When do your holiday decorations go up?

[wdwmom0f3]

Odd ball here I guess. I am in the process of getting my Christmas things out now. This past weekend I put up the two big trees, but they are not decorated yet. I will do that today I hope. I am trying to get it all done now because I have DH's family coming here for Thanksgiving next Wed, then we head out to my Mothers house. I want it all up & ready when we get home.

 

[LindaBabe]

My 100 cards are done.

When we lived in Germany, we went all out - inside only - lights on the outside aren't really done there. Christmas began early like 11/11, St Martin's day with a lantern procession through the town, sugared prezels, and the raffling off of the Christmas goose. Every neighbor had an advent wreath.

On December 6, St. Nichlaus came - with his staff (he was a bishop, you know) and his sidekick, Black Peter, rattling chains. He read your transgressions from a BIG book - the little kids were good as gold while he was there. Then he'd give them some sweets and go. A short time later, the bell would ring and there would be a sack of presents.

There was always a Christkindlmarkt in the larger towns - the smell of chestnuts roasting over charcoal always takes me back, although I can't stand the taste of them. But there was always burnt sugar nuts, and gluhwein too, and gingerbread cookies and stalls full of beautiful blown glass and carved wooden ornaments.

We always had a real tree, that took us a week to decorate. I baked the whole month of December - usually about 100 dozen cookies. Bouquets of flowers. Stockings for all. We'd have 20 -30 single GI's for dinner - leave your rank at the door - I can't imagine being able to afford to feed that many now, let alone prepare stockings for them.

We have an artificial tree now, slim, an hour does it - then I'm out of steam and stop. We have a giant artificial wreath for the front of the house - dh puts it out with a flood light on it. We'll probably put it all up Thanksgiving weekend, because we're home this year.

The year I graduated from College, in December, I planned a trip to WDW with my neighbor - and left DH to do Christmas. He put out the things that were important to HIM. After that we simplified A LOT because I realized lots of stuff I was doing because I thought he expected it - and the reality was - it didn't matter to him.

Buffy, if it was me, i'd instigate a discussion with the kids about what they thought was special about the holiday and what decor THEY love. Let each one pick one favorite and do that and call it done. Going "all out" may be stressing yourself needlessly.

 

[mommy2mrb]

we always decorate Friday afterThanksgiving ...will do so again this year...esp since my DB will be spending the night so hopefully he will help me lug up all my boxes (2 flts of stairs) from the garage and set up my tree.

I will be doing a purge of probably 1/3 of my stuff since we downsized from 2100 to 1300 sq ft. I only have the railing of my deck to decorate and probably garland and wreath on front door.

Even though we always came to WA for xmas we still decorated our house, its my favorite time of year.

I have a 7ft tree, Megan a 4ft for her room, decorate mantel, small xmas village on my couch table, couple wreaths, a xmas cross stitch I did years ago I know will be going up, the rest will have to see what fits where.


BTW Hope, if you come to Seattle, let me know we are only about 25 miles north would love to meet you!!

Since we are hosting xmas eve this year, Megan wants to go "ALL OUT", she's really good about helping, already know its going to be a different feeling this year, but will work through it.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

We spend the Friday after Thanksgiving and that weekend decorating.. It takes us that long. The past few years we have not decorated the outside with much more than a few trees on the porch and our outside light decorations... our lights outside never get lit because the oddball who built the house did NOT connect the electrical outlets for the outside.

The big huge tree goes in the dining room now... It is a big ol' tree.. we use to have to move apart our sectional to get our tree in..
All the rooms have small table trees.
Each room is decorated in it's own theme.
Kitchen ~ Disney
Bathroom ~ snowflakes
Entry ~ Angel
Hallway ~ reindeer
PJ ~ precious moments (hot pink/lime green)
C ~ sports
B ~ sports
Family room ~ Snowmen
Dining room ~ tree & santas (it connects to kitchen)
Master bedroom ~ blue & white snowy theme
scrapbook room ~ NEW ROOM... need ideas
All the doors get wreaths
All the doorways get garland

It's funny because all the decorations seems to make the house so cozy and small.. When we take the decorations down, (I take the decorations down while they are at school) the house seems to double in size!

I love the holidays and I love that my kids even older still love to see how much I decorate... We are getting ready for our elves to come visit soon and while the kids know I do it...they can't believe that I allow the elves to cause such issues and mess my house up.....

Oh, this year we have a big bookcase to put our stockings on because we don't have a mantle..

Oh, I forgot my village goes out all over my 5' or 6' bar between the kitchen & dining room.

Let's see.. last year I believe the kids counted 25 tubs of Christmas stuff that we have to bring down from the attic. 3 tubs stay up there and only come down when I have to put stuff in for the kids. I have 3 tubs that I split extra items between my kids so that they have some items to start their Christmases with.

 

[mommy2mrb]

Wow Nancy, that's a lot of trees!! here's an idea for your scraproom...how about a bunch of tags, all paper items!

I forgot my two little trees too, put one with xmas village, not sure where the other one will go this year.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

Lisa ~ good idea.. maybe I could do a few tags for each of my family members and put special notes to them.... they roam down to my room every now and again (routinely) to drive me nuts! LOL (Really, they don't.. just never fails I get to singing a song, working and "hey mom" as they barrel down the steps)...

 

[joyah]

Ernie and Elmo are a blast. I can't believe that both of my boys still believe..... I know I'm running on borrowed time here but I'll take it while I can.
i've got to find a good one for the night of E's bday I love the crash the car on the lawn and fill it with food wrapers ( guess I'd better start saving some) but I need one for inside the house that night. the champagne one will come back but with beer cans and rum bottle on the night of Tom's party the 18th (19th is the actualy bday) he's turning 40 so the elves have to celebrate too right?

off to reread the other thread on them

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I will start my elf mischief plans tomorrow... I have my little book ready and a list of links I need to go through... If I don't have everything written down and boxed together on those late nights w/ activities things could be forgotten!!

 

[joyah]

Nancy that was us last year never fail one of us would go flying out of bed in the am get to the door and the other would go got it. or poop run I'm right behind you. I totally flew by the seat of my pants last year on this.

 

[mysumi]

I used to start at the very beginning of december but now the tree goes up thanksgiving night or the day after! If I'm having a good year the lights all go on the day after thanksgiving too, the outside ones at least. The inside lights are usually finished out over the weekend. I should have already been checking lights now but we're pretty behind this year! Wish us luck!
I love reading about everyone else's decorations too!

 

[wdwmickey]

LindaBabe--thanks for the walk down memory lane! I loved Christmas in Germany (I lived there 30 years ago)

I'm loving the idea of a small tree in each room--we usually have a big tree downstairs and a big tree upstairs and the girls each have a tree in their room. But, with "thunderfoot/destructo-dog" (DD1's 9 month old golden retriever puppy) that won't work. Perhaps if I get tabletop trees and put them up high we can have a tree in each room and divide up the ornaments into themes.

Nancy--for the scrapping tree I love the idea of paper ornaments & tags. You could use your cricut carts I think I'm definately going to do that

 

[MazdaUK]

We don't decorate outside - I usually cut some greenery (rosemary, holly and ivy) and tie it up with some glittery ribbons to hang on the door, but this year I might get a wreath.

We have one tree - about 6-7' artificial - in the living room with a crib,and last year we treated ourselves to a lovely snowman which stands on the mantlepiece (shaker-style tinware). We also have a garland I made when DS(17) was a baby which goes over a huge mirror in the dining room. A few candles, some cards and that's it (DH has a thing about making holes in the cornices) It goes up the first Sunday in December, or 5/6 December (as St Nicholas comes on 6 December). We're a lot more low-key in the UK, except fro a very few who smother their houses with lights etc.

Apparently orange peel will keep cats away from trees, but I don't have a cat so I've not tried it

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Nan - I was in ACM yesterday and the have a paper stack of all paper ornaments...K & Co....you just punch them out and put them together. I think it was $14.99...so with the 40 or 50% coupon, you could decorate your tree for like $8.00!!

As for the orange peels and cats...maybe the same would work if you bought one of the trees that have needles that smell like oranges?? I forget the name of the tree...it's a fir though...long needles.

 

[ddavis860]

I made these cute little round paper ornies for a friend once. I can't remember where I got the idea, but they used my big round punch, ribbon, 2 pony beads, and sticky tab adhesive.

Punch I think 6 circles, 3 of 1 color, 3 of contrast. Fold then in half. Ribbon loop long enough to pass all the way through plus length to use for a hanger. Knot the ribbon, pass the pony bead, then make the little ornie. Sticky tab on the back of one side of a circle, and stick to the contrast circle till you use them all up. Before you close the circle, put the ribbon hanger inside, with the knot and pony bead out the end. Close the ornie with the adhesive. Then pass the other pony bead at the top.

They are really cute, and you could put charms on the knot end to hang down if you want.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I'm headed to Jo's tomorrow as we don't have ACM but I will look for that paper.. if not, I do believe w/ the stash of christmas paper I own and the cricut I could do some magic! Thanks everyone for the wonderfu ideas!

 

[thinkinginpink]

day after Thanksgiving! I'm excited!