Christmas lights/holiday lights

[Chrisada]

I know of a young father who fell off his roof and died while cleaning the gutters. DH knows he is not allowed up there! Sorry, too much invested in you buddy.

[GrayMatterWife]

We live in a condo, so no outdoor lights/decorations for us, but in the past years, we've always done a lot of interior decorating with garlands, a table-top tree, candles, a nativity scene, and Christmas dishware. This year, we are doing only the tree and the nativity scene because (1) we are moving to our rental house on the 10th, (2) most of our decorations are in storage, (3) we are spending Christmas in Denver with my sister, and (4) DH isn't here, so it's kind of a bummer. The center of our home at Christmas is not the tree, though--which I guess is kind of weird. Our tree is a 3-foot tall one, so it is not prominent. We just never had room for a big one. The center of our home at Christmas has always been in the kitchen, where we have: the Advent candle wreath, which we light every night with prayers and discussion; our Advent calendar (the Lego one...yeah, I know...totally commercial...but DS LOVES IT); and our nativity scene, which the kids can actually touch--it's a Fontanini set--hard plastic resin! No classy, elegant Lenox here! I think decorations are special more because of the ritual and the memories, rather than the "bigness" or impressiveness. At least, I hope so, or my kids are Christmas-deprived, with our lame, 3 foot tall Wal-Mart tree!

[SoonerTexan]

ur nativity scene, which the kids can actually touch--it's a Fontanini set--hard plastic resin!

My parents have a Fontanini set...I'd love to get one someday. We'd get a new piece every year as kids and it would be constantly rearranged. I was a fan of putting the cows in the "attic" of the manger. Amazingly, baby Jesus has only been lost once, and we found him

There's this awesome store in Branson, MO that sells pretty much every Fontanini piece available. So neat!

[oceanchild]

My parents have a Fontanini set...I'd love to get one someday. We'd get a new piece every year as kids and it would be constantly rearranged. I was a fan of putting the cows in the "attic" of the manger. Amazingly, baby Jesus has only been lost once, and we found him

Have I told you guys my family's baby Jesus tradition before? My parents have a second, partial nativity set that they display upstairs by the kids' bedrooms. My brother started stealing Jesus and replacing him with various things in the manger... stuffed animals, hotwheels cars, etc. Drove my mother crazy. She'd find Jesus and put him back in his manger, only to have him disappear again the next day.

[ladymoreta]

My MIL bought us a Little People nativity set, and DS loves it!

[mommax3]

We hire a company to put them up, for the reasons already mentioned. We use white lights....but may switch to colored sometime. I don't have a strong preference.

[Sheherezade]

My kids call our Nativity the "Jesus playset". Not respectful, but so accurate. It was carved by my grandfather. It's not so pretty but it is very sentimental.

[MarissaNicole]

I'm not an outdoor winter person, but DH LOVES Christmas lights! The guy only has one day off in 20 days (Thanksgiving) and even though I made him help around the house that day, he managed to squeeze in putting up the Christmas lights outside. I am a nervous-nelly* and will only allow him to put them on the bushes and shrubs (no ladders). And our lights our white because our parents gave them to us because they don't put them up anymore.

We have a super small yard but DH threatens every year to get one of those giant blow-up figures. If we had the money (and I would allow it) he would totally go all Griswold on me!

*Ladders and dangerous tasks our a huge issue in our marriage because DH likes to do everything around the house - I try to remind him that he gave up that luxury when he chose his career.

[MarissaNicole]

The center of our home at Christmas has always been in the kitchen, where we have: the Advent candle wreath, which we light every night with prayers and discussion;

I love that idea - I think I'm going to look for one to start that tradition!

[v-girl]

DH gets on a ladder to hang lights. He does have a PSA every year though -- don't drink then hang lights. He had an ER patient during residency who drank a 6-pack, got on the roof to hang lights, fell off roof and ended up in the ER. He only drinks Dr Pepper while hanging Christmas lights.

[SoonerTexan]

GMW--have you ever heard of this book?

http://www.amazon.com/Jothams-Journe.../dp/0830734481

My parents did it with us one year over 10 years ago...and my siblings still talk about it. It's a really cool story and it kept the adult's attention, too!

[DCJenn]

We have 250 linear feet of fence in the front- in roughly 8 foot sections. The gate gets a wreath and then from fence post to fence post I drape garland and white lights and on each fence post I tie a bow. Nothing goes on the roof- but I do put a wreath that matches the wreath on the gate on the door - we have a storm door and use a wreath hanger- doesn't seem to bother it any. Inside- this year we'll do the whole big live Christmas tree. I guess the days of 1800-Flowers table top trees are over- for 11 more years. I'll put candles in the various candlesticks and tie bows on the chandelier stems. I hung the stockings on the mantle- we have two mantles but no fireplaces. One is in the hallway and one is in the dining room. I haven't decided yet which Santa will use on 'the night'. I have one of those super cool German candle things that are carved from wood and the candles make the little creatures spin- I'm sure Kris or Alison know what they're called. That's the centerpiece on the table.

My parents have a wooden advent wreath- I don't remember if it's Swedish or German but it's really pretty. It's the one religious tradition they ever had growing up.

J.

I used to do the bushes the last 2 years but now just did lighted garland around our front door, wreaths on a few windows and garland/ribbon on our lamp post. I do all white outside. Our tree has colored lights but I like just white lights on trees, too!

[TigerLily]

We do light around our front porch and above the garage door. We've used the LED lights for the last two years and they are SO bright and beautiful and use a lot less energy. How is that even possible...I have no idea.
We have a neighbor down the street who clearly buys every inflatable lawn ornament that they come across and it is awful. My favorite part is Santa standing over baby Jesus.

[JDAZ11]

My favorite part is Santa standing over baby Jesus.

Ha!

I can't wait to decorate for christmas. We never really had space to before, so I used to just buy one of those little potted trees every year and that was about it. I really wanted to get a big tree this year - but the more I think about it, maybe it just makes sense to hold off until we move again (although I feel like we plan to hold everything until fellowship is over and it is starting to get old!!!).