Cool!

I am planning on putting two slow-growing evergreen trees/tall shrubs down at the base of my porch flanking my entryway, and possibly two or three more along the rail of that porch. I have a few sets of battery-operated LED lights, and I'd get more, so that these tree/shrubs can be amply lit, and I can wrap another set or two of lights along the railing for the porch.

I have a grapevine wreath base, and can do as I have in past years: add various greens like holly and boxwood and whatever, and a nice ribbon, and hang that over my front door.

Where I am moving in the rural countryside, people don't seem to get very highly-intensive in their Christmas/holiday/Solstice decor -- there are lights, but it isn't extensive. I am not going to plan on lights dripping down from my eaves -- indeed, these can be lovely, but I'm going to stay with understated. I have no kids to impress. (Mind you, I love seeing the spectacular displays others have put on! -- whether or not in this neighborhood!)

(Indoors, there will be a tree -- probably a real tree, with an option for artificial somewhere down the road -- but never with "pre-lit" lights as I like the option to send creativity in different directions each year.)

I thought it was strange that we installed outlets in our soffits for outdoor christmas lights but no switches. It was all my husbands idea anyway so I didn't question him. Well, come december I learned that led lights can be totally controlled by an app. Fancy. Not only did we turn them on/off, but the colors and patterns were also changed on the phone app. I wouldn't mind a switch, I suppose, but it was kind of fun letting our girls change the house from pink to purple to rainbow at a whim from the warmth of the living room. Anyway, all that to say you might not need a switch for your outdoor lights.

We've put in various outlets and switches in the garage and entryway for outdoor holiday lights. When the HVAC guy put the ceiling heat/AC vent in the middle of the living room window, all I had to do was point and say "Christmas tree," and he threw up his hands and said "Of course." He moved it without another word. We put outlets where we know we might have Christmas trees all over the house, even if we only ever opt for one. We planned the closet under the stairs to be big enough to accommodate the artificial tree in its giant box and most, if not all of the ornaments. I'm adding an additional store room on the second floor for seasonal decor items and craft supplies, including a big wrapping station. We have room there to store a decorated tree on wheels and in a bag, as my MIL always did. I used to pooh-pooh that, but the older I get, the more I get it. We have exterior outlets in the back, too, as we come in through the back and sometimes put lights there. Basically, I can go completely Christmas crazy, and I planned for it.

Run an outlet to the outdoor Christmas tree or other areas you might want to decorate, including in the back yard. That way you can put up lights or an up-light, but don't need an extension cord, and control it from a switch inside. Oh, and you can put the outdoor lighting on an automatic system that you can override as needed.

I missed putting outlets near my stair banisters. Darn! I did a nice, unlit, garland this year.

My Christmas light outlets are controlled on a switch that is inside my front entry coat closet.

I had shelving built for 18gal Rubbermaid tubs in the garage. I label the tubs and decorating was really easy this year even though we were just moving in.

mrspete-the tree is down here too BUT I left the lit garland on the mantle as I love the glow of the white lights and the rest of the decor is more winter than Christmas so I am leaving it up for at least another month. Woohoo! I love decorating the mantle even more than I thought I would.

We have a switch by the front door to control the outside lights. Outlets hidden on either side of the mantle for the garland and lit house we have and anything else we'd want to add. I also had a switch wired to the outlet where I knew we'd plug the tree in. That way I just flip it on and off and don't have to fish around the tree for the plug in the dark (or in the light)! Easy as can be.

Storage for all the seasonal stuff is downstairs in the basement for us. Plenty of space there.

Our tree and other decorations are still up, at least until the weekend. We didn't do too much pre-planning; just switched outlets outdoors. The one neat thing we did do was to use a live tree our first year here, and then planted it out front. With a little luck, we'll always have out first Christmas tree! It's been in the ground two years now, and has grown, so I think it will make it. The key is to have it in the house only one week at the most.

If you missed putting outlets on the mantle or by the banister, use battery lights! My fairy lights even come with a timer in the battery pack.