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So I am blaming this on a friend who bought me a couple of cute solar lights that I use to keep delivery people from ending up in the ditch—normal sort of driveway, just them hitting the driveway markers.

Rudolph and Frosty are now guarding the drive. I was shopping lights today. I am outing myself as officially being guilty of premature decoration.

How about the rest of you? Any other premature decorators in the group?

What is considered premature?

I still have my fall stuff up but with Thanksgiving being so late this year I am considering putting Christmas things up this weekend. I don't want to do it too early or I will be ready to take the tree down before Christmas.

We usually put our outside lights up while it's still warm but don't turn them on until after Thanksgiving.

It seems like people are starting really early.

Hahaha, just tonight I passed the first premature holiday light decorations. It hit me so funny, earliest EVER! I figure it's because our local big box stores already have that decor out now, wayyy early. Gives the stores a new season to set up for. The decorations are all exported from China, so need to arrive in the USA by container ships no later than early autumn, I suppose, then quickly it's Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas/holidays for which the stores need to store this stuff somewhere until it's on their sales floor.

Everybody buys it because it is out there.

I order flower bulbs from Dutch suppliers. They ship during early winter, way too soon to plant them, I think so they can minimize expensive refrigerated storage, but in most areas of this continent, those bulbs can't safely be planted for months. I learned the hard way that bulbs and roots from big box chains are the least likely to survive after I plant them in the ground, due to being held so long in those little green plastic baggies at room temperatures!

I think it's just the global shipping cycles for these seasonal items.

[This message edited by Superesse at 3:42 AM, Wednesday, November 13th]

A House in my neighborhood had full on lights for Christmas up before Halloween. I guess they were sending a message about people with Halloween decorations. Now there’s like two or three that are already decorated. And I appreciate the people with the 12 foot skeletons who have put Santa hats and red lights on them now.

I wait until Thanksgiving, but the boxes are in the garage and ready for the bit of decorating that I do.

I am not decorating yet but I have let it into my heart already. IE went to see a Christmas display this weekend, etc.

I am just amazed at how many folks have pure hate for folks that do choose to decorate their places. Their house - their rules.

For my household, I will be digging out my inflatable turkey first.

Facts - the turkey does not taste any different if the Christmas tree is up.

[This message edited by EvenKeel at 1:26 PM, Wednesday, November 13th]

"I am not decorating yet but I have let it into my heart already"

Lucky I had put my coffee down for a minute when I read this or I would be wiping coffee off of everything….

I was driving through a town on my way to visit my mom in the hospital about 3 weeks ago, and there was one house totally decked out for Xmas already! Huge inflatables, all the lights. I remember thinking wtf?

A few days later, I drove by again and it was all gone.

Can't help but wonder what their deal is. My imagination is working over-time on that one.

We used to decorate outside but stopped for whatever reason when we moved to this house. It's kind of ironic because our old house was in the country, very secluded on 11 acres, could only be briefly seen from the road through a small opening in trees that surrounded the yard. Yet, we put up Xmas lights there. We did have 6 young nieces and nephews that came at Xmas then, though.

Only one of those kids has ever been to this house, and he brings his 4 kids. Yet we have never decorated outside here beyond putting a wreath on the door. We do have neighbours and are on a busier road where decorating might be appreciated by others passing by. We put up our tree about 2 weeks before Xmas, usually. There have been years where we haven't bothered for various reasons. Last year I had knee surgery in late November so I wasn't up to it, and I didn't expect fwh to do it all by himself for just us, as we weren't hosting family for dinner either.

Don't know what to do this year. There is a fracture in the family, and I don't think any youngsters will be in the house so not sure if we'll do it for ourselves. I enjoy making it nice for the littles. Seems like a lot of trouble to go through for 2 seniors for no reason.

"Seems like a lot of trouble to go through for 2 seniors for no reason."

That is my thinking but my H will not allow it lol. I don't mind decorating the house but lawd I hate fluffing the tree and putting the ornaments on only to have to pack it all away a few weeks later.

I do appreciate seeing the houses that are decorated and all lit up.

"I am not decorating yet but I have let it into my heart already"

How is everybody doing with their shopping? I have a few things. I hate to start too early because it can be a hassle to return things. It took me forty five minutes to get confirmation that I could return a pair of sneakers if I purchased them today.

I start shopping in January for the following year hahahaha

We are mostly doing gift cards. They don’t seem exactly like cash but they always fit and don’t have to be returned for the picky ones in the family.

I was driving through a town on my way to visit my mom in the hospital about 3 weeks ago, and there was one house totally decked out for Xmas already! Huge inflatables, all the lights. I remember thinking wtf?

A few days later, I drove by again and it was all gone.

Can't help but wonder what their deal is. My imagination is working over-time on that one.

Could the neighborhood have a homeowner's association? A friend of mine is married to a Mr. Christmas type who counts down the days until the HOA-approved date for installing holiday lights. If he puts them up even a few days early, he can expect a notice telling him to take them down or get fined. The Grinch is nothing compared to an overzealous HOA.

Could the neighborhood have a homeowner's association?

Oh, goodness, no. It's a little dumpy town with a couple of hundred inhabitants on the highway. Good thought, though.

Hope no one stole the Christmas decor off of the lawn…. I have heard of that.
I would hate to think I need to chain Rudolph down to keep him from getting filched.

I just remembered that there are some towns that have stupid ordinances too. I wonder if they made Rudolph and his inflatable friends get back in the box until a certain day….

Several years ago when we moved from our house to a condo, we got rid of all of our outdoor holiday decorations. When we were in CA, I knew that our time there would be limited, so I didn't want to buy more decorations based on a house and front yard that wasn't permanent.

Now that we know we are permanent in our current house, I did a little damage this week buying new decorations. I found some icicle lights (not the string lights, but the ones that look like an icicle) at Costco that were selling (the exact same thing) for 1/3 higher at Home Depot. Our weather was really nice today, and is supposed to be nice all weekend, so we're going to take advantage and get everything up, although I won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving. Every time I think about buying something, I take into account what I think my grandson would enjoy seeing as he walks over to our house after dark.

Our neighborhood really does it up for Halloween. One of our neighbors had her house featured on local news stories for the extensive decorating she did. She already has her Christmas stuff up! But I suspect there will be an equal amount of Christmas decorating as there was Halloween decorating. It's kind of nice to be part of a neighborhood that all gets into the spirit.

I guess this all means it's time to pull out my fall crop from the garden this weekend, too. 🙁

I've fallen further down the hole... now watching Love Actually for the first time this season!

I am watching content on family Christmas games and planning the prizes..Ours are not gonna be the $100 bills and other cash prizes in the vids tho

Guess it’s a tend this year but the games look fun!

Mostly you reminded me that I still need to plant bulbs. Yes, I'm that far behind the curve. It will be ok in my climate.

I bought fake evergreen wreaths for a few houses this year. I'm tired of buying fresh wreaths every year and seeing them die.

We will be taking over the neighborhood Christmas party this year. That is something I care about. Getting neighbors together.

Yes guilty over here I already have my house lights and Christmas tree up. Have been enjoying the Christmas music too!

I love when the blowup decorations are deflated and lying all over the lawn. It always looks like Santa and frosty and the reindeer tied one on the night before and are passed out on the lawn.