Holiday

[Mary Bailey]

I put up my big tree this weekend (Nov 3 & 4).

We bought a new slim tree from American Sale. Love it! 18 light selections. One flips from multi to white & back again. So cool!

I've got 2 more trees to put up and all the other decorations.

(now I'm going to read what you all are doing)

[DREAMON]

I have started and will do the outside last...after Thanksgiving.

I like to do a little at a time, start early November, and enjoy the season.

[ScrapHappy]

I usually start a day or two after Thanksgiving.  My HOA had the lighting done before Halloween and has been on since.  Drove thru my neighborhood last night and several houses aleady have heir Christmas decorations out.

[wagirl]

Will start over T-day weekend.

[Sakuya]

I saw the first house with Christmas lights on this week.

[SouthernBee]

Not sure but purchased 24 " lighted ceramic tree for this year. Neighbors across the street November 1st.

[Allegheny]

The lighted outdoor decor is going up tomorrow as our nice weather is still holding up.  The lights won't go on until early December.   I won't decorate the tree until early December.  I don't like to rush the holiday.

[september]

I will be away Thanksgiving week, and won't start any decorating until the Monday after Thanksgiving.  I'll do less Christmas decorating this year, which is fine.  

Easier to pack up Christmas, after Christmas, when you don't put out so much! 

[AngelPuppy1]

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@gardenman wrote:

I've traditionally started decorating the Monday before Thanksgiving so everything's up and ready for Thanksgiving. With a later Thanksgiving this year, I'm planning to move everything up a week and I'll start decorating on the 18th. Depending on my mood between now and then I might even start a little sooner.

It's going to be an interesting Christmas as this is my first Christmas with Slate, my new cat. He's three and a half years old, so I don't know what he's seen before in terms of Christmas. He doesn't give tree-climber vibe which is good, but I suspect the lower ornaments will get abused a bit, which is why I put the unbreakable stuff down lower. He's going to have a lot of fun helping me get everything out and decorate. He hasn't been in the storage closet yet, so that'll impress and entertain him. 

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@gardenman 

I admire you for getting a head start!  I am probably much older than year, so it gets harder each year for me.  But my tradition has always been to decorate the day after Thanksgiving.  I used to be able to do it all in one day.  Now - it takes me at least 3 days if not more!  Not than I am so elaborate in decorating, but that pulling the boxes, unloading them, etc., takes a lot out of me.  I hope the new cat will enjoy the new experience of the tree and decorations and not abuse them too much --- LOL!  When I had my cat the first year I was very naive.  I came home from work to find some shattered ornaments, tencil and red satin threads from satin ball ornaments all over the house!  Yikes!  Lesson learned!  Kitty had great fun that year but the following year I was much wiser.  I hope you and Slate have an enjoyable time sharing the decorating! 

[gardenman]

@AngelPuppy1 

I have a limited amount of time I can spend on my legs a day, so I start early, take breaks, and end up spending about three days to get fully decorated. Day one typically involves moving the furniture around to make room for the tree, manger, Christmas village, etc. I'll then start the tree. (This year the garland around the windows behind the tree first.) I'll typically get the tree set up and test the lights. I might or might not start the glass beads also. Day two I move more into fully decorating the tree. Lots of ornaments go on and the tree pretty much gets finished on day two. Day three is the rest of the stuff. The manger gets set up. The Christmas village gets set up. The door wreath goes up. The candy canes get put on the tree. Then the boxes all get shoved back into the closet.

What always amazes me is how quickly I undo it all at the end of the season. What takes three days to put up, comes down and is packed away safely in about three hours. By noon on takedown day, everything is done and the house is back to normal.