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

Well, I've blown all the rules already...
Anonymous said…
We're just starting to decorate. My daughter's bday is the first part of Dec and gets full attention first.
DEZMOND said…
I wonder how high electricity bills are for a regular American in December?
L. Diane Wolfe said…
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.
I've never been much of a rule follower, but you have some really good ones.
Jennifer Shirk said…
Uh-oh. I need some Disney characters STAT. LOL
Great top ten but I'm sure to break some.

Yvonne.
Laura Eno said…
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 said…
I think my neighbors are trying to start a battle of the Christmas lights fight with me. They might be winning.
Linda G. said…
Huh. Well, I've always been a rule-breaker... ;)
VR Barkowski said…
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 said…
This is TOO FUN, Carol. And goodness, not sure I can live up to all of this... ;-)
Carol Kilgore said…
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 said…
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 said…
HaHa! Sounds like a Hallmark movie. And that darn electric bill! This was fun, thanks Carol!
J.L. Campbell said…
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 said…
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 said…
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 said…
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 said…
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 said…
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.
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 said…
*bows head* I haven't gotten a tree or put lights up yet. I'm so far behind this year.
Golden Eagle said…
I always wonder how horrific the electric bills are for the people who put lights all over their houses and sync everything. :P
Anonymous said…
Hehehe you make me giggle!
What about - get solar panels to pay for it
Carol Kilgore said…
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 said…
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 said…
Manzanita! So great to see you back :)
I don't know what that saying means either.
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 said…
I think I'm a rebel. I've broken all the rules. :)
LR said…
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 said…
Very funny! I think I'll just go check out other people's decorations and let them worry about their electric bill.
Carol Kilgore said…
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!
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 said…
Michelle - It's pretty every night :)
Conda Douglas said…
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 said…
Conda - I haven't seen one that lights up, but I do see ones here that are spotlighted.
Old Kitty said…
The brighter, the gaudier and the more outrageous the better!! Yay! Merry Christmas!! Take care
x
Carol Kilgore said…
Old Kitty - Merry Christmas back!
Shauna said…
Very funny and I think there are several families following these rules.
Carol Kilgore said…
Shauna - I think so, too. Thanks for commenting.
Nas said…
Great top ten, but I've already broken some!
Carol Kilgore said…
Nas - I've broken them all. Sigh :)
Melissa said…
Great list! I'm doing good to get the tree decorated this year.
Carol Kilgore said…
Melissa - Same for me. We should start a club :)

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