Anyone still hanging Christmas lights ?

[easyrider]

My son living next door left put up Christmas lights. A day later, next door to the right, my son in law put up Christmas lights. I thought their lights looked nice. I didn't think I was expected to put up lights but I was wrong. Today I did the bare minimum of what I think I can get away with. It's about 75 ft of lights, nothing blinking and on a deck rail so it's easy to remove. I've always been content to let others win plus it's easier. BUT.... things might be said and I might go Christmas light crazy again. It could happen just out of pure boredom anyway.

Bill

 

[Passepartout]

I learned to put ours out in Oct. Then I turn them on after Thanksgiving. I'll turn them off after New Years and put 'em away after it warms up a little. Kudos to those who really put on a show, but that's not me. Maybe 30-40 years ago, but not now. Paula gave away all the old incandescent strings this year, so all I have left is LEDs.

 

[WinniWoman]

My son living next door left put up Christmas lights. A day later, next door to the right, my son in law put up Christmas lights. I thought their lights looked nice. I didn't think I was expected to put up lights but I was wrong. Today I did the bare minimum of what I think I can get away with. It's about 75 ft of lights, nothing blinking and on a deck rail so it's easy to remove. I've always been content to let others win plus it's easier. BUT.... things might be said and I might go Christmas light crazy again. It could happen just out of pure boredom anyway.

Bill

When we downsized and moved in 2020 we got rid of all our XMAS snd other holiday stuff and didn’t intend to decorate.

But once here we didn’t want to seem so Scrooge to our neighbors or when our son came on XMAS.

So we purchased a very short, and skinny lighted tree topped with a lighted lantern that has a “flame” in it for our front porch next to our front door.

We also bought a strand of colored lights that we scallop off our summer shades brackets on the little front porch. (shades are put away until spring).

This year one end didn’t light no matter what we did to try to fix it so we cut it off and hubby capped it plus electrical tape and up they went again. This time 3 scallops instead of 4.

We just put them up about a week ago. We aren’t lighting them until this upcoming weekend and we’ll keep the timer on until after New Years Day. Three weeks of lights on is enough. I think it’s ridiculous to rush through holidays. And I hate hearing XMAS music so far in advance. To me it should be played the week of Christmas and that’s it.

I ended up with a 4 foot folk art wooden snowman at a neighborhood Yankee Swap so I have him also on the front porch near the steps. Couldn’t disappoint the neighbor who brought this to the swap. (She is a second homeowner two doors down from our home)

No holiday decor in our home and we don’t decorate for any of the other holidays either.

 

[Patri]

I put some around my front door and on the porch furniture. And a beacon that shines snowflakes on the garage doors. Easy up, easy down. I appreciate anything anyone does. A grand display or a single string. It shows they are doing something nice for others to enjoy in this merry season.
And my skinny Christmas tree is lit up in the living room window.

 

[klpca]

Yes, we do! It is my favorite time of the year. I have 25+ plastic totes of interior decorations and I have no idea how many my husband has for the outside of the house. Since my back problems have slowed me down this year I'm not putting everything out, but I have enjoyed mixing it up and coming up with new ways to decorate inside. I try to leave as much of my decor intact and just add to it with some Christmas items but of course, there are some things that have to be moved. For the first time I realized that I could shove a lot of those items underneath the sofa, which means that I won't be trying to figure out where I put those things in January. Think smarter, not harder!

 

[Talent312]

When younger, I'd hang lights in trees and on the roof.
But now, somewhat decrepit, I won't use a stepladder.
So, I simply drape them in the bushes and on a fence.

They come down on the 12th day of Christmas - Jan. 5th.

 

[easyrider]

The son and son in law are definitely trying to outdo each other. The son in law bought a 7 ft Santa. The son added more lights. They both came over and made fun of the string of lights I put up. I'm thinking I will be going to Lowes tomorrow for some more lights.

Bill

 

[b2bailey]

The son and son in law are definitely trying to outdoor each other. The son in law bought a 7 ft Santa. The son added more lights. They both came over and made fun of the string of lights I put up. I'm thinking I will be going to Lowes tomorrow for some more lights.

Bill

Are you saying you live next door to two of your children?
That's pretty special -- and definitely out of the ordinary.

 

[DeniseM]

Yes - but we aren't competing with anyone. Mr. DeniseM put up these outside lights:

 

[stmartinfan]

We usually put strings of lights on the bushes that run along the front of our house, but this year we had to get a special blowup for our front yard, too. It's Bluey and her family along with a Christmas tree. Our almost 2 year old granddaughter loves Bluey so when we saw the blowup figures at Costco we knew they had to come home with us. She was stunned when she saw it in our yard for the first time….just had to stand and stare! One of our best holiday purchases ever.

 

[clifffaith]

🌶 pepper lights on our balcony, which just look like red lights at night. Christmas tree in the corner near the balcony door— once again non-breakable ornaments only in deference to 5 year old Jack. Tree is fully loaded, so actually no room for the breakables anyway. I remember driving around Seattle neighborhoods one October and discovering that almost everyone leaves their lights up unlit all year long.

 

[slip]

Our tree and the Mr and Mrs Claus I made 55 years ago in first grade are the extent of our Christmas decorating. Lol

 

[Patri]

Yes, we do! It is my favorite time of the year. I have 25+ plastic totes of interior decorations and I have no idea how many my husband has for the outside of the house.

You win. The most decorations of anyone I have ever heard. I’m down to about 5 big tubs in the shed, for both inside and outside. Some of that I don’t use so eventually will donate or sell. Some I can’t part with. It’s a process.

 

[klpca]

You win. The most decorations of anyone I have ever heard. I’m down to about 5 big tubs in the shed, for both inside and outside. Some of that I don’t use so eventually will donate or sell. Some I can’t part with. It’s a process.

I hear you. I am down a few bins - I have given my kids all of the ornaments that we bought for them over the years. I just brought a bin of wee little village houses to my daughter this weekend. I love putting everything out but I have grown to dread putting everything away. If I really focus, it still takes 3 or 4 days. I wrap everything in paper and it's a chore. I would have even more than 25 bins, but a few years ago I went through every bin and tossed or gave away anything that wasn't regularly used. I rarely buy anything any more, but this year I was at an estate sale and I came across some iridescent glass balls of different sizes (hand blown in Italy) and some crystal teardrop icicles. They are just gorgeous on the tree. Even my husband said so, and he's been numb to my obsession for a while now. When I die, the Christmas stuff is the only thing that I know that my kids will want. I am not sure about anything else, but the Christmas bins will be in high demand.

 

[MNCV-Jim]

I have three strings of lights on my eaves and I leave them there. These are color changing so that they can be "Red, White, and Blue" on patriotic days, and other colors at other times. This includes options for Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day, and more.
We have about a dozen tubs for indoor decorating. There are two trees we put up. One is our main tree and one is a small "themed" tree.
Our main tree gets alternating ornaments. We have one tub labeled odd and another labeled even. This year we are using the even ornaments.

 

[Talent312]

Are you saying you live next door to two of your children?
That's pretty special -- and definitely out of the ordinary.

And do you walk around the outside of their bedrooms
saying, "What are you two doing in there?"
-- from living living next to in-laws --

 

[geist1223]

Patti has collected Department 56 Dicken's Village for about 40 years. Most still in their original boxes for storage. No new Pieces for several years. She sets it up in the Dining Room and Hallway just after Thanksgiving. She also decorates the tree (artifical). Different theme every year. Does not want my help except for lugging the Bins down and up stairs. I did build several 2 × 12 stands for her. I still need to get lights up - Colored Rope Lights around inner edge of covered Front Porch, Icecicles around outer edge of Front Porch, and coloured lights on Roof Edge.

 

[Luanne]

When we downsized and moved our Christmas decorations downsized with us. Steve put lights out on the portal the first few years, but the last few years nothing. I do decorate indoors. No one can really see our house so outside lights are a waste at this point.

 

[SueDonJ]

Up here in MA we usually put up lights on the arborvitae next to our little porch and on the porch railings, along with a reindeer and 'North Pole' sign in the front garden. Down at Hilton Head we usually don't decorate at all because we're usually not there for Christmas. But this year Eileen and her husband found awesome $75 round-trip fares for Christmas Day and New Year's Day, so we're all spending the school vacation week there with Caden (7) and Mia (4).

I've been up here since early November for family festivities; Don spends much more time down there because he has to keep an eye on and do some maintenance at his commercial properties. I've taken out a few things inside but not a lot, and not the big tree. He's down there now lighting up the whole place, he'll be up here this weekend and then he'll drive back with Christmas gifts on the 23rd. I'll fly down with the kids on Christmas Day and I'm really looking forward to having Christmas there - it's not something I thought we'd ever do (or will ever do again) because, understandably, our kids and grandkids have other family and holiday commitments up here!

My family's big get-together is this Saturday at one of my niece's homes. It's nice to see the next generation having their turn.

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Holidays, whatever ... hope all my imaginary TUG friends (as Don calls you) are enjoying whatever festivities you're celebrating.

 

[moonstone]

We did for many years but after the evestroughs (gutters) were replaced the clips were no longer there so DH decided since the kids were adults (& 2 in their own homes) that was the end of all those lights. We did have green flood lights shining on the front of the house and I had mini lights suction cupped to the 2 large windows on either side of the front door for a few years after that. Then we started staying in Florida until close to Christmas (the 22nd this year) and all the Christmas decorating screeched to a halt. I dont even put up a tree now!


~Diane

 

[easyrider]

Are you saying you live next door to two of your children?
That's pretty special -- and definitely out of the ordinary.

Yes. My youngest son is to my left and actually it's my first grand daughter, who we raised for several years, living to my right. Both have kids. I think it's not so much us that is the attraction to them buying the homes around us. It's the rural area and the views on this hill. We definitely love having both families near us.

Bill

 

[easyrider]

I have three strings of lights on my eaves and I leave them there. These are color changing so that they can be "Red, White, and Blue" on patriotic days, and other colors at other times. This includes options for Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day, and more.
We have about a dozen tubs for indoor decorating. There are two trees we put up. One is our main tree and one is a small "themed" tree.
Our main tree gets alternating ornaments. We have one tub labeled odd and another labeled even. This year we are using the even ornaments.

That's my plan. Years ago I left blue Christmas lights up and they worked for a few seasons but they did turn clear for the most part by the second year. This year I put up clear, lol.

Bill

Our tree and the Mr and Mrs Claus I made 55 years ago in first grade are the extent of our Christmas decorating. Lol

View attachment 103114

Nice !!!

Bill

 

[Elan]

I don't because my house is 2 story with 12/12 pitch roof. For it to look good, I'd be hanging lights on peaks that are well over 40' high, and I can't walk on that pitch roof to get to them, even if I wanted to. And because some of the peaks are recessed back from the front of the house, there's no getting a ladder up to them either (not that I have a 40' ladder).

 

[pittle]

I got back from 3 weeks in Puerto Vallarta Saturday and the neighbors had gone overboard on outside decorations, so on Monday, I dug out the net lights that we had used in the past and have them on all the shrubs in the front yard. Since hubby passed away, the icicle lights along the roofline will not happen! They are all on timers and turn off at 10 PM.

Now inside is a different thing!!! I have three 9-foot trees, two 7- foot trees and four tabletop trees plus a display of musical and motion Hallmark decorations. All but 10 ornaments are Hallmark!!! I am adding the light and motion ones tomorrow! So the trees light up the 2 large windows and the window by the front door that you can see from the street to perk up the net lights.

FYI - I started working for Hallmark in 1973 when they started making ornaments. By 1975, I was the manager of the Employee Cafeteria and Card Shop, so got to snag mine first! I got the employee discount (50%) and still do as a retiree, so I have quite a few series collections. My best employee, also retired, still works on-call for ornament season and fills my order and ships it to me! The one series that has run the longest is Frosty Friends that started in 1980. I do not start new collections anymore but do keep buying the ones that I have since the beginning. This year, I only bought 20.

 

[clifffaith]

@pittle does Hallmark still have as many new ornament styles every year and produce them in the same quantities? I wonder if new generations are collecting as many as us Baby Boomers did. From hundreds I am down to less than a dozen, possibly less than 1/2 dozen (only one Dia de Los Muertos unbreakable on my recent trees, and some clip on ornaments packed away with the breakables). I used to buy all the holiday ceramic pieces too, and have only Santa and the international children left (and that’s because I love them way more than the going eBay price even though I don’t have room to display them safely because of the brat cat).