas was kind of down key when we were little.
6. Miracle Chocolate Bars (which are actually nanaimo bars, but my grandmother used to make them and they were called Miracle Chocolate Bars
7. Wrap
8. Likely not.
9. Salvation Army.
1. Real Tree or Fake?
Fake.
2. Favourite Holiday movie?
Miracle on 34th Street
3. Best give you've ever received?
Quilt made by my Grandma
4. Best give you've ever given?
Tickets to a football (soccer) game in London for my FH (when we go there on our honeymoon)
5. Favourite childhood Christmas memory?
Go sledding and snowmobiling on Christmas Day at the cabin
6. Favourite Christmas baking item?
Sugar Cookies and my moms bread pudding
7. Do you wrap with paper, or use gift bags?
I use both, whatever is easiest. Sometimes newspaper.
8. Would you ever spend Christmas down south somewhere (assuming finances, time of work etc. were not an issue)
We did when I was younger. I have family in Jamaica so we spent 2 Christmas's there. Back then I didn't like it but I think I would now. We are trying to talk our famalies to do a tropical vacation during Christmas next year in lieu of gifts.
9. Favourite charity to support at Christmas?
Boyle Street Community Center (homeless shelther)
I found this in my google image search for an ugly Christmas sweater, not exactly what I was looking for, but definitely made me laugh!
http://tinyurl.com/y8uexz3
2. Favourite Holiday movie? Christmas Vacation
3. Best give you've ever received? Oh man I have no idea.
4. Best give you've ever given? They are all good.
5. Favourite childhood Christmas memory? My brother, sister and I climbing on my bed and trying our hardest to see into the family room so we could see our stockings. Oh and my sister running and jumping on me at the butt crack of dawn Christmas morning.
6. Favourite Christmas baking item? These mint bars my mom makes.
7. Do you wrap with paper, or use gift bags? A mix of recycled paper and gift bags. We wrap the one's between us in newspaper. We will be making our own paper starting next year.
8. Would you ever spend Christmas down south somewhere (assuming finances, time of work etc. were not an issue) Hellz yes
9. Favourite charity to support at Christmas? Food bank