So who has their Christmas tree up?

[Mermaid]

I had great expectations of getting ours up this weekend but today I got derailed by a mountain of socks that I finally couldn't ignore. I'm still sorting.

There was an ad in the paper today for one of those stores that are like Pier 1. They had some adorable beachy ornaments. I thought since this was the year I "discovered" SoWal.com, I'd commemorate with a few starfish on the tree here and there.

How far do you go with the Christmas decorations? Like, do you pull out special holiday china? How lighted up is your yard?

Can you all tell I'm looking for some motivation here?

[seagrovelover]

Ok mermaid......I always put my tree up the saturday after Thanksgiving. I grew up in a home that went "all out" my mom would pack everything away and replace it with christmas.....soooo thats exactly how I am. I pack away every nick nack, everything in my breakfront and in my entertainment center and put christmas thing"s there instead. I realize this may seem extreme to most people but it is just the way things were when I was a child so I really love to keep that spirit alive with my own home!!!!! Christmas goes by so fast, four weeks !!! so I enjoy having the tree and decorations up for as long as possible......there is something special about just having the tree lights on and being with my family at night

[DD]

My family says I always am over the top, but I have some sort of tree in every room--yes, even the bathrooms! Have two big trees, one in the den and one in the formal living room. Finally finished them today-whew! One is done in white and silver, the other is done all in red. Didn't do as much outside as I normally do--I think I mentioned not much help from hubby there!
I love lights though, so I put more inside this year than usual--garland/lights on mantle, etc.

I have a friend who has a business this time of year I call "Decorating for the Stars"... he just takes all his PTO time during Nov/Dec. and decorates houses of the rich and famous in Dallas. Makes TONS of money in a short period of time. The rest of the year, he flips houses--more money! We can't figure out WHY he has a regular job--more money! Benefits, I guess.

I keep telling him when I get rich and famous, I'm going to hire him to decorate for me at Christmas--THAT to me, would be the ultimate! No more stringing lights!

[seagrovelover]

DD....I bet your home looks wonderful

[iwishiwasthere]

My tree has been up since the Friday after Thanksgiving. I love to do it as a family and the next time we would all be together is Dec. 22, so i get to enjoy it. I do some decorating, but love the Christmas China. Eat all my meals on it. If I had room I would have a different set of dishes for each day of the week...my weakness.

[CastlesOfSand]

This is my first break today...thought I would check in to see what you guys and gals were up too! I am putting up the main tree and it is taking sooooo much time. I swear I will buy a pre lit tree next year!!!! I had to go out to Target in the middle of putting the lights on because half of last years lights didn't work. I must have at least 15 boxes of christmas decor sitting in my entry way that I still have to work on!!!! Oh well, it's worth it, my kids love all the decorations and I LOVE Christmas!!! Everyone needs to post a pic of there tree when they have them up!!!

[Mermaid]

This will be only the second year we have an artificial tree. When our kids were little, we'd always go to the tree farm out in the country and ride on the wagons out to the fields with a cup of hot chocolate in our hands. Sometimes it felt like we were walking for miles until we found "our" tree.

When the kids turned into teens they got busy and lost interest in that, so now we do the fake tree. At first I thought it was awful--like I was admitting defeat to get one--but seeing that it's so cold and icy this weekend, I don't mind as much.

One year our house was on a Christmas home tour to benefit one of our local hospitals. A decorator came in and did the house from top to bottom. Christmas was everywhere you looked! It was so beautiful, like our house was a Cinderella pumpkin transformed into a coach. I've never been able to match what the decorator did. The sleeping children in the poem "The Night Before Christmas" might have had dreams of sugarplums, but my dream is of a decorator-to-hire.

[Johnrudy]

Mermaid,
You mentioned the starfish for Chritsmas decorating... I use LOTS of starfish, real ones, for decoating our 2 trees. Years ago at the beach, I bought several handfuls of those very small starfish, about 3" diam., sprayed them with some glitter/glue and hot-glued a short satin ribbon loop to the back of each one, for the "hanger" part. They look great on the tree. Then, I use bronze, ivory or gold small orb ornaments. And yes, I always buy "ocean" decorations. I receive them as gifts too.

[Johnrudy]

I just remebered something else "beachy" we do for the Christmas decorating.
Instead of wrapping live, green garland or boughs through our stair banisters, I use yards and yards of ivory tulle with tiny white twinkling lights, intertwined thru the railings & bannisters. At night, it somehow has the illusion of white sand and starlight. It's sort of a nice twist, or change, on the greenery.

[Mermaid]

All your Christmas decorating sounds enchanting!!!

Post pictures, everyone! Spread the Christmas cheer.

[bsmart]

We put our tree up this weekend.

[Jdarg]

Ours has been up since right after Halloween- but no ornaments. Kate was having a bad day, and I dragged the tree upstairs as a bribe to be a cheery girl (it worked for a few hours). I put the ornaments on this week. Anyway- we have an artifical tree since it is usually up with and without ornaments for about 3 months. Also, everyone in my house except me is allergic to one Christmas plant or another- amaryllis seems to be the only live plant that doesn't kill somebody!

Clark and Rusty (Bdarg and Will) put up the lights around the front door today- plus adorned a few bushes, and hung a couple of those light sphere-things, that we call "Christmas Balls". There have been a lot of laughs over our brightly lit balls!

After the New Year, the ornaments wil come off, the tree will be moved to the corner, but we will keep it up with the lights on for fun. It is one of those tall fake "alpine' trees", so it can just look winterery and not to Christmasy after the holidays.

[Smiling JOe]

I am thinking about sharing someone else's tree. I won't claim one just yet because I am waiting to see who has the coolest one to drive by every night and say, "I love my Christmas tree."

[Miss Kitty]

Cute ideas all!!! I dragged Mr. Kitty into the candle store today on a hunt for candles that "smell" like a tree since we will NOT have one this year. I found a few, but the best thing was one of those contraptions that you put the sticks down in the bottle of smelly liquid that then disperses the aroma throughout the room! It really smells like Christmas now!!! I REALLY need pics of your trees this year...and send some cookies while you're at it!!!!

[Mermaid]

Sueshore, no tree? Not even a teeny weeny table top version? We're not going to let you on any holiday Love Boats anymore if it means you have to cancel Christmas at home! That makes me cry. :oops:

[lindatat]

My trees are "up" but sadly, there is nothing on them.

[Johnrudy]

My trees are "up" but sadly, there is nothing on them.

I'm just barely finished with mine. It's sad... it used to be I would carefully place special ornaments in special spots, now I just manage to get them on! I finally realized that people don't look at your tree or the ornaments anyway, so who cares?

[shakennotstirred]

My tree will be going up on Saturday as my nieces are coming to decorate it. This is a yearly tradition that we have managed to keep up although they now live 2 1/2 hours away. Once the tree is decorated, we will be baking cookies. I usually find cookie dough all over the house - even under the tree.

[audie]

mermaid - i saw on the LL Bean website this afternoon a balsam wreath with a beachy theme, there were starfish and i think maybe sand dollars on it. i am lucky - i always work thanksgiving and my husband puts our tree up thanksgiving night while i am at work. i get home at 6:30 am and eureka ! there's a tree !

[ShallowsNole]

Bless his heart, my husband assembled the tree this morning. He also got the boxes of ornaments out of the attic. I managed to hang the wreath on the door. That's as far as we've gotten.

[Ocean Lover]

We just finished! Boy, it's so easy with a pre-lit tree and children old enough to really decorate! Hey, they may all be in the front and 4 or five to a branch but it's done!

[lindatat]

We just finished! Boy, it's so easy with a pre-lit tree and children old enough to really decorate! Hey, they may all be in the front and 4 or five to a branch but it's done!

Oh how funny - I must admit, I have to have one tree in the house that looks "perfect" and that one is in our living room. I take hours to carefully place every ornament. We put a smaller tree in the family room and the kids are allowed to hang ornaments whereever they see fit (but first Mom has to put the lights on it!)

[iwishiwasthere]

We just finished! Boy, it's so easy with a pre-lit tree and children old enough to really decorate! Hey, they may all be in the front and 4 or five to a branch but it's done!

I used to dream of a "perfect" tree, but finally realized what makes it perfect is the love that is shown when you are putting it up. Now I look at the branches with pleasure.

[Mermaid]

Does anyone have to have designated lower branches for the pets, full of soft non-breakable ornaments?

[Johnrudy]

Does anyone have to have designated lower branches for the pets, full of soft non-breakable ornaments?

We used to.... when we had cats. They always batted off the ball ornaments, chased them around, broke them, etc. Our dogs have no interest in the tree at all.

[Johnrudy]

BTW, who is the lovely mermaid in your new avatar??!!

[Smiling JOe]

Does anyone have to have designated lower branches for the pets, full of soft non-breakable ornaments?

If I had a tree, the entire tree would be pet friendly. Their tails alone would beat every ornament off the tree. I can just see them wrestling one day when I am out, turn over the tree, and chew it it to shreds. They both love to chew on sticks and help me clear limbs. Last Christmas, one of Santa's little helpers was helping me to deliver gift baskets filled with goodies. When I went back to the car after my first stop, my little helper was in the back of the car looking very sweet and innocent, yet all of the remaining baskets had been ripped into, much candy was missing and partially wrapped peppermints were scattered about the car with an icky and sticky peppermint/chocolate slobber all over them. I had to regroup, return home, repackage, and attempt a second delivery without my little helper.

For sure, my Christmas tree is best left planted in the ground.

[Mermaid]

SJ, I wish you had your camera to take a picture of that!

[Johnrudy]

Awwwww, I'm sure it's funny now, but I would've been pretty unhappy if that had been my 2 dogs!!

[Miss Kitty]

Awwwww, I'm sure it's funny now, but I would've been pretty unhappy if that had been my 2 dogs!!

Chocolate...BAD for dogs!!!!

Johnrudy...I get so warm and fuzzy when I see your snugglers in the avatar!!!! Makes me want MS home to be with Molly!!!

[Ocean Lover]

Does anyone have to have designated lower branches for the pets, full of soft non-breakable ornaments?

Our little poodle loves to snuggle up under the tree. She's very gentle and doesn't touch a thing. I'll have to snap a picture next time I catch her snoozing under there.

[Suncat]

Does anyone have to have designated lower branches for the pets, full of soft non-breakable ornaments?

We do, since the cats will bat and paw them off. Does anyone have a cat that climbs their tree? Our cats have all had a turn and one cat will sit on a branch and stick her head out. All you can see is what looks like a cat ornament! (Like my avatar.) I don't have any gifts under the tree now, so the cats think we have made them a bed by putting down the tree skirt. Two of them are asleep on it now.
We had a beagle once who kept trying to hike his leg on the tree.

[Camp Creek Kid]

I just finished decorating my tree tonight. It is quite unique--pet and child friendly. We have a 16-month-old so we have to put ALL of the ornaments out of his reach--even the unbreakable ones. So the bottom 1/3 of the tree has no ornaments, just lights. I'm sure that sooner or later he's going to figure out how to pull the whole string of lights off the tree.

[skippertoo]

We picked up a tree yesterday and have it "relaxing" in the house. Plan to string it with lights tonight and tomorrow night the ornaments go on. We do some outside lighting but just on the bushes out front. We did not do a tree last year because our puppy was only 6 months old so now that he is 18 mos we are going to give it a try. So far he just smelled it and kept right on walking by.

[Cil]

heh
I was raised Episcopal but married a Jewish guy (yes, not only do we have the "wrong" accent here, but also the wrong religion) but I never converted and we always celebrate Christmas because, well, I love it.
No tree this year though.
All of our stuff is in storage.
This is the most un-Christmasy I've ever felt.
But I continue to enjoy everyone's holiday avatars, especially yours, Mermaid.

[Johnrudy]

Chocolate...BAD for dogs!!!!

Johnrudy...I get so warm and fuzzy when I see your snugglers in the avatar!!!! Makes me want MS home to be with Molly!!!

Yes, that is an old picture of my MS and Rudy. Rudy is VERY snuggly.

[Johnrudy]

We do, since the cats will bat and paw them off. Does anyone have a cat that climbs their tree? Our cats have all had a turn and one cat will sit on a branch and stick her head out. All you can see is what looks like a cat ornament! (Like my avatar.) I don't have any gifts under the tree now, so the cats think we have made them a bed by putting down the tree skirt. Two of them are asleep on it now.
We had a beagle once who kept trying to hike his leg on the tree.

I love this story about your cats thinking you've made them a bed!!! Cute!!

[Smiling JOe]

Chocolate...BAD for dogs!!!!

So is coffee and spiced rum, but my chocolate and peppermint eating pup had a drink or two a couple of weeks ago.
Caffeine is dangerous for the dogs.

FYI- Lillies are the most dangerous plants for kitties, and this time of the year is most problemsome.

[Johnrudy]

So is coffee and spiced rum, but my chocolate and peppermint eating pup had a drink or two a couple of weeks ago.
Caffeine is dangerous for the dogs.

FYI- Lillies are the most dangerous plants for kitties, and this time of the year is most problemsome.

SJ,
You are so knowledgable about so many things!!!!

[Miss Kitty]

So is coffee and spiced rum, but my chocolate and peppermint eating pup had a drink or two a couple of weeks ago.
Caffeine is dangerous for the dogs.

FYI- Lillies are the most dangerous plants for kitties, and this time of the year is most problemsome.

Probably good to mention these things! I read an article listing dangerous people food for dogs and grapes and raisins were on the list. I used to feed grapes to Missy the sheltie all the time. YIKES! Also, I have heard of a dog that got into the Christmas ham and almost died!! I bet jdarg has a good list of things for our loved ones to avoid.

[Smiling JOe]

SJ,
You are so knowledgable about so many things!!!!

I just repeat things which I have heard,seen, or read.

[Smiling JOe]

Probably good to mention these things! I read an article listing dangerous people food for dogs and grapes and raisins were on the list. I used to feed grapes to Missy the sheltie all the time. YIKES! Also, I have heard of a dog that got into the Christmas ham and almost died!! I bet jdarg has a good list of things for our loved ones to avoid.

I am trying to picture my dogs eating a whole Christmas ham. I too, would probably die if I ate a whole ham in one sitting.

Those Lillies can be deadly to kitties so you cat lovers, use extreme caution.

[Cil]

Yes, I've heard about lilies and kitties. Scary. And ivy, and oleanders.
But poinsettias are not poisonous.
I used to feed my dog grapes all the time, too. He lived to a good old age.
And my neighbor's 50 pound mutt ate a bag of chocolate cookies and didn't even barf. This is not to say that we should frivolously disregard warnings.

[Ocean Lover]

I wonder if the grapes are a choking hazard like they are for toddlers? I had a dog one time that ate a whole box of Frango mint chocolates. I left them on an end table and returned home to an empty box. Oh, was that dog sick! Thank God he didn't die. He was an eleven pound terrier. I also have a friend that has a bichon that got into her purse and ate a Godiva candy bar. She took it to the vet and I think they pumped it's stomach! I bet the more expensive the chocolate the more dangerous.

[peapod1980]

But I continue to enjoy everyone's holiday avatars, especially yours, Mermaid.

I'm having a hard time adjusting!

[Johnrudy]

Our small dog, John, ate about 1/2 of one of those large, 1 lb. Hersey Kisses when he was a puppy. We had to rush him to the vet. e.r. and they pumped his stomach. They said he would have died otherwise!!
They say onions are toxic/deadly too.

[Ocean Lover]

Our small dog, John, ate about 1/2 of one of those large, 1 lb. Hersey Kisses when he was a puppy. We had to rush him to the vet. e.r. and they pumped his stomach. They said he would have died otherwise!!
They say onions are toxic/deadly too.

Yikes, dogs must like chocolate as much as we do. Onions? I guess it's a good thing dogs don't like em.

[Landlocked]

My mother used to have a crazy pekingneese (sp?). That dog ate about a half a head of iceburg lettuce one time. She turned into a Salad Shooter the next day.

About the tree, we took little man last night to look for one but they all looked like crappola. I guess we're going to wind up with the Charlie Brown style tree this year.

[Landlocked]

On another note, I was doing my best Clark Griswald impression yesterday. I was on the roof, with a CL in hand, putting an absurd number of lights on the house. A car load of teeny boppers came rolling by and one of them yelled "DORK" out the window.

I'm getting old.

[whiteyfunn]

On another note, I was doing my best Clark Griswald impression yesterday. I was on the roof, with a CL in hand, putting an absurd number of lights on the house. A car load of teeny boppers came rolling by and one of them yelled "DORK" out the window.

I'm getting old.

LOL!! I'm sorry I'm not laughing at you but with you!!

Every year my mom makes a rum cake for my dad's Christmas birthday (dec. 22nd). Well one year Catfish decides to eat the entire thing! Not a piece had been taken out of it. Let me remind you Catfish is part hound and his breast bone slopes up. Well it was even that day because his stomach was so full.

I think this was a year after he ate the entire pecan pie including aluminum pan but I can't remember...