Don’t Make These 3 Mistakes Installing Your 2009 Christmas Yard Decorations.
I can’t remember the last time I have been more excited for the Holiday Season to start than this year. 2009 was a tough year any way you slice it, but nothing cures my blues better than to see my entire neighborhood lit up with Christmas yard decorations…And it won’t be long now!
When I was growing up, my dad would start to unpack our Christmas yard decorations on Saturday morning after Thanksgiving. This schedule still seems pretty normal to me, but my neighbors seem to be getting their displays up earlier and earlier every year. I resisted this trend at first, but have since knuckled under to the new reality: On my block, Xmas decorations go up on the first Saturday after Halloween.
If you haven’t been shopping for Christms yard decorations in a few years, you may be surprised at the amazing number of choices and options available. This year you’ll find an almost endless varienty of decorations to install in your front yard: LED lighting, solar powered Christmas trees, holographic images, 8- foot tall inflatable Santas, and even net lighting designed to wrap around tree trunks!
Before you begin, please take a moment to carefully plan your new Holiday yard display. With the right planning, your new and improved Christmas yard decorations will be a hit with both your wife and the guy next door. Here’s a few tips to get you going this year.
Let’s start from square one: Does your front yard have a source of electricity? This may sound like a silly question, but it will determine whether your Christmas display will be visible from outer space or not. If you do have power, great! You’re off to a fantastic start. If you don’t an electrical outlet handy, don’t worry…you still have some good options available to you:
1. You will be surprised how may Christmas yard decorations do not require the use of electricity at all, including plywood figurines and cutouts, nativity scenes, bows, garlands, and large Christmas tree ornaments. Decorations like these are actually used quite often in combination with electrical decorations so that they are visible during daylight hours.
2. This year you will find many new solar-powered lights and decorations, including string lights, net lights, and path lights.
3. You can always use the tried-and-true method of running a hundred feet of extension cord out to any remote location that you would like to decorate (make sure to use a heavy duty cord for this…at least 12 guage wire).
If power is not an issue, then you can get started with some simple string lighting. Start small by lighting a few trees in the front yard. You’ll also get lots of curb appeal by installing net lights over shrubs and bushes near the house. Icicle lighting looks terrific hanging from a front porch, and a Christmas wreath can really dress up a front door.
Are you ready to do something completely different this year? Don’t know where to start? It’s always easiest to begin by picking a theme and working around that…Here are some ideas for you to get you started: Santa’s village, reindeer, snowmen, toy soldiers, Peanuts characters, candy canes, gingerbread cookies, etc…You can even brainstorm with your kids and have some fun with it!
Will this be a secular display (I.e. Santa), or do you want to feature a religious theme like the Nativity? Do you want to keep this display low-key, or do you want it to be visible from the space station? By the way, it’s a good idea to talk to your spouse at this point if you haven’t already done so.
It’s better to be safe than sorry, and for this reason you it doesn’t pay to purchase the cheapest decorations you can find. Like any other electronics equipment, you get what you pay for, and you don’t want to mess around with sub-standard equipment that can pose a fire hazard to your house. If you purchase your new Christmas yard decorations online, make sure it’s from a reputable vendor like Amazon with a proven track record and a good return policy.
Most importantly, have some fun this year with your Christmas decorating! And I wish you and your family all the best for this Holiday season, and here’s hoping that 2010 brings you much happiness and prosperity.
Don’t be left out in the cold this Holiday…Find the hottest new Christmas yard decorations fast before Santa arrives…
