December 2nd: Holiday Question of the Day

[Julie Billingsley]

Hey sweeties!

All month long we will be bringing you a new question of the day or random poll to share some holiday (and non-holiday) fun. We all love to chat here and so this is the perfect opportunity for us to get to know each other just a little bit better and see how everyone celebrates this holiday season.

So for today's question I'm asking:

Now tell the truth!

Did you peek into the presents before Christmas (or Hanukkah) when you were a kid? Have you done it as an adult?

Tell us a story about it if you have peeked!

[Julie Billingsley]

oops! LOL... I messed up the poll a bit and didn't give the "occassionally have peeked" option.

I did both as a kid and as an adult. LOL I did it when I was around 7-10 years old and then didn't for a long time after that because it really spoiled Christmas for me. I remember one year I had opened up a Barbie and couldn't get it back into the box right. I tried my best but I know my mom figured it out.
Then a few years ago I peeked. I just *had* to know what my DH had bought me. I really wanted photoshop and if he had bought that for me then I was going to buy him something extra special. So I felt justified. LOL

[clearskies]

I can't remember a time that I've ever peeked. I've shaken presents and felt my way around the packing, but never lifted the tape...

[jovi_girl]

ive never peeked.

As a kid (with 4 younger siblings) my parents never put our presents under the tree - there was always a two year old waiting to rip them to shreds so all our presents were only ever put out on christmas eve once we were in bed. So no chance for peeking there.

And as an adult, ive always told my hubby what to buy me, or ive just bought myself something...so no need to peek!

[Darcy Baldwin]

I've never opened a package to peek, but have sought out hiding places before.

[Claudi]

I never peeked...... tried to find them, but never peeked

[SmallMoments]

I ALWAYS peeked as a kid. They could never really hide them from us. As an adult I don't even have to be sneaky. Joel usually buys my gift two months before Christmas and can't wait to give it to me. And I WANT a surprise this time! LOL

[scrapmonkey]

If I've ever tried to peek, I don't remember, so I must have been a kid if it ever happened. I really like surprises, so I get bummed if I find out about a present before I open it (my husband sometimes lets me know and it drives me nuts).

[jessica31876]

Only as a kid. And once as an adult but it was an accident. My husband hid one of my presents where I have to go and the bag was open. I wasn't looking for it and I did not want him to know so I had to act all surprised about it when I opened it

[sannajeannine]

Only as a kid. As an adult I love surprises too much to ruin it

[Stacey42]

I peeked as a kid. My brother & I made a game of trying to find the gifts hiding spot every year & we got very good at partially unwrapping gifts to see what they were. As an adult I've either not needed to because I bought the gift or my husband kept it in his car or at work so I couldn't find it to peek at it.

[~Julie~]

I peeked once when I was a kid and never did it again because it really ruined Christmas for me. When I opened everything I already knew what they were so I was kinda bummed!

[neenee]

Only as a kid a few times. As an adult, I am usually pretty good at guessing what I am getting by the look of the package and/or the little comments that get made and I pick up on them. I hate it though cuz it always ruins my surprises!

[emmasmommy]

I've never peeked. I was too much of a goody-goody as a kid and was worried that I'd get caught. As an adult, well, I usually always know what I'm getting anyway

[rachaelsscraps]

I always peeked as a kid! lol! My parents always hid the gifts in their closet every single year so they were easy to find! They always waited to get the big gifts, though, so at least those were always a surprise for us!

Now, I don't have to peek because DF and I always know what we're getting for each other- we tell each other or buy a gift for ourselves, something we need for the house or whatever.

[sprauncey1]

I only peeked a time or two as a kid, I don't think my parents knew but it ruined the suprise and I realized that I enjoyed that part best. Maybe that is why Christmas presents for me aren't quite as exciting now...pretty much I buy my own or tell family exactly what to get me. So no surprises there, but I LOVE to surprise my kiddos!

[ajf9597]

I never peeked. When I was a kid my parents wrapped the presents right away, so there was no chance to find them. And when I got older I kinda liked having a surprise, but a lot of the time DH can't keep a surprise, so I would know early anyway.

[ColleenSwerb]

I never peeked, and I never went looking either. I hate surprises for the most part, but it's different with presents, lol.
My mom always hid the presents really well, and presents were never put out under the tree until we all went to bed as a kid.

Now, I try and give everyone a lot of options so that I can still be surprised.

[pewtertm]

I peeked sometimes when I was a kid. Now I WANT a surprise...and DH finds it hard to keep a secret. LOL

[livelys]

I've never deliberately peeked - though I did once find my Mum's list of gifts she was going to buy, and felt soooo disapointed that I knew what was coming. I love surprises.

Now, I rarely get a surprise as I usually have to buy or order my own gifts - even flowers! Boo to being a grown-up

[heathergw]

I always peeked as a kid... as an adult, I don't have to peek because Mark usually gives it to me as soon as he buys it, he's just so excited about it that he can't keep it from me, although it's usually something I ask for since I'm super hard to buy for, either that or it's something for the house, like a new water heater this year, lol... I don't mind since it really makes Christmas about the kids for us then.

[tuneskids]

I peeked once when I was a kid, my mom found out and I got NOTHING that year. So I haven't done it again. lmao So far, I don't believe my children have ever peeked, but I keep them hidden under lock and key as long as I can. hehehe And they are never really "alone" in the house.

[digideb]

Well, I hate surprises! So...yes. lol

[MamaBee]

peeker here... as a kid, I would slowly unwrap the side to see what I was getting and then wrap it back up again...

As an adult, I made the mistake of telling this story to my hubby... now, he has all the gifts for me either sent to work or to his dad... and then hides them in his trunk until it's time to open gifts... spoils my fun!

[gracielou]

I've never peeked, on purpose that is. Every year my husband puts my Christmas present in some crazy place (like the back of my car) then blames me for peeking!

I was too scared to peek as a child. I never knew where my presents were anyway but was to chicken to go searching for them. I think my mom said they would all go back if I saw them and I believed her.

[Jenn Barrette]

I never peeked as a kid, and as an adult I usually pick out my own gifts

[lauren grier]

I never peeked

[Shawna]

I really only tried when I was younger, we were always shaking boxes and trying to peel back the edge of the wrapping paper to see what was inside. But my Dad & Stepmom got good at trying to outsmart us especially all my younger brothers cause they were constantly trying to figure out what they were getting, so they'd wrap their presents inside weird boxes or have things inside a box inside another bigger box or wrap up something heavy like rocks and then the real present would be hidden away somewhere!

As I got older (college age I think) my Mom would just let me pick out my own presents as we were doing our shopping for the family so I always knew exactly what I was getting which was just fine with me! Rob and I don't really exchange gifts anymore, usually something small in our stockings so I don't really try to peek but since I handle the checkbook/bank acct I can see where he went and how much he spent

[girlflies]

Oh no, never.
I LOVE surprises!
I accidentally discovered a hidden present when I was 11 (my very own clock radio with the little flippy digital numbers), and I cried for days.
I am a bit of a dweeb.

[DawnMarch]

Another never peeker here! I want to be surprised! In fact, I hate it when I accidentally find out what someone got me.

[Paula]

I only peeked when I was a kid. Since I've been a married adult, the hubs and I normally already know what we're getting ahead of time.

[kscwgirl]

My brother and I peeked ONCE as children. That Christmas sucked and we never did it again.

Now, I usually know 90% of what I'm getting b/c I pick it all out and I have to admit, it's not any fun.

[KristinCB]

I was AWFUL!!! I peeked.. not only did I peek but one year when I was 10 I opened up my presents AND my sisters.. and then re-wrapped them again.. I was BAD BAD BAD.. course I felt guilty too so I had to tell my mom. haha

I don't think I have ever peeked as an adult though.

[jaylensmom]

I never peek...I did and still do shake to see if I can figure it out...I've never been really good at that...

[Jennilyn]

I peek pretty much every year.

[mpatry]

I hate surprises so I've always peeked, as a kid and as an adult. It became a game with my Dad to see if he could hide them someplace that I wouldn't find or that I couldn't get in to (one year he hid them in the barn attic and locked it, I figured no problem I'll just unscrew the latch to get in, but he made sure the screws for the latch weren't accessible... lol)

Even as an adult I do, and I'm pretty sure hubby knows it as this year he isn't even hiding them here, he's got them all over town at friends' homes... LOL. So other than a couple things I bought myself (some Martha Stewart scrapping tools for my stocking and PSP X2 because I lost my install CD for my previous V8, and I need to reinstall as I got a new-to-me desktop for scrapping on.) I won't have a clue what I'm getting this year! And yes it's driving me nuts... lol, I hate surprises.

[carriesmom]

I've never peeked or shaked my presents. I would hate to ruin the surprise. I'm the same way with any sort of presents.

[junebug]

i peeked a lot as a kid. one year i think i knew just about everything i was getting. i realized how much of a challenge it was to look excited and suprised when i opened everything, so i quit peeking, lol.

[LeeAndra]

Nope, no peeking here. It never crossed my mind when I was a kid, and I love surprises too much to peek nowadays. DH has a really difficult time keeping a secret, but he knows how important it is to me to be surprised, so he does his very best to keep quiet abt Christmas and my birthday a month later.

However, I *did* discover the truth abt Santa when I was a kid because I went into the basement for something and found my Cabbage Patch Doll box down there. I thought to myself, 'Now why would Santa leave this down here? Why would he bring a box at all?!' *lol* Does that count as peeking??

[AnnieBananie]

I used to get into my mom's stash of wrapping paper as a kid and cut out a strip with the whole pattern... then I'd rip a section of paper off the back of the gift, peek, and line up the strip I cut out to put it back together. It looked good as new to me but my mom said she always knew lol

I'm bad with surprises as an adult so if my husband says "Oh I got you something cool!", I wear him down until he tells me what it is. LMAO So of course he's learned to just not say anything. *snort*

[chastml]

I peeked as a child. I don't need to as an adult. Even the gifts I don't buy myself, I know what they are. My sister sent me 3 gifts, DH wrapped them, put them under the tree and not 15 minutes later, I told him exactly what was in each of them. I didn't even touch them. I just saw them from across the room. I hate surprises and I'm very good at figuring things out. I've never been one to act surprised or overly excited about gifts anyway, so it would have to be a doozie to get me worked up. I'm often told that I'm hard to buy for, wonder why?

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by clearskies

I can't remember a time that I've ever peeked. I've shaken presents and felt my way around the packing, but never lifted the tape...

Yes, that, back when I was a kid! But although I haven't peeked, I have bought my own present and told DH that's what he was getting me. Even when I let DH do the buying, I've learned to be very specific about what I really want and ask for only that 1 thing.

[Tracyfish]

Never as an adult, but as a kid I have a wonderful memory of opening my Operation Game and my sister and I playing it before boxing it back up and getting the tape on the paper just right LOL!

[lovely1m]

No way would I ever peek. I love surprises and peeking would totally ruin that. Can I just admit that I get a bit disappointed after Christmas is over because there are no more suprises. I mean, I know I got some cool stuff, but the suprise is over and it leaves me feeling a bit disappointed. lol

[Sharon Kay]

I never opened the presents as a kid...I shook them...but never peeked inside. Now that isn't to say I looked all over the house for "unwrapped" presents. lol

[SeattleSheri]

I was the WORST when I was a kid! I mean awful, lol .... but I'm reformed and I really enjoy surprises. I don't want to know what I'm getting and I prefer that it's something that I didn't necessarily ask for.

[KristinCB]

haha oh and also.. i remember one year i nearly switched my santa gift with my sisters when I woke up in the middle of the night. She got pictionary and I got trivial pursuit and I wanted hers more.. good thing I didn't do it, I would have been in big trouble! LOL!

[Nettio]

I've never unwrapped presents to peek but I have occasionally stumbled across the present hiding place. When I was little my sister and I found presents in a cupboard above the playroom closet that then ended up coming from Santa. Mine was the game of Life.

Then when I was in middle school I found my mom's stash of presents in the closet and I used to sneak in to look. But then one of the gifts I really really wanted ended up going to my sister instead and I never peeked again after that.

Funny story, my grandmother wanted so much for all the Christmas presents under the tree to be surprises that she never labeled any of them. Each one had a number tag on it instead with a master list of which gifts went to who. Except one year she managed to misplace the list and had to try to remember which gift was which.

[xboxmom]

I didn't vote for any. My husband always surprises me every year. We always say we are not giving gifts to eachother than he goes out and buys me a bunch of things and I sware he must keep them at work cuz I never see them until christmas day.