topic It's Time ......Go! in Holiday

It's Time ......Go!

Kachina624 — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 04:03:54 GMT

Study: Decorating Early for Christmas Makes You Happier

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Halloween is over, and now Christmas lovers are ready to deck the halls.

While some may roll their eyes, a new study suggests the sooner you put out your Christmas decorations, the happier you will be. The study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology suggests that decorating early brings up warm and fuzzy feelings around your childhood experiences.

So, putting up the lights and snowman decorations out early could jump start that joy. The study also claims that people who decorate the outside of their homes are viewed as friendlier and more approachable than those who don’t decorate.

So ready, set, Decorate!

Re: It's Time ......Go!

Equuleus — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 04:09:57 GMT

I find these studies are a bunch of hoo-ha. So what if you don't have warm and fuzzy childhood memories and you just get depressed around the holidays -- just don't bother decorating at all??

As far as the outside decorating thing and being more approachable, that's just silly,

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barbie4njdevils — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 04:42:36 GMT

I agree decorate early less stress later and you can enjoy more❤️🎁

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Snowpuppy — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 04:50:09 GMT

I never decorate before Thanksgiving.

That said, if Magic Mike stopped by in a Speedo with a hot toddy to get the party started I might be more inclined. 😗

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froggy — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 05:12:09 GMT

But, but, but...I still have my Thanksgiving decorations up! I'll start pulling Christmas stuff out a couple of days before Thanksgiving and be ready to start early on Black Friday. Who needs shopping? Time to decorate!

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Pook — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 08:45:43 GMT

I can't see how! I can see putting up the lights outdoors but not turning them on until December. Inside, you have to clean around them for so long. I wait until all my baking is done and then do a huge house clean and decorate two week s before Christmas. I can then enjoy my decorations until at least the end of January. I notice the ones that put them up early often rip them down immediately after Christmas and then start with the winter depression so early. I still have mine up and am happy until about February when the winter blues hit me!!

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doolie — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 09:34:00 GMT

I don't care about any studies. It makes me happy so I decorate early. Started 11/1. My Fall decor has been out since 8/1 and was enjoyed. Anywho, outside I won't due till Black Friday. 🤶🎅

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meallen616 — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 10:19:41 GMT

I start Black Friday Weekend,

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LindaSal — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 12:12:47 GMT

I won't be decorating this year as we are downsizing and will be moving during the holiday season........yay! I will be sad not to though, as I enjoy it so much every year. Oh well I am feeling liberated to streamline and donate or junk so much stuff that has piled up over the years! Hope everyone enjoys the season no matter when you decide to decorate

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Oostende — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 12:26:50 GMT

I'm going to start rearranging the furniture to accommodate my Christmas tree today.

Winter comes early near the Tetons and I love the extra light that Christmas brings. I've got candles and white lights everywhere throughout the entire winter season.

My parents come to join us for Thanksgiving and I want the decorations up before they get here. It adds to the festivities. I have two grandsons, who are one and three, and they will play with the train underneath the tree. All of the decorations help to bring Christmas memories closer to my parents when everything is up.

I will pull down the tree shortly after Christmas, but I leave up white lights until March or so. My pillows and throws are not particularly Christmas, but they are heavy velvets and faux fur. My florals are evergreens and the pictures on my walls are winter scenes. I love dark skies and brilliant white snow and stormy mountains and leafless Aspens and evergreen trees that hold the snow in marvelous ways. The art reflects the reality of the views out my windows.

I know many people despise winter but I love it. I love the bracing cold hitting my face when I leave the warmth of my house, and then I love the warmth of my home when I return to it.

For me Christmas and winter are truly the most wonderful time of the year. I love hot tea and a roaring fireplace and a good book. I love snowball fights and making snowmen and playing with my grandsons outside. We are very good at dressing for the weather and it really doesn't bother us. The change of season just brings new games and new activities to our lives.

I wish you all the best and merriest of Christmases!

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FranandZoe — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 12:50:23 GMT

I always waited 'til the day after Thanksgiving to start decorating. But this year I'm going to start early. I plan to have my outside decorations up on 11/16. That's "Light-up Night" in our area. Then after Thanksgiving I'll do the inside stuff. I really enjoy my decorations. I leave them up 'til 1/7 which is Orthodox Christmas. That was always my Mom's excuse to leave them up longer lol.

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OKPrincess — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 13:10:04 GMT

I love Christmas time; however our very few decorations won’t come out of hiding until Thanksgiving weekend.

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pattypeep — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 13:38:14 GMT

@Kachina624 I will be starting with Christmas decor a little sooner than usual due to being in a wheelchair with a broken leg for seven weeks so far. No Fall decorating for obvious reasons. So I figure by the time I get the go ahead to walk from my Dr. it won't be worth decorating for Fall which saddens me because it is my favorite season. Usually by now I have lights on my deck which I leave up until at least the end of March. It doesn't speak of Christmas, just provides warm ambiant light which makes me happy. These particular lights have a "switch" so that I can change them to colors and I usually do the day after Thanksgiving. Until then, they remain clear.

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Mary Bailey — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 13:49:19 GMT

I'm having a brunch for my Mom's 82nd birthday on Dec 2.

My house will be fully decked out by then. I'm really going to go crazy this year. I'm going to start this week.

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crazycockermom — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 14:02:55 GMT

I started last weekend! Well, I didn’t really put up Christmas decorations, but I did put up lights on these two big holly trees we have on either side of the entry to our front porch.

The trees needed trimming badly. And while I had the ladder out and DH’s assistance, I took the opportunity to put the lights up too. Unfortunately, some of the strands didn’t work, so I had to run to Lowe’s to get some more. But that wasn’t enough, so it was a race to get to Lowes and back again before it got dark. Finished as the sun was setting.

The last few years I didn’t get lights up on the trees because my to-do list was too long and I never got to it. So I’m glad I got them up already and I have some time to enjoy them.

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FastDogWalker2 — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 14:11:30 GMT

I usually wait until Thanksgiving weekend but this may get me going earlier! I am definitely going to put my Snow Babies out early so I can enjoy them. I display them in a lighted hutch in my kitchen.

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Quse — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 14:42:50 GMT

Usually I try to start decorating for Christmas around Nov 1...with the goal being all or most presents wrapped by Dec 1. I work in retail, so most years it's been a "now or never" necessity. I'm finding every year that I streamline the decorating more and more. Last year I downsized to a 4' table tree with minimal decorations and a few owls scattered in. The biggest headache of it all is that when I put it all up, I do the deep cleaning in the house. Then again when I take it all down. I love the build up before Christmas and love to relax just looking at the bling at night.

This year, the trees are hanging on to quite a few of their leaves outside and it looks very Autumn-esque. I'm finding it difficult to think about decorating for Christmas....or maybe I'm just procrastinating the cleaning😂

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Maltichonmom17 — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 16:37:12 GMT

I say do what makes you happy or whatever makes your life easier. In a perfect world, I would keep Fall up and switch over to Christmas on Thanksgiving weekend but in reality, that’s not the life I lived.

I spent many years in retail and basically had no life from mid November (Black Friday prep) to mid January (return season). Over time, I learned what worked for me was to have all my Christmas decorating done before Black Friday, as well as Christmas shopping and wrapping. I usually put up the tree and decorated the house about mid November. On Thanksgiving, the dining area was still decorated for that day, and was a small amount of work to change over that one area for Christmas.

With all the decorating, shopping and wrapping done, I could come after a crazy, busy day at work and sit back and relax. Watch a Christmas movie, bake some cookies, or just stare blankly at the ceiling and decompress. Sure made my life a lot easier during that time of year and allowed me to actually enjoy the Christmas season.

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mousiegirl — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 16:54:46 GMT

@froggy wrote:
But, but, but...I still have my Thanksgiving decorations up! I'll start pulling Christmas stuff out a couple of days before Thanksgiving and be ready to start early on Black Friday. Who needs shopping? Time to decorate!

@froggy Since Thanksgiving is early this year, we get an extra week.

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mousiegirl — Sat, 03 Nov 2018 17:02:51 GMT

I usually begin Christmas decorating the day after Thanksgiving, mentioned this before, but this year, I began in the living room about a month ago. I can't work at it every day, but the tree is almost finished, and the mantle. No one goes in here until the holidays.

I wanted time this year to be able to do things with DD during her visit, and time for baking ahead, usually I am finishing up on Christmas Eve. I am leaving a dining room tree or two for DD to decorate. The plan is to have all of this done, and then the day after Thanksgiving begin on the kitchen which is more work than the other rooms.

I am still working in the garden which cuts into decorating time, but the beautiful weather will be on it's way out soon, so want to enjoy and finish Fall work while it lasts.