It’s that time of year! Households are decorating for Christmas. Lights hanging from the eves, the tree adorned with ornaments, and almost every available surface has been covered with red, green, or some arrangement of snowmen, angels, or reindeer. At least, that’s how it is in my house. No corner can be left untouched, no surface left drab! Everywhere you look it’s holiday cheer radiating back at you. If you’re about to embark on holiday decorating for the season, here’s a few tips to save you some stress!

  1. Never plan more than you want, and only plan for what you can handle! Are you setting up decorations by yourself, or is family helping? Do you want lights on the exterior of your home or are you looking to keep it simple around the Christmas tree? How big is your Christmas tree and do you have ornaments for every bough?!? Don’t bite off more than you can chew with the help you have. Decorating should be the beginning of your holiday spirit! Not the start of the family holiday feud.
  2. Are you having to get all new decorations? Moved into a larger space and need to expand your Christmas decor collection? Don’t immediately head to the store for brand new decorations. Check out your local thrift shops. There are several in the Denver Metro area, Boulder, and Longmont that have permanent Christmas and Holiday sections! I’ve found strands of lights in perfect working order for a fraction of the price of Walmart. With everything from Ornaments to tinsel and dolls you can find everything you need to expand your collection! Who knows, you might be able to knock off a few Christmas Gifts as well!
  3. Use the proper extension cords! If you have to go buy new extension cords for outside use (especially) go do it. Don’t spoil the holidays by starting a fire when the snows pile on top of inadequate electrical tools. When you’re connecting lights outside, make sure the plugs aren’t hanging out where water can pool when the snow melts. You know, if and when it snows.
  4. If you have a large collection of Christmas decor, don’t put it all out every year. Leave some stored away from next year. This way you can feel like you have new decorations every time you set them out for the holidays. Make sure to have one box of all your favorite holiday items to put out every year, but leave the rest mixed together in fairly evenly distributed boxes so you can have a variety from year to year.
  5. Do you have pets that bother the Christmas tree once its up? A quick and easy solution is to grab some cheesecloth, throw some peppercorns in it (grind some into the cloth to open up the smell a bit), wrap it up and hang them like ornaments from the bottom boughs. They’ll stop bothering the shiny lights and glittering icicles!