Community Chat

[OnlyShopsOnline]

We usually put our decorations up during the first week in December. But, my husband will be out of town that week, so we may do it Thanksgiving weekend. I need help getting the stuff up the basement stairs.

The "Christmas" decor comes down right after New Year's Day. But, I use winter themed decor in my dining room, and that stays up until right after Valentine's Day.

[shesallthat]

On 11/1/2014 abbeythe8th said:

The day someone tells me to keep my door closed so they cannot see my inside Christmas tree from the outside, is the day I move.

i would not have to move - i would never live in that kind of neighborhood to begin with.

a lady on another site was talking about her neighborhood rules and she posted a link to their website and i could not believe some of the things they "could not" do and others only if they got permission!

[hckynut]

On 11/1/2014 Furry said:

When will you begin decorating for Christmas? How soon will you put up a tree?

We limit our Christmas Decoration to only a Wreath on the outside of our front door. It has lights on it that we turn on after dark. With our home filled with felines? We've tried that a few times, even a synthetic tree, without success.

[PamelaSue72]

We both work full time, so we work decorating in as we can.

I have off work for Veterans Day and will be decorating the kitchen for Christmas on that day. I will pack away all my everyday Fiesta and bring out the Winterberry. It's pretty much an all-day job, but I enjoy doing it. The Santas will go above the kitchen cabinets and my Christmas bells will come out to the knick-knack shelves at the kitchen sink. I have Christmas garland that also goes on top of the cabinets. And I'll put Christmas lighting above the cabinets, too.

We will put the trees up the weekend of Thanksgiving. The living room tree is our traditional tree. I have a large white tree decorated in blue balls for the kitchen next to the French doors (Years ago, my mother had a white tree decorated in blue balls for our Christmas tree. I thought it was hideous. But about six years ago, I decided that I wanted my own white tree and have done one ever since. I love that tree. Sometimes the white tree has been put up and decorated on Veterans Day, too, and we eat Thanksgiving dinner by candlelight and the lights of the white tree. The first year of the white tree, my parents came down for dinner right after I put the tree up. She just looked at me and smiled.) We also have a tree for our bedroom, done in red lights and Santa ornaments (I just love Santa stuff). It takes a while to get them done, but we manage.

It's difficult to deal with one indoor Christmas tree, let alone three of them because we have six indoor cats who love to rustle around in the trees. They chew the branches, they tear off the ornaments and carry them through the house (we only put unbreakables at the bottom two feet of the living room tree). We literally wire our living room tree to the wall; we have to or the cats would knock the tree down; yes, one year they actually knocked the tree down to the floor...thankfully it wasn't decorated yet. One of our cats loves to nap on a branch at the back of the tree in the bedroom. We know where her favorite spot is, so we keep that area bare, so she doesn't have to deal with ornaments while she's napping.

One year, we said that, as the cats took an ornament, we would not put it back on the tree. Instead we put that ornament in a basket. Well, by the end of the holidays, the bottom two feet of the living room tree was bare and the basket was full. We have very naughty cats!

DH does the outside decorating, usually the Monday after Thanksgiving as he has off work that day.

[qualitygal]

We no longer will put up a tree. We can always put lights on the pine tree out by the front door. But this year, I want to do it the first Sat. of Dec. that's when I use to do it.

[terrier3]

I used to decorate the day after Thanksgiving, but I'm going to do something different this year.

I have always preferred Fall decoration to Christmas, so I'm not going to put out Christmas until Dec, 10-15th - sooner if there is snow on the ground.

[marmot24]

We now have 5 indoor cats so a tree is not in our plans. I do decorate the mantle with lighted figures and such. So far they haven't bothered it, but our newest rescued ginger is naughtier than our calmer girls. We'll see.

[Oostende]

I live in the Rocky Mountains so my seasons are a little different than much of the country.

It is snowing here as I write and the sunflowers and leaves are long gone. With the time change, my house will get too dark for my liking.

My house gets more formal in winter. I'm longing for the white lights and winter greenery already. Candles and mercury glass and cranberries and sparkling white decor will infiltrate my house as soon as I have time.

I'll save the trees and the sleighs and the Nativity for closer to December, but my winter decor will be out very soon, and it will remain out until March when the snow thaws a little, and I become restless again for the minimalism of the warmer months.

[Marienkaefer2]

I'm putting the tree up today. I love Christmas trees. It won't be fully decorated. Just the lights. Being that it will get dark about 430 now, the lights will be cheerful. Then I'll gradually decorate until it's done by Thanksgiving. I got my woodland decor at Pier One yesterday, including the big owl, so.I'm happy. I.keep the tree up until end January. The decorations come off...I leave it up with just the lights. I'd better get going now....

[Shorty2U]

We decorate for Christmas black Friday weekend (because right now our home is decorated for Thanksgiving which people always forget about). And believe me Im not big on T giving but I don't think it should be skipped.

Anyway for Christmas.- I do the inside. My husband puts the tree together and I decorate it and I put the other décor inside the house also. He does the outside (over 2 days). We go all out with lights outside!

BUT, seriously I am thinking of cutting down on the exterior lightening. (Sick of high electric bills year round so as it is!). AND, I love our Christmas tree don't get me wrong. but as I'm older I now wish we had a 4 or 5 foot tree instead of our 6.5 foot. But for now we will use the 6.5 (pre-lit tree).

PS) We take down the decorations New Years Day while our pork and kraut is cooking!

I notice our neighbors leave their décor up until Feburary. I think that's too long. They also will have their Halloween stuff up until they decorate for Christmas. (kinda weird if you ask me).