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When do you put up your Christmas tree/decorations?

stewarta4

By stewarta4
in 2018

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Turtle Mommy

Turtle Mommy

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I normally put up everything up the weekend after Thanksgiving. I might do it earlier this year. We bought a new home last year with really high ceilings. I,of course had(okay so had is a really strong word..LOL!) to order a new tree. We found a great deal on one from Balsam hill and it is BEAUTIFUL. I want to enjoy it a little longer. We shall see! :sidesplit :sidesplit

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the best mom

the best mom

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Long ago, when I was in grad school, I waitressed and, worked in retail to help pay for my schooling, apartment and any/everything else that I could stretch those funds to cover.

Working in retail means that when the holiday season hits, you're always working- no time off. And, almost all retail stores have all their decorations up on Nov. 1st. 

So I took my cue from Filenes "Display Design Team"- thanks Mary!- and started my own decorating on Veterans Day weekend, so that I would be finished before Thanksgiving. Then, all I had to do was enjoy the lights and decorations when I was home from school/work.

After I was married, no longer working in retail ( I'm a teacher), and had our baby, we continued that tradition.

It has made the holidays so much more enjoyable.

It's such a short season, and we want to enjoy every minute of it.

 

Our family's "Traditional Christmas decorating expectations" :

 

1.  On Veterans Day Weekend, all tubs of indoor Christmas decorations- lit garland for staircases and mantle, un-lit garland for the windows, indoor wreaths, candles for the windows, kids artwork ( they still love to see their holiday school projects year after year), tree decorations, and our menorah  :holiday06  (we're a multi-faith family) are brought in from the garage loft and into the utility area of the basement. :holiday03  

 

2. All outside decorations- white lights, wreaths & garland- go up on Veterans Day Weekend. They're checked to make sure everything is in working order and ready to go. We live in New England, and it gets cold...Brrr... Plus, we like to do the outside before there's snow on the ground. :holiday14

 

3. We've been fortunate to have our kids return home from college for Thanksgiving break on the Friday before Thanksgiving. So we start decorating inside our home the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Christmas music playlists start playing, the tree goes up :holiday07  after everything else is up. Every year before we start decorating the tree, my husband and kids are each given their first gift of the season- a new ornament that has a meaning and sentiment specific to each, and we add them to our tree. That tradition began with our first born son. We thought it would be great for the kids to have their own ornaments to take with them when they were grown, living on their own, and starting their new lives and traditions. :hearthrob 

This year, we're losing our baby to his girlfriends family home in Tennessee for Thanksgiving break. It's all good. 

He'll receive his new ornament for the tree when they come home to spend Christmas with us. Yay!

 

4. We take family pictures for our Christmas card on Thanksgiving weekend -both in NYC with family- and, again when we return home Sat. night before everyone heads back to college and/or new home/ career on Sunday afternoon. We'll have to figure out something new for this years card!

 

5. No lights-outside or inside- are turned on until Thanksgiving night. Thank goodness for timers. We love when we return home from NYC, pull into the driveway and see everything decorated and lit up. It's so beautiful!

 

6. Once we're all in and relatively unpacked, we get jammies on and head into the family room to watch "Elf" with hot cocoa, and popcorn. Tradition!

 

We take everything down and pack it away on or before Dec. 28th. So much fun when we do this with all the kids.

An impending snowstorm or ice storm is the guide for taking down the outside decorations.

While we love the season, we also like to have the house back to normal and enjoy the rest of winter break entertaining, skiing, hanging, playing games or, just plain chilling out and getting ready to celebrate New Year's Eve with family and friends.

 

It's getting close to Veterans Day... Can't wait!

Edited by the best mom
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colemandawn4905

colemandawn4905

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When the kids were little we would eat Thanksgiving dinner then put up the tree and watch How the Grinch stole Christmas. My sister and I would leave to go black friday shopping in the middle of the night when black friday was truely black friday.  Then when they got older I started putting it up the beginning of November. I had 3 kids who were into every sport so i could put things up over a few days and not be rushed then we could enjoy it so ive stuck to that but this year we have the 4 grandchildren living with us so i may have to go back towards black friday so that i dont confuse them with it being up so long.

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budgetsRsexy

budgetsRsexy

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Growing up we didn’t put the tree up until after my dad’s birthday on December 18th. We used to get live trees then so it helped to insure that it was green for Christmas. Now we all use artificial trees. Mine usually goes up around the end of November or very beginning of December so I can enjoy it longer. Last year mine went up quite late so we let it up until mid/late January [emoji15] Edited by budgetsRsexy
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dd50

dd50

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Who has a real tree? I want to decorate BF weekend (or the weekend after) but I'm 90% sure my tree will be dead by Christmas. Any tips on how to keep it alive for a month?

I haven't done a real tree in years but when I did I always bought it on BF weekend and put it up.  I made sure that it had water and I didn't put it in front of the window.

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ytmomof4

ytmomof4

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My tree don’t go up until Black Friday since I get a real tree. But I have some decorations I keep out all year.

I got the hubby to put up some of our lights yesterday but the rest won’t go up until next weekend when I get home from my trip to visit my bff.

So last night since my bff loves Christmas almost as much as me we put up he tree and decorated it.

I can’t wait to get my decorations up this coming weekend

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jewleyp

jewleyp

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We buy our live tree on Black Friday and that is the last thing to get decorated. If I put up any Christmas decor I put it out. I have had a Santa light up thing in my counter for about a month that I glommed onto at Kohl’s and my DD picked out her Nutcracker this year so that’s out too.
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jewleyp

jewleyp

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I haven't done a real tree in years but when I did I always bought it on BF weekend and put it up. I made sure that it had water and I didn't put it in front of the window.

Thinking about going artificial but family would have a fit!!! Lol

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jewleyp

jewleyp

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Who has a real tree? I want to decorate BF weekend (or the weekend after) but I'm 90% sure my tree will be dead by Christmas. Any tips on how to keep it alive for a month?

We really don’t have an issue ever with it not lasting until after Christmas. We buy ours in Black Friday. Here is what I always do- When you are looking so the “hand test”. Put your hand around a branch and close your hand and pull your hand towards you - if any needles come off in your hand the tree is already dehydrated and pass on it. We always have water and never put it near a heat source like a fireplace or a vent. We put ours in a window where it stays cool.

 

One year we went when I had the flu and honestly didn’t care one iota... lol. I didn’t do the “hand test” and the tree died about 2 weeks in. The whole interior of the tree had zero needles. Lol.

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the best mom

the best mom

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I'm so excited! 

Less than 1 week to go before we begin to bring down all holiday decorations.  :holiday08

We'll start (and finish) all outside decorations on Sat. Nov. 10th.

Good news...No snow in the forecast for Nov. 10th.... so far!  :holiday14

Then my husband and I will organize inside decorations so, that we're all ready to begin the process on Sat. Nov. 16th. 

Of course, we'll save the best for last... our 10ft. tree  :holiday07, which should be up Sat. late afternoon/early evening.

Everyone will open their 1st gift- a new decoration- and the youngest (not with us this year, heading to Tenn. from Boston to be with his girlfriends family) traditionally hangs the first decoration on the tree. 

I think we'll start this year with the eldest going first. Here's to you my sweet husband!  :gdinlove:

Finally, before we leave for Thanksgiving with family in NYC,  we'll set out our Menorah and dreidels   :holiday06 

 

Our traditions:

Outside= Wreaths and garland with white lights   :holiday03 on both decks,  wreaths (white lights/battery) on all doors, house and garage, candle (battery) in the storage garage window under 1 deck, old fashioned snow shoes (wood!) on the walls of our 3/4 enclosed side entries. 

Inside= 1st up: Wreaths and garland (hearth, windows, banisters,) with white lights, candles (battery) for all windows, hearth stockings, and more. 

Last up: #1 tree (10ft.) with multicolored lights.

 

I'm so excited! And, so is my husband, perhaps with a little less enthusiasm than myself!

 

NOTE- I've been a member since 2006, and this year is my 1st year/time ever posting on any Forum.

Over the years all comments and threads relevant to me have been so helpful, and I always look forward to BF time every year.

This is the best place to look for any/all holiday help information.

 

I'm able to be active this year due to taking time off from teaching (3 weeks to be exact) to recover from foot surgery. I haven't been able to walk or really do much of anything other than heal- still an ongoing process- and will return to school this week- Yay!

 

I don't know how active I'll be able to be once I'm back in school, but, know this, I always find time to get on the site and read your helpful tips, and commentary!  

Thank-you to all on the Gotta Deal Forum!

You're the best! 

:gdthankyou:

Edited by the best mom
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lucyismycat

lucyismycat

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We host Thanksgiving every year for both mine and my husband's families, soooo usually that means no Christmas decorations go up until BF weekend.  However, this year our boys have an out of town hockey tournament;  we're leaving sometime Friday afternoon (after getting home from shopping all night!) and won't be back until Sunday afternoon.  I'm thinking about breaking tradition and putting up at least some of the Christmas stuff this weekend.  

 

My issue is that we also decorate for Thanksgiving, and I think the turkeys/pumpkins/etc will look a little odd next to the trees and other stuff.  I think the Christmas stuff will probably have to wait until after our tournament.  

 

I am in "need" of a good quality 12' unlit tree (something I can't see through).  I had a beautiful 9' prelit tree that we got rid of after last Christmas...the lights quit working, and it was more trouble than it seemed worth to try and fix it.  It also weighed so much that it took a winch to get it upstairs, so this time I'd like something that comes in more than 3 pieces in case I need to carry it in sections. 

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the best mom

the best mom

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 Woo-Hoo! 

 

We did it! We can check 1 thing off our holiday tradition timeline!

 

My sweet husband and I (on my crutches and knee-walker) put up almost all outside decorations- white lights, wreaths & lit garland on Veterans Day weekend. Just have to put up the 2 huge (60 plus") wreaths w/ white lights on garage barn door and front of our 3 floor home.

Indoor decorations and tree will be brought into our home this weekend. 

FYI- It snowed here last night! We have 2''of snow on the ground.  :holiday14

As much as I love snow, I'm hoping the rain will take most it away for just a few more weeks- so I can continue to maneuver fairly easily with my crutches and knee walker. 

 

Edited by the best mom
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bluebear

bluebear

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All the totes are spread out in the living room, with a few things unpacked and put in their general area. But I started feeling bad last night while putting them out, and woke up this morning really sick. Sadness. :( Hopefully I can work more on it in a bit, ready to get my tree up!
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magickallight

magickallight

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All the totes are spread out in the living room, with a few things unpacked and put in their general area. But I started feeling bad last night while putting them out, and woke up this morning really sick. Sadness. :( Hopefully I can work more on it in a bit, ready to get my tree up!

 

Hope you feel better soon.  :gdgetwell:

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bluebear

bluebear

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Thanks you! This week was just the leftover coughing and runny nose. But I can function now! I piddled around a little this week and got some more stuff up and out, including the tree. So it's almost done. I had hoped to get the outside done today, but it's raining pretty hard here, boo. Maybe tomorrow.
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magickallight

magickallight

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I got my indoor stuff done yesterday, but the new inflatable Grinch that I got to go on the front porch is going to have to wait until tomorrow as we too are getting very hard rain and a LOT of wind. :(  Hope to start working on wrapping some of the grandkid's gifts today - but got 2 hours sleep last night and am really feeling yucky. Maybe some Christmas music will get me in the mood to wrap. Fingers crossed. With 5 grand-kids, 3 kids & significant others, hubby, mom and dog to wrap gifts and do stockings for - it may be NEXT Christmas before I get it all done! ;)

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Brad

Brad

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I try to put my stuff up in early November. Otherwise I get too busy with the site as BF gets closer that it's almost too late to do it in early December when things finally calm down. Plus the tree and decorations keep reminding me during all those late nights and 16-20 hour days working on the site that there's a light at the end of the tunnel lol.

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HanShotFirst

HanShotFirst

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Thanks you! This week was just the leftover coughing and runny nose. But I can function now! I piddled around a little this week and got some more stuff up and out, including the tree. So it's almost done. I had hoped to get the outside done today, but it's raining pretty hard here, boo. Maybe tomorrow.

I caught round 2 of the crud this week so I feel you!  Glad you're better.  

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bluebear

bluebear

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Oh no! Hope you feel better soon!

I got my indoor stuff done yesterday, but the new inflatable Grinch that I got to go on the front porch is going to have to wait until tomorrow as we too are getting very hard rain and a LOT of wind. :(  Hope to start working on wrapping some of the grandkid's gifts today - but got 2 hours sleep last night and am really feeling yucky. Maybe some Christmas music will get me in the mood to wrap. Fingers crossed. With 5 grand-kids, 3 kids & significant others, hubby, mom and dog to wrap gifts and do stockings for - it may be NEXT Christmas before I get it all done! ;)

I finally got the dragon inflatable with the candy cane that I was wanting so bad last year. So I can't wait to get him up!

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