Christmas Lights

[SDMomChef]

So...who else has hung up your lights already? The weather over the weekend was beautiful, so I decided that it was close enough to the weekend after thanksgiving to hang the lights. But, what an ordeal! My DH HATES Christmas lights - not worth the time and energy to put them up and take them down...so usually I am the one to always put up the lights...last year, in my infinite wisdom, I tucked the connections into the gutters so it would look "prettier" - which worked until it snowed and short-circuited the lights! :eek:

This year, after all of the trouble with the neighbor lady, I didn't want to be outside by myself. So, I made DH help me hang the lights. Geesh....you'd think I was asking him to re-shingle the roof or some other horrible task! Unfortunately, 3 of the strands of lights from last year didn't work (possibly because of the gutter incident). We hung up the two remaining strands, and then I opened one of the boxes that I had bought on clearance last year (I thought about going all the way around the house this year instead of just the front). But, the cords on the existing 2 strands were white, and these strands were green! :eek: So, my DH who is already crabby had to take down the two strands that we put up. The new lights were two different brands - Phillips and GE. Guess what - they wouldn't plug into each other! :eek: So...we had to take down one of the strands of the GE lights and just stick with the Phillips lights. So, what *should* have taken 1/2 hour took 2 hours, and boy was DH annoyed!

But, I have the lights up....let it snow! The kids are disappointed that I won't turn them on - we have to wait until after Thanksgiving to flip the switch!

[RunnerKim]

We finally had a dry day this past weekend and DH got the lights up (with the help of 4 kids). We won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving but I'm glad to have the lights up and ready to go. It's the one thing I want to make sure we do every year. I love coming home on these dark, dreary days and seeing our house lit up (and many on the street).

DH has put them up much earlier in November - whenever we get a dry weekend day they go up. I wouldn't say it's high on DH's enjoyment scale but he knows how important they are to me and I don't grumble when he works the day after Thanksgiving and I stay home and put out all the inside decorations (which is even lower on his enjoyment scale).

I try to leave them on until Jan. 6th (epiphany) but I always feel the "darkness" of the neighborhood and end up turning them off shortly after New Years.

Kim

[DanaSD]

this year we're hiring a company to put them up - we have a 2 story house and I don't want DH climbing on the roof.

They are coming next Monday - I'm excited. I love decorating for the holidays. I already have my department 56 snow village up.

But since its been in the 80s here, its a little hard to get in the spirit. Hopefully it will 'cool' down again like it was a few weeks ago.

[funnybone]

Our HOA doesn't allow us to decorate until the TG weekend, but several neighbors already have theirs up. We'll probably get around to it on Friday.

[lindrusso]

Isn't it sooooo much fun when holiday tasks turn into a major drama??? :rolleyes: ;)

You should have heard some of the words that came out of my mouth last year when I was trying to string lights around the garland - struggled for a very long time, even remembered to check that all lights were working first. At the end of my very long struggle the supposedly working lights quit working and I had to start all over again. I was soooo mad!!!! Not exactly the kind of mood you are trying to create by haning the stuff in the first place.......

Our lights aren't up yet, but hopefully this weekend.

We used to wait until pretty late to hang them, but then it was no fun because it was too cold and or it had already snowed, making it a lot more difficult.

So, we decided to try to hang them every year on or near Thanksgiving. Last year that backfired as it snowed on Thanksgiving! This year, though, it's supposed to be sunny and mild - perfect.

This is our first year in a two-story house, so we'll be skipping the lights hanging from the gutters and just put strands around the bushes out front and then put lights in all the windows. Seems like too much hassle to get them up on the second floor.

We won't turn ours on until December 1st, though.

[bobmark226]

Isn't it sooooo much fun when holiday tasks turn into a major drama??? :rolleyes: ;)

LOL, ain't it the truth?

I grew up in a household where fighting over the Christmas tree was almost as important as the tree itself, and as I grew old enough to do my own with this lover or that, I continued the tradition. Tony asked me last week if we were doing a tree here since he's living here temporarily and my response was "Oh, good, I haven't had a good fight in a long time."

Dana, what kind of company is it that does this? I mean, where do you start to look for such a thing?

Bob
PS to Sherri: very funny post.

[funnybone]

I wanted to add these to the thread so we can all enjoy the lights. :)


http://www.geocities.com/preomail/A_lightstring_2002.gif

[DeeK]

DH and DS will hang the outside lights while I work on Thanksgiving dinner. A couple of years ago DH installed cuphooks to the fascia board. He lays the light cords over the hooks with a pole. That way he doesn't have to climb up and down the ladder all the time.

DH will also haul the tree out of my closet. It stays in there all put together under a huge sheet. Much easier than putting it together every year.

I love the lights and all, but I'm all about E-A-S-Y. We're gettin' too old for too much climbing :D ;)

[lindrusso]

I wanted to add these to the thread so we can all enjoy the lights. :)


http://www.geocities.com/preomail/A_lightstring_2002.gif

Yeah, but now you could start the fight we have in our house about white lights versus colored. ;)

So far I've won that battle.............. :)

[Terri_A]

Okay...I am going to be the lone dissenter on this subject. I was HORRIFIED when my next door neighbor put up all of her outdoor Christmas decorations last weekend. Can we please celebrate one holiday before jumping to the next????? Thanksgiving is not a time-keeper to Christmas - it's its own holiday.

Okay, rant over....go back to hanging up your *&%$%&^ Christmas Lights! :rolleyes:

[lindrusso]

Okay...I am going to be the lone dissenter on this subject. I was HORRIFIED when my next door neighbor put up all of her outdoor Christmas decorations last weekend. Can we please celebrate one holiday before jumping to the next????? Thanksgiving is not a time-keeper to Christmas - it's its own holiday.

Okay, rant over....go back to hanging up your *&%$%&^ Christmas Lights! :rolleyes:

I agree - I don't want to see decorations or lights on until AT LEAST after Thanksgiving. This year some people were doing it before Halloween!! ACK!

But hanging your lights up in nice weather before the snow hits and not turning them on until after Thanksgiving is different - at least to me. It can mean the difference between having lights and not having lights for us some years.

I see you're in Texas - you don't have the cold weather issues there that we have here, so maybe that gives you more options. It is NOT fun to hang lights with snow on the ground or in bitter cold. Might as well get it done when it's nice out.

I don't hang up any other decorations - just get the lights up during nice weather so that they are ready to go.

[DanaSD]

Around here (and also when I lived in San Diego) you see lots of ads for people who will hang christmas lights - usually small posters on sticks at intersections, billboards, and those mailer packets. There are also companies that do all the outdoor decorating and provide the large lighted figurines.

Some companies provide the lights (and they won't use yours because they don't want to deal with a tangled mess and broken lights) and others will use your lights. They hang them and then return to take them down.

[jmarie]

Around here (and also when I lived in San Diego) you see lots of ads for people who will hang christmas lights - usually small posters on sticks at intersections, billboards, and those mailer packets. There are also companies that do all the outdoor decorating and provide the large lighted figurines.

Some companies provide the lights (and they won't use yours because they don't want to deal with a tangled mess and broken lights) and others will use your lights. They hang them and then return to take them down.

I wish.....

[Terri_A]

IBut hanging your lights up in nice weather before the snow hits and not turning them on until after Thanksgiving is different - at least to me. It can mean the difference between having lights and not having lights for us some years.
I don't hang up any other decorations - just get the lights up during nice weather so that they are ready to go.

That's a fair point about the weather. Aside from rain, I don't have to worry about bitter cold or snow slowing down my efforts. I guess part of my gripe with my neighbor is that she has swage, sprays and red bow aplenty in her decor, so there's no "not noticing" that the light aren't on!!!

[jimjimmerjim]

Those here from warmer climates have obviously never experienced a Pacific North-wet winter. :D

Here we put them up and take them down when we can. Ours went up last weekend because Saturday was the last dry day in the extrnded weather forecast.

Ours will not be turned on until December 1st, but at least they are up. What really bugs me are the ones who keep them up long after the snow has melted.

[erinl]

DH put ours up a couple of weekends ago. Last weekend was really busy. This weekend we're out of town, and next weekend, he'll be out of town for work. We won't light them until we get back, though.

[badunnin]

No lights, no hassle.

For those that will be arriving for a cookie swap at my pad, the porch *does* have a light. ;)

[funnybone]

Yeah, but now you could start the fight we have in our house about white lights versus colored. ;)

So far I've won that battle.............. :)

LOL - never give in. :D :D

[HDgirl]

[QUOTE=bobmark226]my response was "Oh, good, I haven't had a good fight in a long time."


That's funny. I don't have anyone to argue with since I'm the only one doing all the decorating... The only outside lights we do are on a live tree I put up on our porch.

[DanaSD]

There is one house in our town that has alreayd done all their outdoor decorations - candycanes, bows, garland and I'm assuming they're alreayd turning on their lights (haven't passedd by at night).

Well last night I was walking around the block, and there was a house with a lighted tree in their window! thats too early! I understand putting up the lights because its a big task and I'm ok with turning them on because it festive (just the white lights, not the christmas decor), but a tree. Wait for the turkey please.

[HDgirl]

[QUOTE=DanaSD]a house with a lighted tree in their window!

I posted back in Oct. (I think) when I saw my first tree up. It's always the same house.

I agree, too early.