Friday's Top Ten

Ho! Ho! Ho!
It's the time of year elves are busy
feeding toys and building reindeer.
Or maybe that's the other way around? 

The top ten rules for holiday decorating:

10. Always outdo your neighbor

  9. Always include Disney characters

  8. Everything must light up

  7. And play music

  6. Santa, his sleigh full of gifts, eight reindeer, and Rudolph must perch at the top of your roof

  5. Forget about simple candles in the windows

  4. And luminarias

  3. Charge a fee for a guided tour

  2.  To pay for your storage unit rental 11 months of the year

And the #1 rule for holiday decorating:

  1. Don't worry about the electric bill


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Comments

Alex J. Cavanaugh saidā€¦
Well, I've blown all the rules already...
Anonymous saidā€¦
We're just starting to decorate. My daughter's bday is the first part of Dec and gets full attention first.
DEZMOND saidā€¦
I wonder how high electricity bills are for a regular American in December?
L. Diane Wolfe saidā€¦
I have friends that used to compete in a fun way with their neighbors and the lights could be seen for miles.

I miss seeing luminarias. Everyone in ABQ used to put them out for Christmas.
Donna Volkenannt saidā€¦
I've never been much of a rule follower, but you have some really good ones.
Jennifer Shirk saidā€¦
Uh-oh. I need some Disney characters STAT. LOL
Great top ten but I'm sure to break some.

Yvonne.
Laura Eno saidā€¦
Being married to Mr. Christmas, I groaned at #1 and #2. They are so true! I finally got it whittled down to get rid of the storage - now the cars don't fit in the garage but the absent storage bill can help pay for the electricity.
Luanne G. Smith saidā€¦
I think my neighbors are trying to start a battle of the Christmas lights fight with me. They might be winning.
Linda G. saidā€¦
Huh. Well, I've always been a rule-breaker... ;)
VR Barkowski saidā€¦
I don't have a chance. Atlantan's take their holiday decorating very seriously. The house directly across the street has 9 front windows, each with a decorated, lighted tree. Me? I still have to buy cards... sigh.
Morgan saidā€¦
This is TOO FUN, Carol. And goodness, not sure I can live up to all of this... ;-)
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Alex - Oh, no!

Julie - As it should. Good for you!

Dezmond - No idea. Google probably knows :)

Diane - Wow. We lived in NM for a few years. We still see some here in San Antonio.

Donna - Rules are made to be broken. Right?
Linda Kage saidā€¦
Perfect! Love this list. So...if you put up a YouTube video of your Christmas lights, will we have to pay to see it?!!!
Gwen Gardner saidā€¦
HaHa! Sounds like a Hallmark movie. And that darn electric bill! This was fun, thanks Carol!
J.L. Campbell saidā€¦
It could be because of the hefty electrical bills, but I have noticed that in the past few years, not many people here bother to put up lights.
Liza saidā€¦
So fun. Well, I have failed you top ten. But we do have more lights up than we ever have before and I love it!
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Jennifer - None here either :)

Yvonne - Same with us.

Laura - I love Christmas...but not that much. Have fun!

L.G. - Let them...it will mess with their heads :)

Linda G - A few of us here :)
Oh, boy. Sounds like my goose is cooked. I tend to fall on the "less is more" side. One year, everyone on our street placed luminaries out on Christmas Eve. It was gorgeous.
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
VR - Yikes! I have cards. They're not ready to mail...but I have them :)

Morgan - The question is, would you want to?

Linda K - HaHaHa! This year the video would be dark except for the spotlight on the wreath on our door. So, no. Not even with Santa and music.

Gwen - Thanks!

Liza - Cool! I failed, too :)

Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
J.L. - Oops, I skipped right over you. Sorry. Smart people! Some years our street is lit more than others. This appears to be a regular year :)

Susan - Can you tell I really love luminarias and window candles :)
I'm a firm believer of #8 :)
(and #1) hehehehe
M Pax saidā€¦
I think I'm the scrooge on the block. :D I don't mind. I get to enjoy everyone else's work. I like simple decoractions, though. So I'd opt for the candles.
Shannon Lawrence saidā€¦
My husband is Clark Griswald, kid you not. Though he doesn't do it to compete. He just really, really loves Christmas. It probably helps him deal with a wife who is becoming more of a Grinch each year. On the plus side, it's all LED's, so we hardly use any electricity! LOL!

Shannon at The Warrior Muse
Ciara saidā€¦
*bows head* I haven't gotten a tree or put lights up yet. I'm so far behind this year.
Golden Eagle saidā€¦
I always wonder how horrific the electric bills are for the people who put lights all over their houses and sync everything. :P
Anonymous saidā€¦
Hehehe you make me giggle!
What about - get solar panels to pay for it
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Lynda - Two peas in a pod :)

Mary - I'm a simple person, too.

Shannon - LOL! Meet Laura Eno above. She's married to Mr. Christmas. Should be quite a foursome :)

Ciara - We have party lights on the patio. In December they magically transform to Christmas lights - LOL!

Golden Eagle - I don't want to know :)

Michelle - Excellent suggestion!
Manzanita saidā€¦
Ha Ha Ha Love this post. We must have the same feelings about the same-old Yawn decorations. Good to see your funny Friday lists again. I've been on hiatus but like the bad penny, I'm back. I have no idea what that penny phrase means.... do you?
Love, Manzanita
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Manzanita! So great to see you back :)
I don't know what that saying means either.
Empty Nest Insider saidā€¦
It's always fun to see people trying to outdo their neighbor's decorations! I bet that some people actually conserve on their heating bills to splurge on their Christmas lights!
Julie
Shelley Munro saidā€¦
I think I'm a rebel. I've broken all the rules. :)
LR saidā€¦
There was a house like that in my neighborhood when I was a kid. It was a magical Christmas wonderland.

Must have cost them a fortune! But it was pretty.

I don't do many lights but I admire other people's. The gaudier, the better I say. :)
Anonymous saidā€¦
Very funny! I think I'll just go check out other people's decorations and let them worry about their electric bill.
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Julie - You could be right about that.

Shelley - So have I.

LR - There were a few like that when I was a kid, too. I loved them :)

Janet - Sounds like a plan!
Michelle Wallace saidā€¦
My end of the globe, people are just starting to latch on to no.#8. It's fun to watch the neighbours try outdo each other in the "bright lights" contest! LOL
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Michelle - It's pretty every night :)
Conda Douglas saidā€¦
Oh, I know the person who decorates like this--only you forgot the full size creche in the front yard that lights up!
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Conda - I haven't seen one that lights up, but I do see ones here that are spotlighted.
Old Kitty saidā€¦
The brighter, the gaudier and the more outrageous the better!! Yay! Merry Christmas!! Take care
x
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Old Kitty - Merry Christmas back!
Shauna saidā€¦
Very funny and I think there are several families following these rules.
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Shauna - I think so, too. Thanks for commenting.
Nas saidā€¦
Great top ten, but I've already broken some!
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Nas - I've broken them all. Sigh :)
Melissa saidā€¦
Great list! I'm doing good to get the tree decorated this year.
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Melissa - Same for me. We should start a club :)

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