Friday, December 26, 2008

The Holiday Rush Is Over......How Did You Survive?

Wow, what an incredible busy Holiday Season. I can't believe I kept so organized and only sort of got forgetful the last few days before Christmas. Thank goodness for my Holiday Budget Spreadsheet! I just need to refine it for next year so I can add other people to my budget, not just the girls, hubby, my parents and grandma.

I love all our decorations but I am so happy to have them down too! After a month of them, they seem to make the place crowded. Maybe it has something to do with the fact we like to go "over the top", especially outside. Hopefully next year, nobody will be sick and we can finally get everything out for our front yard. We love how everyone comes by to see it, especially when adults bring their kids.

See you next time,
Rebecca in Beckys World 101

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Holiday Decorating

We are slowly but surely getting our outside decorations up. We have quite a bit and someday wish to be like the people you see on HGTV on the "over the top holiday house"!!!!! We have 4 blowups put into place - Frosty, Santa, Pooh and Rudolph, our wooden Santa in Sleigh with lighted (not wooden) reindeer, large decorated Christmas tree, lighted Nativity set with angels cross and star on top our roof. Another lighted Santa that seriously needs repainting minus his fireplace which should go out tonight (it's quite heavy!).

Our oldest daughter keeps reminding us we don't have our candy canes or lollipops out along with our waving Santa and various other cut outs, light and decorations. DUH!!! When we actually get everything out, it takes hubby and I a total of about 2 1/2 days to put it all up.

This year I even painted our front window! I love doing that and went very simple since we have a large 3 panel picture window and we hang light in it. I only painted Holly Berry in all 4 corners and a snowman in the center pane with snowballs under the lighted Merry Christmas sign. The girls insisted on painting snowflakes on the 2 outside panes and helped me paint the snowman in the center.

We have a large pine tree in our front yard that can be seen even from other streets. My husband, Larry, wants to some day put lights and decorations on it. We would have to rent one of those buckets that the electric company uses to reach the top of our tree! And yes, he has considered it! The problem is storage. You know when all these decorations are not up, they have to be stored somewhere.

Every year we "problem solve" ways to get more but make them easier to store. Our neighbors usually watch us and eventually come over to comment how much they enjoy our decorations.

I think what we all enjoy the best is when people slow down when driving by our house to look at our decorations or when they purposely bring their kids by to see them......that is very fun for us to know people enjoy our decorations. It does take some getting use to, having people stare at you house but we still love it!

So even though we are all sick........ON WITH THE DECORATING!!!
Pictures to follow!

Take Care,
Rebecca in Beckys World 101