Christmas Decorations!

[Shadowlander]

The month of December is almost upon us, and before you know it, Christmas will be here! Truly my favorite day of the year, and I'm certain I'm not alone. The question is how to prepare one's house for Yuletide festivities. There's so many different ways to go about it, from decorating your home in classy white lighting with lots of pointsettas for effect, or as my friend Pattertwig's Pal likes to do, setting a number of huge inflatable lawn ornaments up in front of your house (which hopefully the neighbor won't poke holes in). So, let's start things off with a little question and answer session for all our members to ponder on and share.

1. Christmas lights: Do you like white, colored, or some other arrangement of twinkle lights?
2. Do you like for your lights to blink? Marquee? Stay on continuously?
3. Do you decorate the outside of your home? If so, with what?
4. Your Christmas tree: Real or plastic?
5. Do you put electric (or real) candles in each of your windows?
6. Wreath: Real, plastic, or "No way, Jose!"
7. Ornaments: Glass, plastic, a healthy mix, or "Let's stay with the inflatable lawn ornaments, SL"
8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not?
9. When is an acceptable time to begin decorating for Christmas? Halloween, Pre-Thanksgiving/Post Thanksgiving, Sometime in December, Christmas Eve, etc.
10. Manger scenes: Wood or plastic?
11. Christmas Village setups - pro or con?
12. Christmas trains around the base of the Christmas tree. Yes or no?
13. Do you decorate your pets? (ie; fake antlers on your hamster, bright red noses for your dogs, green elf suits for your goldfish)
14. Elf on the Shelf: A good idea? No real opinion? Or just plain creepy?
15. Pointsettas?
16. You know they're not really poisonous, right?
17. Ahem....mistletoe? Yes/No?
18. Candy canes hanging on the tree? Popcorn garlands? Other edible tree decorations? (if any)
19. Do you hang stockings? If so, what kind of loot do you generally get in it on Christmas morning/Eve?
20. Do you put up candles?
21. Favorite candle scents for Christmas?
22. Moravian Stars: Like or dislike?
23. Santa Claus decorations: Yes or no?
24. You know Santa Claus is real, right?
25. You know if you say no, you'll get coal in your stocking, right?

25 Questions for 25 Days till' Christmas! Enjoy! And we look forward to seeing all of your answers!

[Princess Anna]

I might have to answer some of these later, after I think on them more (or get more time. I iz busy! ). So don't be surprised if I edit to add more every so often!

And might I say... I had no idea someone could ask that many questions about decorations!

1. Christmas lights: Do you like white, colored, or some other arrangement of twinkle lights?

uhh... not sure exactly what I prefer. All I know is what I've grown up with.
outside:
-as a kid... coloured
-last several years... white (though they look yellowish to me)
inside:
-on regular tree... coloured
-on christmon tree... white

2. Do you like for your lights to blink? Marquee? Stay on continuously?

I think I'm confused... but maybe I'm not? Anyway, I don't know the answer. Sorry!(if I had to guess, stay on continuously. less overstimulating for my brain that way)

3. Do you decorate the outside of your home? If so, with what?

Didn't I already answer this? (in an earlier question AND in last year's thread?)
But yes... we have lights on our house (again, WHITE ONES) and there is usually other stuff too. but I forget most of it. and the one thing I for sure remember, I'll mention in answer to a later question. so it'd be silly to say it now

Oh, and I don't decorate outside... daddy does.

4. Your Christmas tree: Real or plastic?

We have two (regular, and christmon). Both are fake trees, because mom is allergic to real ones. I'm kinda bummed, because the one we've had the longest (as long as I can remember) is probably not gonna be used much longer. It's getting so old that it leans sometimes if we're not careful.

Shouldn't we be talking more about the trees themselves in terms of what's on them, rather than what kind? or is that for the "traditions" thread?

5. Do you put electric (or real) candles in each of your windows?

By "electric" do you mean the kind that needs plugging into the wall and/or batteries? Because if so, we have a few (but not tons).

6. Wreath: Real, plastic, or "No way, Jose!"

7. Ornaments: Glass, plastic, a healthy mix, or "Let's stay with the inflatable lawn ornaments, SL"

Tree ornaments, do you mean? If so... glass, plastic, and TONS of homemade ones. (made by relatives, friends, or mostly my sister and I as kids. for example... the christmon ornaments are entirely made by hand)

8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not?

Don't drag us down with you!

If you want to get yourself in trouble, that's your business... but don't get ME in trouble on top of it!

9. When is an acceptable time to begin decorating for Christmas? Halloween, Pre-Thanksgiving/Post Thanksgiving, Sometime in December, Christmas Eve, etc.

The day after Thanksgiving, duh! (and not before)

10. Manger scenes: Wood or plastic?

11. Christmas Village setups - pro or con?

12. Christmas trains around the base of the Christmas tree. Yes or no?

YES! Ours really smokes and everything. it's fun to watch it, even now at age 29. (what? it's cool! and christmas is magical...)

13. Do you decorate your pets? (ie; fake antlers on your hamster, bright red noses for your dogs, green elf suits for your goldfish)

I don't know if I've ever heard of it being called that before. Have we ever dressed our pets up? Well, a couple times we tried putting antlers on our dogs... they didn't much care for it. They stayed on barely long enough to get pictures!

Anyway, the only pets we have now, are mom's fish. can't dress them up

14. Elf on the Shelf: A good idea? No real opinion? Or just plain creepy?

15. Pointsettas?

We usually have them at church. Don't remember if we really have them here much or not... *thinks*

16. You know they're not really poisonous, right?

*groan*

17. Ahem....mistletoe? Yes/No?

18. Candy canes hanging on the tree? Popcorn garlands? Other edible tree decorations? (if any)

19. Do you hang stockings? If so, what kind of loot do you generally get in it on Christmas morning/Eve?

Yes, we hang stockings. (around the time the tree(s) go up the day after thanksgiving) But we don't get stuff in them at christmas... we get stuff in them on St. Nick Night. So, it should be around the 6th or 7th. We'll have that this week!

And it varies. The few constants are:
1) each of the four of us will get a new ornament for the tree. And it almost always relates to something each of us did that year. (for example, last year I got a Cosmosphere one, to remind me of the mod moot and cosmosphere visit)
2) candy canes

Basically, whatever small things fit in the stockings. examples from over the years... gum, candy, and... I forget the rest. But last year (or the year before) I got "The Muppet Christmas Carol" under my stocking!!!!! (I'd always wanted it, but never owned it. had to always wait for it to come on tv, or to borrow it from somewhere)

Oh, and it might interest you to know that our stockings were made by my mom when we were little.

20. Do you put up candles?

Didn't you already ask that? I'm confused...

21. Favorite candle scents for Christmas?

22. Moravian Stars: Like or dislike?

23. Santa Claus decorations: Yes or no?

24. You know Santa Claus is real, right?

25. You know if you say no, you'll get coal in your stocking, right?

[Puddleglum]

1 We have always enjoyed white lights outside, and are using the icicle type this year. On the tree we are experimenting with the larger light this time around.
2 Tried the blinking when the mood hits us, but just on the tree. No on the marquee.
3 Lights outside, and a manger.
4 Plastic I'm sorry to admit. More cost effective in the long run, and less hassle cleaning up. Last live one we had shed to the twigs in two weeks.
5 No candles.
6 Real wreath, purchased from a local Scout every year.
7 Ornaments on the tree are a mix. Hallmark, bulbs, handmade, some glass. No inflatable. Was a young child once,and I can see someone thinking "BB gun target".
8 Does Pattertwig even have an outside outlet
9 Anything pre-thanksgiving is just unacceptable to me.
10 Mine is plastic. But I just finished putting up a handmade wooden manger.
11 We have one. It tends to take over the buffet table.
12 Only If I can set up little train robbers on horseback chasing it.
13 No pets, and I have seen too many pictures of pets begging to be put out of their misery to do that to one.
14 I'm thinking about little boys with BB guns again
15 If they are on sale.
16 Don't know. I haven't tried eating one.
17 only when the Mrs. is about
18 Picturing little boys putting down their BB guns, and climbing the tree for the very to candy cane.
19 Ever try putting stockings on webbed feet?
20 I thought you were repeating 5, but I see it could be read differently. Yes, when little children are not about. (with, or without BB guns).
21 Don't really care for them.
22 No idea what they are
23 Not really. Prefer manger scenes.
24 Only historically. But a scene of St. Nick bowing down at the manger is fitting.

[TheGentleWarrior]

1. I like white lights for a more elegant Christmas tree. Colours for a more festive look. Outside, I like both white and coloured lights, they can look great together.
2. No blinking! Blinking lights give me a headache, plus they look like they're broken. I prefer my lights to be on continuously.
3. No, not anymore. We used to do just lights, but now it's usually too cold and my dad refuses to do it. *eye roll*
4. Artificial. "Plastic" makes the tree sound so fake! XD
5. No candles, though I would choose electric if we got some.
6. Artificial wreath.
7. A mix of 80% Hallmark ornaments, 10% glass and 10% misc.
8. LET'S DO IT!
9. After Thanksgiving.
10. Have had both.. no preference I suppose.. unless you asking what we have now?
11. Never had one.
12. Not anymore. Got rid of our ancient ones for a tree skirt as of last year. Got tired of putting them together, too.
13. No. Our dogs would kill us.
14. Sounds cute from what I've heard from other families I know. Not for us though.. obviously, I'm too old.
15. Rarely bought, yet pretty.
16. They've been deemed poisonous?
17. Ew, no. (Not dating/romance interested yet. )
18. Candy canes sometimes. I take the ones I get in dance and chuck 'em on the tree. No other foods, though.
19. Stockings are hung every year at my house! Past trinkets included cheap little bubble toys and such found mainly by dad at party stores. Nowadays I can find bits of jewelry, little snowglobes (I collect them), hair supplies or other such stuff in my stocking.
20. Not real ones. My mom knows that between the dogs and myself, we'd burn the house down. We use LED vanilla scented ones.
21. VANILLA. (see above) ^
22. Never heard of them.
23. Yes.
24. DUH!
25.

[Purpleotter]

I'm going to get my Christmas tree today

[Aslans_Jewel]

1. Christmas lights: Do you like white, colored, or some other arrangement of twinkle lights? Colored lights, but only Red and Green
2. Do you like for your lights to blink? Marquee? Stay on continuously? Strobe lights all the way. People dont need to see when they drive by my house B)
3. Do you decorate the outside of your home? If so, with what? Not really. Maybe some lights on the giant sycamore in front, and the wreath we stapled to the front of the house 4 years ago, but can't seem to get down.
4. Your Christmas tree: Real or plastic? Plastic!
5. Do you put electric (or real) candles in each of your windows? People do that?
6. Wreath: Real, plastic, or "No way, Jose!" Plastic, but only because it's stapled to the house
7. Ornaments: Glass, plastic, a healthy mix, or "Let's stay with the inflatable lawn ornaments, SL" I have 5 brothers and sisters. Enough said.
8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not? Give Twiggy ALLL THE LAWN ORNAMENTS
9. When is an acceptable time to begin decorating for Christmas? Halloween, Pre-Thanksgiving/Post Thanksgiving, Sometime in December, Christmas Eve, etc. The weekend school gets out
10. Manger scenes: Wood or plastic? Wood!
11. Christmas Village setups - pro or con? le wut?
12. Christmas trains around the base of the Christmas tree. Yes or no? I'd like it, but again, too many children
13. Do you decorate your pets? (ie; fake antlers on your hamster, bright red noses for your dogs, green elf suits for your goldfish) I love my dog too much to humiliate her like that
14. Elf on the Shelf: A good idea? No real opinion? Or just plain creepy? ಠ_ಠ
15. Pointsettas? Everyone here is allergic to those
16. You know they're not really poisonous, right? Of course I do.
17. Ahem....mistletoe? Yes/No? 1.) I have small children in my house. 2.) I am single, as of now, and the next few years
18. Candy canes hanging on the tree? Popcorn garlands? Other edible tree decorations? (if any) Not anymore... P:
19. Do you hang stockings? If so, what kind of loot do you generally get in it on Christmas morning/Eve? Yeppers. Usually that's where all the candy goes. Mom might hide a videogame or two in there, but it's mostly the stuff that's gone by Noon.
20. Do you put up candles? Normally not. Too many grabby hands. Sometimes we do Hanukkah without the presents to honor the Jewish past of the christian faith.
21. Favorite candle scents for Christmas? Gingerbread
22. Moravian Stars: Like or dislike? Looks too fancy schmancy
23. Santa Claus decorations: Yes or no? As long as they don't move, I'm okay with them
24. You know Santa Claus is real, right? No he ain't
25. You know if you say no, you'll get coal in your stocking, right? Just more stuff to burn

[Pattertwigs Pal]

as my friend Pattertwig's Pal likes to do, setting a number of huge inflatable lawn ornaments up in front of your house (which hopefully the neighbor won't poke holes in).

No, NO NO! There are no inflatable decorations here. That's your house SL. You are the one who likes them. I DETEST them. They are the TACKIEST decoration EVER!

8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not?

Absolutely not! I would try to exchange it and if that doesn't work I'll put it up in the yard of my worst enemy or SL's yard.

8. LET'S DO IT!

8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not? Give Twiggy ALLL THE LAWN ORNAMENTS

Just to warn you anyone who sets up inflatable lawn ornaments on my lawn (which will be tricky since I technically don't have one) will be first beaten to death and then burned alive and after that be kept on bread and water for six weeks. And will find their lawn decorated in like fashion or undecorated and redecorated in a different style.

8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not?

Don't drag us down with you!

If you want to get yourself in trouble, that's your business... but don't get ME in trouble on top of it!

Wise choice PA.

9. When is an acceptable time to begin decorating for Christmas? Halloween, Pre-Thanksgiving/Post Thanksgiving, Sometime in December, Christmas Eve, etc.

The day after Thanksgiving. Not a day sooner.

24. You know Santa Claus is real, right?

Um, no. He isn't.

25. You know if you say no, you'll get coal in your stocking, right?

That is much better than getting inflatable yard decorations.

[mm1991]

1. Christmas lights: Do you like white, colored, or some other arrangement of twinkle lights?
- It depends. Generally though I like white for the Christmas tree and colored lights for outside decoration.
2. Do you like for your lights to blink? Marquee? Stay on continuously?
- Not really.
3. Do you decorate the outside of your home? If so, with what?
- Yes, with lights and window decorations.
4. Your Christmas tree: Real or plastic?
- Plastic. We have a dog and don't want her stepping on pine needles.
5. Do you put electric (or real) candles in each of your windows?
- No, we've never done that but I like the way it looks in other houses.
6. Wreath: Real, plastic, or "No way, Jose!"
- I love wreaths! But we don't have one. We put a sparkly snowman on our door instead. And I like both real and plastic.
7. Ornaments: Glass, plastic, a healthy mix, or "Let's stay with the inflatable lawn ornaments, SL"
- A guess a healthy mix of all of the above!
8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not?
- Yes!
9. When is an acceptable time to begin decorating for Christmas? Halloween, Pre-Thanksgiving/Post Thanksgiving, Sometime in December, Christmas Eve, etc.
- The day after Thanksgiving.
10. Manger scenes: Wood or plastic?
- I like both but we have plastic.
11. Christmas Village setups - pro or con?
- Not sure.
12. Christmas trains around the base of the Christmas tree. Yes or no?
- It's not my thing, no.
13. Do you decorate your pets? (ie; fake antlers on your hamster, bright red noses for your dogs, green elf suits for your goldfish)
- My dog would never stand for it! I would put bells on my childhood dog though.
14. Elf on the Shelf: A good idea? No real opinion? Or just plain creepy?
- Creepy.
15. Pointsettas?
- They're pretty.
16. You know they're not really poisonous, right?
- Right???
17. Ahem....mistletoe? Yes/No?
- LOL, we've never done that at our house.
18. Candy canes hanging on the tree? Popcorn garlands? Other edible tree decorations? (if any)
- Candy canes.
19. Do you hang stockings? If so, what kind of loot do you generally get in it on Christmas morning/Eve?
- Candy!
20. Do you put up candles?
- On the tree, no. But we put them around the house just for decoration...we can't light them.
21. Favorite candle scents for Christmas?
- Peppermint.
22. Moravian Stars: Like or dislike?
- I don't know what that is.
23. Santa Claus decorations: Yes or no?
- Sure, why not.
24. You know Santa Claus is real, right?
- SAINT NICHOLAS is/was real, yes.
25. You know if you say no, you'll get coal in your stocking, right?
- I never get coal in my stocking!

[wolfloversk]

1. I like either or, though I have a small preference for colored... also I like the blinking ones
2. Oops... see 1
3. Not really, though I've always wanted those light up reindeer... Occasionally we'll put up icicle lights though.
4. Fake... easier for mom to clean and we save a few pines in the process
5. not exactly... but we often have candles lit around the house at this time of year
6. um neither... ours is made up entirely of colored jingle bells
7. A healthy mix, we have some wooden ones as well
8. I have enough qualms with squirrels already, so no
9. After Thanksgiving
10. either- my mom had ceramic until I broke a few pieces
11. pro- they're so adorable! (though they'll never beat the nativity seen
12. *Doesn't do it, but wouldn't mind it
13. Nope... Fluffy would kill me, the other 4 would hate me for life
14. Um... no idea... never heard of it
15. If they survive
16. Yes, I believe I heard that somewhere
17. Not worth the risk with some guys I know back home
18. Candy Canes for sure!
19. Yep! Usually filled with candy, puzzle booklets/magaizines, and small knickknacks as well as a card
20. I believe I answered this already
21. oh dear... I like pine and apple cinnamon a lot But I like many others as well
22. Define please
23. Yes, but I still prefer the nativity
24. Yes He was based on a historical figure if I recall
25. No, but it's not like that affects my answer

On a completely random note I just want to say... I love garland - a lot

[jillpole1]

1. White in and out, with maybe a few colored... I can't decide.
2. Stay on continuously!
3. Yup, with icicles on the house, and light up reindeer in the yard.
4. Real!
5. No, sadly, no candles.
6. Mostly all fake wreaths.
7. A healthy mix.
8. No, of course not.
9. Post Thanksgiving
10. Wood!
11. Pro.
12. Probably not. It sounds nice, but would be quite inconvenient... I mean where would you put all the presents?
13. No, my animals don't like it whenever I do.
14. No real opinion.
15. Yes, they're beautiful!
16. They are, but only to animals.
17. I'll just agree with TheGentleWarrior on this one.
18. Just candy canes.
19. Yes, we do. And normally an apple, an orange, hershey kisses, nuts, and some other small goodies.
20. Not normally, no.
21. Christmas Tree scent...
22. Hmm... like, I guess. Kind of a scary shape though.
23. Yes!
24. Of course!
25. Duh, be good for goodness sake.

[Meltintalle]

1. I like white lights. They look very classy. But I like colored lights because they're very christmas-y. I can never decide which I like better.
2. On all the time.
3. No. I am boring.
4. The last couple of years, it's been an artificial tree dragged up from the depths of the basement. But I like the real trees, with the long needles.
5. No. See three.
6. Real, but again, I am boring and have none. (I sense a trend beginning... )
7. Healthy mix. Plus the homemade ones! I love the little sled made from popsicle sticks that I got as a gift when I was but a tiny wee un myself.
8. Noooooo. Nu-uh. No way. Those things are disturbing and tacky.
9. Sometime in December, post Thanksgiving if you must...
10. Glass
11. Nice to look at, not doing one myself
12. Again, nice to look at, but not doing one myself.
13. Nope. Though if there's a goldfish in an elf suit, I'd love to see pictures.
14. Meh. Too trendy.
15. Yes, please.
16. No, I didn't. And I'm not sure I trust you as a source of information on edible plants, so I'm not going to try one either.
17. No, thank you.
18. Yes, please. Candy canes, popcorn garlands, strung cranberries... I think I've seen oranges hung up too and thought it looked cute...
19. Small edibles, socks, one-size fits all gloves, a tiny puzzle... it varies. But usually edibles like oranges, apples, and chocolate.
20. Nope.
21. Not a big fan of scented candles, really...
22. Never heard of it before, but it looks cool.
23. No.
24. I read that in a book once.
25. Wait... I should change my answer to No and see if that's true.

I like garland too, Wolf!

[wild rose]

1. Christmas lights: Do you like white, colored, or some other arrangement of twinkle lights? I like all Christmas lights, I do have a special love for colored ones because they are the kind we had when I was a kid and it brings back tons of happy memories, but I love white lights as well
2. Do you like for your lights to blink? Marquee? Stay on continuously?
Stay on continuously of course, blinking lights are for New Years Eve
3. Do you decorate the outside of your home? If so, with what?
erm, no, we don't decorate the outside of our home, the snow is a good decoration on it's own, no need to guild a lily as they say
4. Your Christmas tree: Real or plastic?
Sadly plastic, we can't afford a real tree these days, we've got a small plastic one and it works pretty well
5. Do you put electric (or real) candles in each of your windows?
Nope
6. Wreath: Real, plastic, or "No way, Jose!"
Nope, no wreath, though I wish we would
7. Ornaments: Glass, plastic, a healthy mix, or "Let's stay with the inflatable lawn ornaments, SL"
I'd say healthy mix, we've got glass, plastic, ceramic, woven, sewn from cloth, paper...you name it
8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not?
haha, I'm guessing I would set it up pn Pattertwig's lawn, because I'd never set it up on my own, I don't like inflatables
9. When is an acceptable time to begin decorating for Christmas? Halloween, Pre-Thanksgiving/Post Thanksgiving, Sometime in December, Christmas Eve, etc
December 1st I'd think is best
10. Manger scenes: Wood or plastic?
Ceramic actually
11. Christmas Village setups - pro or con?
Sure, why not
12. Christmas trains around the base of the Christmas tree. Yes or no?
um.....No
13. Do you decorate your pets? (ie; fake antlers on your hamster, bright red noses for your dogs, green elf suits for your goldfish)
I don't decorte the pet's themselves, they'd chew up their ornaments, but I do decorate the cages
14. Elf on the Shelf: A good idea? No real opinion? Or just plain creepy?
I don't really care, we don't have elves to put on shelves, so I wouldn't know
15. Pointsettas?
Have no idea what those are
16. You know they're not really poisonous, right?
since I don't know what they are, I'll take your word for it
17. Ahem....mistletoe? Yes/No?
sadly not
18. Candy canes hanging on the tree? Popcorn garlands? Other edible tree decorations? (if any)
Nope, with a toddler in the house, candy on the tree wouldn't last very long (we're lucky if the tree itself doesn't fall over)
19. Do you hang stockings? If so, what kind of loot do you generally get in it on Christmas morning/Eve?
Hanging stockings isn't something done in Russia, so yeah, I don't do it
20. Do you put up candles?
Yes, usually around the manger scene
21. Favorite candle scents for Christmas?
As long as it's not too sweet, I like them all
22. Moravian Stars: Like or dislike?
neutral
23. Santa Claus decorations: Yes or no?
If it were up to me I wouldn't have any at all, we've got one or two I think, but generally no, I prefer not to have them at all
24. You know Santa Claus is real, right?
Of course NOT!!!!!
25. You know if you say no, you'll get coal in your stocking, right?
Well, since I don't hang my stockings, I've got nothing to fear so I can say it again, he's not real

[Shadowlander]

I guess I should answer these myself, right?

1. Christmas lights: Do you like white, colored, or some other arrangement of twinkle lights?
I love colored lights. Lots of blues, greens, yellows, purples, and reds spells out Christmas to me. White lighting is pretty but frankly...it makes it kind of sterile, like a beautifully done cake that you're not allowed to eat.

2. Do you like for your lights to blink? Marquee? Stay on continuously?
Outside, steady. On the tree, a mix.

3. Do you decorate the outside of your home? If so, with what?
I generally hang a wreath outside each year. I want to hang lights, but that involves ladders and SL doesn't do heights without a really good reason, so no lights.

4. Your Christmas tree: Real or plastic?
Plastic. Made in China, with built in lights. Each year the tree gets slightly more wobbly, and I'm thinking this year will be the last for our 4 year old tree. Pretty good run for $60 four years ago.

5. Do you put electric (or real) candles in each of your windows?
They're classy looking but I don't use them. If we did we'd do electric, but it costs money, so there's that.

6. Wreath: Real, plastic, or "No way, Jose!"
Plastic! Four years and going strong!

7. Ornaments: Glass, plastic, a healthy mix, or "Let's stay with the inflatable lawn ornaments, SL"
I do a pretty good mix of ornaments, but the majority on our tree are glass. Glass ones tend to be the prettiest but with kids running around one needs more plastic. So we tend to hang the plastic ornaments down lower on the tree and the more fragile glass ones higher.

8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not?
I'd speak with her landlord first. Then I'd see if I could convince him/her that Twigsy was hosting a ginormous inflatable lawn ornament Christmas display. If that went through, why we might even get sponsors and donations! Its be a Christmas Miracle!

9. When is an acceptable time to begin decorating for Christmas? Halloween, Pre-Thanksgiving/Post Thanksgiving, Sometime in December, Christmas Eve, etc.
I need to specify that my family consists of 110% procrastinators. My dad in particular is infamous for setting the tree up in a panic on Christmas Eve (and then keeping it up until mid-April. I'm not kidding). I try to get the tree up by the first week of December. No success so far....

10. Manger scenes: Wood or plastic?
I want wood. I'll probably have to settle for plastic. :/

11. Christmas Village setups - pro or con?
Space provided, they're awesome!

12. Christmas trains around the base of the Christmas tree. Yes or no?
I'd love one but it'd end up freaking the dog out, who might try to eat it. Or she'd cower and wet the rug. Either way it's not a good formula.

13. Do you decorate your pets? (ie; fake antlers on your hamster, bright red noses for your dogs, green elf suits for your goldfish)
I've been tinkering with the idea of putting an elf suit on the dog. It'd be ok as long as she didn't see a toy train moving around the tree.

14. Elf on the Shelf: A good idea? No real opinion? Or just plain creepy?
Creepy...oh so creepy

15. Pointsettas?
Nope

16. You know they're not really poisonous, right?
Of course I did, I'm the one that made up the questions, right?

17. Ahem....mistletoe? Yes/No?
Where do I even find the stuff?

18. Candy canes hanging on the tree? Popcorn garlands? Other edible tree decorations? (if any)
Small candy canes on the tree is great, when I have em'. Otherwise a bunch goes in the stocking. I loves the candy canes!

19. Do you hang stockings? If so, what kind of loot do you generally get in it on Christmas morning/Eve?
We do hang stockings, up by the chimney with a little care. But Santa typically just leaves a bunch of candy in there. So much in fact, last year my stocking fell off the hook and threatened to drag a number of decorations with it. I'm thinking Santa should just leave a little bit.

20. Do you put up candles?
Yup!

21. Favorite candle scents for Christmas?
Holly berry, gingerbread, apples and cinnamon! A few years ago we got a Royal Frankincense candle...it's almost out but we light it a little bit each Christmas. They don't make them anymore

22. Moravian Stars: Like or dislike?
Love!

23. Santa Claus decorations: Yes or no?
Yes!

24. You know Santa Claus is real, right?
Of course

25. You know if you say no, you'll get coal in your stocking, right?
I put all of mine in Twigsy's stocking

Sorry Twigs! Tell your Christmas Bats story, it's a Yuletide favorite for me!

[stargazer]

Fun opening post, SL!

1. Christmas lights: Do you like white, colored, or some other arrangement of twinkle lights?
- I usually prefer colored, though white is all right for some things (like the 'icicle' lights that came into vogue a few years ago).
2. Do you like for your lights to blink? Marquee? Stay on continuously?
- Blinking or steady preferably.
3. Do you decorate the outside of your home? If so, with what?
- Negatory. Limited options in this apartment building. However, we used to decorate my parents' home with lights on the trees and around the windows.
4. Your Christmas tree: Real or plastic?
- Plastic, alas. We've had the occasional real tree, which always lends such a nice aroma to the air - and could be tossed behind the garage for burning the following summer.
5. Do you put electric (or real) candles in each of your windows?
- No.
6. Wreath: Real, plastic, or "No way, Jose!"
- Wreaths are okay. (It seems they're good fundraisers for kids in school ).
7. Ornaments: Glass, plastic, a healthy mix, or "Let's stay with the inflatable lawn ornaments, SL"
- Usually plastic. We have a few old (at least 75 years) glass bird ornaments from the grandparents that rarely make it onto the tree because they're so fragile.
8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not?
- Already done.
9. When is an acceptable time to begin decorating for Christmas? Halloween, Pre-Thanksgiving/Post Thanksgiving, Sometime in December, Christmas Eve, etc.
- The day after Thanksgiving, ideally. But it can be well below 0F by then with piles of snow so I can accept people decorating outside before then.
10. Manger scenes: Wood or plastic?
- I grew up with a ceramic one my parents got at a yard sale for $1 around 1950. Now that's vintage! My current one is plastic.
11. Christmas Village setups - pro or con?
- They look nice in my friends' homes but I don't have the room or resources for them.
12. Christmas trains around the base of the Christmas tree. Yes or no?
- We never had them, perhaps because they posed too big a temptation for the pets (or the kids ).
13. Do you decorate your pets? (ie; fake antlers on your hamster, bright red noses for your dogs, green elf suits for your goldfish)
- Our pets would never tolerate such a thing.
14. Elf on the Shelf: A good idea? No real opinion? Or just plain creepy?
- Creepy.
15. Pointsettas?
- They're pretty.
16. You know they're not really poisonous, right?
- But do they taste like chicken?
17. Ahem....mistletoe? Yes/No?
- Only 'official' couples (that is, married, engaged, or previously known to be together) were under any obligation to follow this procedure.
18. Candy canes hanging on the tree? Popcorn garlands? Other edible tree decorations? (if any)
- Candy canes. Popcorn garlands occasionally as kids, unless the aforementioned pets were too tempted by it.
19. Do you hang stockings? If so, what kind of loot do you generally get in it on Christmas morning/Eve?
- My stocking is nearly as old as I am and was made by my grandmother [/random]. Stocking stuffers were usually candy and small gifts.
20. Do you put up candles?
- No, but some unlit ones were on display when we were growing up.
21. Favorite candle scents for Christmas?
- Peppermint, cinnamon.
22. Moravian Stars: Like or dislike?
- This is the first I've heard of them.
23. Santa Claus decorations: Yes or no?
- If you insist.
24. You know Santa Claus is real, right?
- I guess.
25. You know if you say no, you'll get coal in your stocking, right?
- Coal comes in handy for late-fall campfires.

[SnowAngel]

1. Christmas lights: Do you like white, colored, or some other arrangement of twinkle lights? Both! We have white lights on the tree this year, due to the fact that we couldn't find the colored lights after the move. I would have like to have had colored this year.

2. Do you like for your lights to blink? Marquee? Stay on continuously? I hate blinking lights, that's one of the things that drives me crazy!

3. Do you decorate the outside of your home? If so, with what? Wreaths on the front and back doors, a tree with white lights on the front porch, and big colored lights around the deck.

4. Your Christmas tree: Real or plastic? Unfortunately, it's fake this year. No Christmas tree farms close enough.

5. Do you put electric (or real) candles in each of your windows? We have some electric candles, but they're not in the windows at the moment.

6. Wreath: Real, plastic, or "No way, Jose!" We have a couple of wreaths, sadly they're all fake. I think it would be cool to have a real one.

7. Ornaments: Glass, plastic, a healthy mix, or "Let's stay with the inflatable lawn ornaments, SL" Oh, a healthy mix definitely! We have all kinds of Christmas ornaments. I have some pictures to post of our tree, but I'll probably post them another time.

8. Someone gives you a deluxe, 10 foot high inflatable Santa in a Snowglobe lawn ornament, complete with snow blowing inside. Do you set it up on Pattertwig's lawn or not? If my Dad is going to put a "Santa in the outhouse" inflatable in my grandparents' frontyard, then yes it's only fair that Twigs should have some of the fun.

9. When is an acceptable time to begin decorating for Christmas? Halloween, Pre-Thanksgiving/Post Thanksgiving, Sometime in December, Christmas Eve, etc. The day after Thanksgiving, no sooner and no later.

10. Manger scenes: Wood or plastic? We have both kinds and I like them all. Our newest one is the Veggie Tales one.

11. Christmas Village setups - pro or con? Yes! I love our Christmas village, it's in the dining room this year and it looks awesome! I just wish it was bigger, we only have 6 buildings.

12. Christmas trains around the base of the Christmas tree. Yes or no? We don't, and although it sounds cool, I don't think it would be a very good idea to do at our house. Little boys are kind of dangerous with things like that.

13. Do you decorate your pets? (ie; fake antlers on your hamster, bright red noses for your dogs, green elf suits for your goldfish) No way! Even if we had a pet, I would never do that! It's gross. Babies are for dressing up at Christmas time!

14. Elf on the Shelf: A good idea? No real opinion? Or just plain creepy? Creepy!

15. Pointsettas? Not really into them.

16. You know they're not really poisonous, right? Never really thought about it, but it's nice to know they're not.

17. Ahem....mistletoe? Yes/No? Don't really care.

18. Candy canes hanging on the tree? Popcorn garlands? Other edible tree decorations? (if any) Not safe with small children in the house, but we have had candy canes on the tree before.

19. Do you hang stockings? If so, what kind of loot do you generally get in it on Christmas morning/Eve? Of course! All kinds of the things go in our stockings: socks, jewelry, makeup, farm toys, hair things, chocolate, etc. I happen to know that a certain someone is going to get a CD in their stocking this year. We don't hang them back up after they are filled, instead we elves line them up in front of the sofa on Christmas Eve to be open Christmas morning.

20. Do you put up candles? We have an advent wreath, but we haven't used it yet this year.

21. Favorite candle scents for Christmas? I only like vanilla, sugar cookie, and hazelnut candles period!

22. Moravian Stars: Like or dislike? Don't really care for them.

23. Santa Claus decorations: Yes or no? Don't really care for them, but we do have a couple that we had given to my grandma.

24. You know Santa Claus is real, right? Oh course! Do I look like a girl who wants coal for Christmas?

25. You know if you say no, you'll get coal in your stocking, right? Yes, but I won't be getting any, 'cause I know Santa! No, seriously, I do know him and his wife! He drives a big red sleigh (it's an F-150) and he only wears red shirts. If you don't believe me, you can PM Scarlet!

I have some pictures of our Christmas decor that I plan to post soon....

SnowAngel

[Pattertwigs Pal]

Sorry Twigs! Tell your Christmas Bats story, it's a Yuletide favorite for me!

Here it is. I dug it up out of the old thread just for you.
I had an interesting experience playing Santa. Occasionally we hear bats. They are usually in our walls, but we have had them flying around the house. My mom, my sister, and I had been finishing watching a movie after the Christmas Eve Service at church. My dad had a bad cold so he had stayed home from church and finished the movie. (Since we started going to the late service at church, we always watch a movie between dinner and church). We heard a bat and spent a while trying to locate the sound. We decided it was in the ceiling and /or between the rafter and the ceiling. My mom and my sister had gone upstairs, and I wanted to go throw something away after depositing presents in the stocking. I was convinced that it was next to me. I let out a little shriek (so much for being quiet ) and retreated upstairs. My mom went to check on the bat and said that it was still in the ceiling. I slept with my tennis racket next to my bed anyway. My sister and my dad didn’t hear me shriek. My dad was asleep.

1. Christmas lights: Do you like white, colored, or some other arrangement of twinkle lights?

Colored. White is too boring.

2. Do you like for your lights to blink? Marquee? Stay on continuously?

Blink. I also like the different types of on off some strings have (twinkle, fade in and out, etc.) Oh, and I really like chaser lights.

3. Do you decorate the outside of your home? If so, with what?

Yes, we have lights out on our balcony. Although they aren't on because we broke a bulb and aren't sure if it is safe to plug them in like that.

4. Your Christmas tree: Real or plastic?

Artificial. It's an old one of our grandparents. It is behind a drum set shield to protect it from the cat.

5. Do you put electric (or real) candles in each of your windows?

No, but our parents have lighted decorations in their windows. We don't have very many windows in the apartment.

6. Wreath: Real, plastic, or "No way, Jose!"

My sister and I don't have any but my parents have two fake ones. We only have real ones if my uncle sends them as a gift.

7. Ornaments: Glass, plastic, a healthy mix, or "Let's stay with the inflatable lawn ornaments, SL"

We have a mixture: glass, plastic, wood, cross stitched, homemade, metal, cloth, etc. We have a lot of Hallmark ornaments.