CindyMac, some of us are on budgets, drink a margarita, eat, ice cream.
Or, spend $$$ on decorating for others to enjoy. I pick the former!

Decorations last from year to year. Can't say the same about ice cream & margaritas. Btw, I decorate for my own enjoyment, not that of others.

My kids put up my decorations Thanksgiving evening for me and I have the outside lights on a timer and light the tree at dusk. It gives me some cheer in this empty house and I smile when I look at my snowman tree topper.

Holy cow, amylou! Terilyn, I haven't spent any money on Christmas decorations for years. Just told my husband this weekend that I am convinced Christmas pillows breed while they are stored in boxes in the garage.

Amylou!!

I love what a maniac you are!!!!

Where we live we don't have much storage (nobody does, I guess), so we'll put a wreath on the door. The companies that come put lights up outside do a good business here and start before Halloween. Plus high temps kill the mood for this former New Yorker.

I'm sorry, Moni moved and moved again, sometimes things just aren't replaced.

I thought it was tradition to start decorating for Christmas Thanksgiving night. We haven't done that yet. Our Elf on the Shelf showed up. He usually starts drinking and getting into mischief in early December. He has big ideas sometimes and leaves notes. DH and I were planning to get the tree down for the last two days, but we had conflicts. Maybe tomorrow.

Penny, where do you live? I'm a former yankee living in the deep south. Wish we had more cold weather, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the holiday season. At least I don't have to deal with ice and freezing temps for extended periods of time.

Cindy, I'm in the DFW area. :(

I put the homemade garland on top of the Hoosier Cupboard in the kitchen yesterday, added some fresh boxwood to it. Today I reworked the grapevine wreath from Fall to Christmas for the garden gate, a swag for the outhouse door, and a swag over the big window of the little barn. I used boxwood, juniper, and winterberry, and added some pine cones with fake snow on them I found at Dollar General for $1 for a box of 12. They're real pine cones, too. Pretty.

Later I got the wreaths for the windows on the Eastern side of the house out of storage. Last year I left the dried boxwood in them because I kind of liked the pale green color, but this year I definitely have to refresh them. The battery operated candles I put in them still work.

No tree up yet, I'll wait until next week. Also the lighted wreaths for outside. Normally I don't do outside lights, altho I have done some in the past, but I'm getting in the mood again this year. I'm thinking all blue....or green.

The only outside decorating I do is a front door wreath. I don't put the Christmas one up until December 1.

We usually have the outside lights up the weekend after Thanksgiving, but not this year. Sometime this week they will go up. The nursery where I have the best luck with fresh outdoor wreaths is an hour away, we'll be close to there tomorrow and I hope they have the size (oversized) I want. Lots of different greens for texture, and I add my own decorations.

We'll go cut a tree in a few days, and I'll do a big mercury ball arrangement with battery lights on the coffee table....but I've got to find a half day to really dust and vacuum first, once decorated it's harder to do ;0)

I did put up a string of lights at my Mom's on Thanksgiving, and ran to the store for a wreath hanger so she could have her quilted wreath on her apartment door, hung the wreath. Does that count?

My husband has been busy this weekend while I was working and it looks like we'll go with red lights this year. We have totes and more totes filled with lights and decorations in the attic storage. Two of our neighbors put their outdoor decor up today, I am happy to see everyone getting into the season!

It's really nice weather here near Fort Worth, still in the upper fifties at nearly 1 am! Not exactly what is typical for Christmas weather, but it's what I know and love.

I usually don't put outside stuff out until Dec 1, but it's been 60 all week so he put up the pine roping the other day and I did the rest today. There's a lighted small tree on the porch, icicle lights, an antique sled and large candy canes on each side of the flagstone walk. Balsams wreaths on all the doors but the front one I decorate with fruit too. Inside nothing yet. We don't get a tree anymore and I'm not in the mood to lug stuff down from the attic. I'd say 75% of my town is decorated. Apparently, Thanksgiving is day one.

Well of course I lost everything Christmas related including the tree and my beautiful Santa collection in the flood, like everything else. We bought a tiny fake tree with lights and I wrapped some beaded garland around it. It proudly sits on the dash in the big front window of the motorhome. It is looking kind of pitiful but it is the best we could do. I got one Santa, it's a Mardi Gras Santa to replace the one that I lost.

Got it all done yesterday while it was warm and sunny. Outdoors is limited to three wreaths. I choose not to decorate in accordance with the HOA guidelines, so no exterior lights.

Indoors we have two decorated trees. Decorations are contained to the foyer, living room area, and sunroom.

Our grandchildren love being a part of it.

We drink wine, beer, and margaritas during viewings. Ice cream for the kids.

I don’t do any decorating until about two weeks before Christmas. For me, now is far too early. I get tired of it if done too soon. When done a couple of weeks before Christmas, it still feels special on Christmas Day.

I'm with Suzieque. About two weeks ahead is good, and it comes down on Dec. 26. It's just the two of us, and DH doesn't give two hoots. We won't do any entertaining this year, so I'll put a wreath on the door, a flag on my mailbox, and a little inside. We haven't had a tree in years. If I can figure out how, I'll put some lights on my philodendron.

We put up the outdoor lights on a nice day the first week of December. We don't turn them on until 2 weeks before Christmas except for a spotlight aimed at the front door wreath.

We'll put lights on our one small front-yard tree. I like leaving them on overnight so that early risers and schoolkids can enjoy them as they start their days. We're remodeling our front porch. Next year it will be more conducive to Christmas wreaths and garlands. I also like hanging Christmas ornaments (balls) on gold ribbons -- maybe the tree can take a few of those also (it's only head high, so can't take alot of weight yet).

Decorations are beginning to appear slowly around the neighborhood and the city and I enjoy it. We didn't decorate at all last year but will revive the lights in the days to come.

We have three tall, narrow conifers in our front landscape beds that we decorate with lights and glittery, shiny plastic ornaments....so pretty day and night. Our two little sprites next door are a huge help in that project!

We will visit a local tree farm this weekend to cut a tree for our screened back porch which we decorate with love with lots of lights and pretty, natural ornaments.

We are reviving our annual holiday cocktail party this year, so I will deck the halls....and the mantle, and the bathrooms, and the dining room! I have some nice artificial greens to which we add lots of live juniper, pine, magnolia, holly, fruits, and fresh additions in the upcoming weeks.

When it comes to decorating for Christmas (and any other holiday) I am appalled by how excessive it has all become. The magic of Christmas is long gone by the time it gets here.

Growing up, the house was decorated, as a family, the day before, and Dad brought the tree into the house and decorated it, with the help of Santa, of course, after us kids were in bed on Christmas Eve.

At my Daughters 2 days ago, I witnessed some of the pressured need she felt to decorate the home she and a friend live in. Pictures were taken from the walls to be replaced by dozens of holiday themed items. The china cabinet was emptied so that the holiday china could be displayed there. All the usual knickknacks were removed from every room in the house to be replaced by more holiday décor. Totally ridiculous/excessive in my mind.

Here in my home, about a week before the big day, I will get the 4 Christmas themed coffee mugs from a top shelf in the kitchen and set them out. That will complete my decorating till the 3 foot artificial tree that is stored in a box fully decorated from year to year is set out, at most 2 days before Dec. 25.

Yes, you can call me Scrooge!

I try to stay off Etsy when it comes to vintage Christmas ornaments. I didn't do so good last night, have three orders coming.

Igmd, what your daughter and her friend do is definitely extreme. Reminds me of a friend whose home almost looks like a Christmas shop.

I do not decorate any more. Too much work for me. My husband never did help with the decorating. I do enjoy Christmas though.

Sue

A few minutes ago I sprayed the kitchen cupboard garland and window wreaths with Air Wick's "Trimming the Tree" air freshener that I found in the armoire in the computer room. Now my nose is running and my eyes itch, ugh. I remember why I didn't use it.

Although I go a tiny bit overboard at work, at home i don't do very much. It's just me and SO,and he's a bit of a fuddy duddy when it comes to such things. I have a sprig of artificial mistletoe that I hang in one of the doorways,and that's it for the inside. However,this year,I came home from work one morning to a enormous,20 foot tall inflatable snowman in my yard. I have had him for a year but never put him out because the weather was bad or SO wouldn't help me. But this year, he knew I was upset about the inthinkable fluke that was the outcome of the iron bowl this year, and put him out to cheer me up. Yes it's excessive, the thing is 20 feet tall,but i was and still am so thrilled with it it made my whole month. He also got me a star shower slide show thing. It was so sweet,he really doesn't like to fool with things like that.

Igmd, I bet that your daughter's home looks so festive! A great excuse to dust inside the china cabinet twice in one season also!

Some years I feel kind of bah humbug also and don't decorate, but this year doing the decorations has really lifted my spirits.

Amylou, you have a big enough property to pull off that giant snowman. Your SO is a keeper to leave his comfort zone to cheer you up!

I love driving a bit out of town to a large property that decorates their front yard and fences, it's cheerful to me.

Igmd, yep, the usual Knick Knacks are gone for the month in my house, too. So is some of the usual artwork. A lot of the decorations we have were gifts, crafts the girls made when they were little and some figurines I painted when I had the time. Like the nativity scene.

We put ours up outside last weekend. Other than a wreath, this is the first time for us. I just bought some live swag from Costco and hung it along the porch railing with some big red bows. It’s simple but pretty and it really helped to put me in the spirit. After we hung it up, my husband suggested that we add some white lights as well. I guess it helped his spirits too!

I certainly don’t think it’s a waste, even though we don’t have kids in our home, our neighbors do and I’m sure they enjoy seeing all the houses lit up.

Wow Amy, you weren’t kidding when you said you go all out! I would have loved to have decor like that in the office I used to work in.

Amylou, are you wonder woman?

Ali, I'm no wonder woman. But I know that some people say, "I wonder about that woman....." when they see the decor. Does that count? :-p

My theory is if you have to dust your decorations, you put them up too early.

LOL I change out my decorations monthly so I have an EXCUSE to dust!!! December is the worst as it is the most festive month...but no way would I dust any of it other than as it gets put out and put away!!!

'bout those aerosols... I my own self have gotten more sensitive to the chemicals. You can cut rosemary for the wreaths & garlands, & keep potpourri simmering, starting with cinnamon & spices from the pantry & adding fragrant things like orange peel as they become available.

Wow some of you really go all out. I just don't have energy to do all that. Guess I am a humbug.

I appreciate decorations but I don't have the energy right now. I can barely get off the couch today!

When we have kids I'll do more. I remember the magic of Christmas as a child. We don't exchange gifts or anything so I don't see much point.

Mia, really 'dresses up' your decorations, raven! She is enjoying her moments in the sun, I think.

Chi, we never had kids, but I've always decorated. Less so now than when I was younger, but it's something we both enjoy. Dh helped me yesterday do the outside and I finished indoors today. We'll get a tree tomorrow and put it up Saturday. I even keep the holiday theme going after Christmas and swap out some of the white lights with Mardi Gras lights.

Cute decorations Raven! That is a big bed for Miss Mia :-)

It's her heated bed! She had a much smaller one before the flood so I replaced it with what I thought was a slightly bigger one but it was quite a bit bigger lol. But she has a fluffy blanket she keeps in it to burrow under, she manages to fill it up.

Hey its still November, too early for my taste, but to each his own.

I enjoyed seeing everyone's pictures.

When I lived in sunny SoCal, I thought this was too early too. We’d always wait until a couple of weeks before Christmas to get the tree and put it up. Then we moved to Michigan and discovered (the hard way) that when you wait too long everything is frozen!!!

lukkiirish We also learned the hard way when it is below a certain temp they can not bail the trees. If they do the branches snap. One year we were getting 3 trees. Usually no problem with our 4 door car, but that year they couldn't bail them. We had one in the trunk, one on the trunk lid and one on the roof. We looked like a freaking bush driving down the highway.

At my location (Wisconsin) neighborhood folks scurry the day after Thanksgiving putting up their outside decorations and many will be up by Sunday. Many factory workers have time off during that period and they do not want to be decorating in a snow storm with temperatures below freezing. The Merchants, that's another story; They've already jumped the gun and Black Friday sales is big-time here. Auto dealers are pushing hard to move new 2017 models off their lots.

We wait longer than most around here to put our decorations up. When I was growing up, the tree wasn't bought nor put up until less than a week before Christmas. When my mother was little, her parents (Santa) put up the tree on Christmas Eve--that was per her German dad. I would think if a tree goes up in late Nov., even sitting in water, it would be dropping needles before Christmas.

Function, that’s hilarious! I’m LMAO. We had a similar issue only it was just one tree, I can’t imagine 4!!! Too funny. We learned our lesson though, the next year, we got out there early and found our perfect tree. It was still to early for us, so we put it in a bucket of water and waited. By the time we were ready to decorate, both the tree and the bucket of water were frozen solid! I still laugh over the antics of having to carry it and get it thawed!