We take our holiday decorations down pretty soon after Christmas. I am ready by then. I have a wooden snowman hanging by the front door, with a wreath on the door itself. Bought a new house flag - a cute snowman. So, ready for winter (not really, but decorated appropriately!).

I think one reason I am procrastinating on my tree take down is I really need a new ornament storage box. one is getting tired and there are not enough cubbies. Plus there is some sad ornament detritus in the bottom that I don’t even want to look at.

My tree is still up. This was the first year I did not have a real tree. I used to be a purist in that way, but the past few years' real trees started looking so sad after just a few weeks, even with constant watering. I decided if I was going to bother putting up a tree, I wanted it up at least 6-8 weeks. I now have a very real-looking artificial tree that I had up and lit just before Thanksgiving, and decorated just after. I've enjoyed it.

I have fresh greenery in various other places (mantel, DR centerpiece, etc.) that I'll take down soon. I enjoyed the fragrance, but my nose only detects it the first day or so it's in the house anyway.

Outdoor lights will be taken down this week. I drove around my town last night, and there are still many houses with outdoor lights (my neighbors on either side of me, too, so I'm not an odd duck on my street). My planters in the back yard are winter themed... they'll remain a few more months.

DLM, your post warmed my heart! What precious times with your grandchildren.

Beautiful tree, Bpath!

I’m anxious to start getting it down as soon as Christmas is over. I gradually start picking things up and putting them together on the dining room table. Then it’s all put away no later than Jan 1. Now that I’m not in MN that includes the outdoor lights. Up there they stayed until most of the snow was melted and temperature above 32 F

i think I have 1 more night of burn in this little gingerbread luminaria (annual gift from a friend).

Now, what do I put in the jar when I return it? Past fillings have included cyclamen, beta fish, myer lemons & blood oranges.

What a lovely idea, and sweet tradition!

Normally I wait until tomorrow, old Christmas, Jan 6th. but the deer and the outside wreath came down the day after Christmas. Bad weather was predicted and we had been having very windy conditions anyway. Then this past Friday the tree and all inside decorations came down. It went pretty smoothly, everything save the tree went back inside two small plastic tubs.

However, I did leave a lighted garland on top of the music armoire in the livingroom. It's lights are an amber color and so warm and cozy looking I hesitate to put it away. Any other time I'm in the lights during Christmas only camp, but this feels right for some reason. I've said it before how I do not like seeing outdoor lights after the holidays, but I can't do much about the neighbors. I wouldn't mind until Feb. but not into May. Oh well. Maybe they need to feel it too.

These lights are staying because they make me smile! A big thank you to the squirrel that planted the nut that made the tree grow : )

I left the lights over the front door for a little winter glow and a warm welcome for the birthday boys. The deer almost stayed out: the stakes were frozen in! DH got them out, though.

The nativity is put away, but I love the glow of the tree too much and am leaving it up another week. It will give me something to do next Saturday when DBF is at drill.

Arapaho, so pretty!

Take down Christmas??! Not in this house. As (most of) you know, I am permanently stuck with having Christmas decor all the year. The faux tree still looks utterly fabulous, the mantels and sideboard , etc., are still festooned with festive fripperies, the wonderful Luminara battery candles are so pretty, and I do NOT have any plans to de-nude the place. Ever! Not certain I could find all the boxes that the ornaments belong in, any longer, anyway. We two are the only ones who see it all, and it doesn't bother DH at all, and does make ME happy. (After 56+ years, he lets me do my own thing.) So there! You may now sneer if you wish... I understand.

This all is just my way to develop a few eccentricities in my old age, lol.

To be honest, even thinking vaguely of trying to take it all down and deal with it as sensible folk would do exhausts me. Not able to do it any longer, really. So it stays up 24/7 year round, and my offspring will have to figure out how to deal when I shuffle off to the hereafter. (yep, payback for when they wouldn't clean up their toys!)

Outside I changed things up this year. Usually I build winter-y greens with red berry branches (all faux) and real pine cones in containers & hanging baskets. BUT this year, at TJMaxx, I walked in to find gorgeous faux boxwood balls in two sizes that were wrapped with red velvet ribbons and bows. Suitable for outdoors, so those went into my usual containers with greenery. Love them! I will be putting them away soon, as they scream Christmas, where my usual arrangements worked fine for the whole winter, These would not!

Please don't send the Holiday Police after me -- I shall not cooperate with their attitude, but don't really wish to spend time incarcerated for not following the "rules". I plan to live dangerously from now on...!

Arapaho, that is just lovely.

My parents lived at the end of a narrow lane, all the houses were set back behind trees so you could see only twinkly hints of their lights. Mom and Dad would put lights on the tree that you could see a little of as you entered the lane, then it would appear and disappear as you went along, playing peekaboo, until you came around a bend. Like a beacon guiding you home. Your sweet tree reminds me of that. ”Come this way, be at peace.”

roxana, I think I love you.

Tomorrow for me . . . maybe. DH had a scheduled cervical spine surgery in early December to fix a pinched spinal cord, and fell face first on our brick floor 2 days after he got out of the hospital! To add insult to injury, that damaged both his shoulders, plus cuts and bruises and a concussion! I feel like I’ve been playing catch-up and am pretty darn tired. I had to take down all the Autumn/Thanksgiving decs, pull out and put up all the Christmas decs myself, not to mention buy and wrap all the gifts, and host our family’s Christmas Eve dinner breakfast, Christmas Day dinner, NYE dinner for the two of us, and . then a special celebration last night. Thankfully, the house looks so beautiful with its Christmas decs that I can perhaps wait a few more days. DH starts his physical therapy this Tuesday, so I’m hoping that he’ll soon be able to dress himself again soon and we can start to get back to some kind of normal again!

Oh goodness, Lynn, what a shame! I hope your DH heals fully and quickly. You certainly deserve to sit back and enjoy the holiday as long you'd like!

My Christmas decorations went up very early this year, a week before Thanksgiving. I know, I know, how could I. Well, I was hosting a Holiday Game Night, Christmas Bunco and Christmas Eve. So something had to give. Anyway, everything cam down Dec. 31st. Inside and outside and good thing too! Everything needed a dusting. Happy to see it go up and happy to see it come down. It's so festive when everything is decorated and it feels so clean and fresh when everything comes down.

And that little tree in the forest is adorable @Arapaho-Rd

@LynnNM Yikes! Praying for a speedy recovery and your one dynamic lady to do all that and still host!

Lynn, I am so sorry about your DH. What an ordeal you've been through! I hope the therapy helps DH get better soon and I'm sure that will help you too. I agree, enjoy the decorations for as long as they bring some happiness to you.

@Arapaho-Rd, that picture is beautiful and would make a lovely holiday card.

@LynnNM, I'm sorry to hear that your husband is suffering and that you've had to carry the extra load. I hope his physical therapy gets him back to a good place soonest.

@roxanna, you made me laugh. I admire your spirit. I did leave one light strand around the inside of my home office window. It's one of those that has a bunch of different color choices so you can use whatever is appropriate for the nearest holiday. It certainly brightens up a foggy or rainy day.

Lynn, big hugs for you and your DH … I’m so sorry for what’s happened! I hope he feels better every day. ❤️

LynnNM, hopefully you are being a kind an gentle RN to your hubby. I'm sure he appreciates your care. Here's to a successful recovery for you both!

Lynn, hope he AND you get some relief soon. That sounds terrible. Not sure how you made all of the holidays happen. Clearly you are super woman.

Lynn - Wishing your DH a speedy recovery!

Oh my goodness, Lynn! I think I would have canceled Christmas if Id been in your shoes. Poor hubs. Poor you. Im glad the decorations are giving you some pleasure. Now go take a nap.

Sigh......three hours ago I spoke of the garland with amber colored lights atop the music armoire and how uncharacteristically I felt like leaving it up beyond the holidays. Well.........I was watching TV with the soft glow of the garland behind me when suddenly something lit up real bright - and then dim - and the bright again - and then.......half of the garland's lights went out. Awwww, man. Well, I've had it a long time so it was probably time but geeze.

Wishing your DH a complete recovery, Lynn. Warm thoughts to you, your patience, and your fortitude.

Lynn, you are a force of patience, energy, and dedication!

I started putting away my Christmas decor on NY Day but left the tree and my outdoor lights up. I finally took our tree down b/c our yard waste pick up is tomorrow (now trash pick up canceled due to the impending snow storm). As much as I love reading amidst the warm glow from the tree at night, I am happy have that chore behind me!

Dh removed the colored lights today we had along our fence on the side of our house (we live on a corner) as they seem more "Christmasy" to me. But I will leave the warm white lights on our porch up for another week or two. I admit I like seeing the warm lights on houses when I come home from work in the dark. I think most of my neighbors took theirs down earlier this week while it was still "warm" though as we are headed into a rare very cold January for us in the DC area! I'll probably regret not taking mine down when they all did!

Oh Lynn, poor dh …and , well, I almost echo ded’s cancel Christmas idea. But no, I couldnt; I’d have surely cut waaay back , though. You ARE amazing!

our outdide will come down this weekend, and mantel greenery and white lights will come off before the cleaners come in a week.

Angels are gone snowmen are up. Epiphany is over so the Creche can be put away.

Outside the little trees in my milk cans stay as does all the greenery in my porch pots but the lights and bows are packed away.

Oh my Lynn, what a difficult ordeal for you and DH! Wishing him a good and speedy recovery. You must be worn out!

Oh my goodness, Lynn! Bless his heart (in the god sense!). I wish him a speedy recovery with no more surprises. DH gives me pause every time he has on ortho procedure and comes out a little loopy. I'm always saying "please don't fall."

Everything is down but my three snowflake lights. I told DH we could leave up and turn on if it snows... like that's giong to happen. I took them off the timer, so they aren't coming on anymore. Plan to take them down by Wednesday.

Roxanna, love your spirit. You do whatever makes you happy. I could see me stretching our tree display longer.

Mtn, my parents had lovely pink glass ornaments for decades with glass icicles, I have the icicles, but DD1 has the ornaments and says she is going to sell them. Too bad you don't live closer. They are a really nice brand purchased at market in the mid 80s. I'll try to find a photo and post for all you pink/green fans.

I said this yesterday —

“We’re supposed to have a very cold week (windchill temps will be 10 degrees in the morning” …

I was off by a few degrees:

Chance of snow this week. ❄️⛄️

Arapaho, that picture of the tree lit up is so delightful!

Gosh, Lynn that is so awful about your DH. I hope he recovers quickly.

We finished everything over the weekend. DH leaves for a big hunting trip on Wednesday, so I was motivated to finish as he is the one who puts it back in the attic. It finally feels like winter here, and I am enjoying it. I wore shorts and a sleevelss blouse on Christmas Day!

Lynn, I’m so sorry to hear about your husband. Wishing him a smooth and quick recovery!

I’ve been meaning to take the ornaments off the tree, but I like to do it in the daylight. Every time I go in there, the cat is sound asleep on or behind the sofa. Heaven forbid I disturb his long winter’s nap.

I didn't exactly take down the pine tree. It decided to fall down all by itself New Years Day. Forty plus feet of tree landed on my house. It's gone now.

oh no! Hos is the house? How are YOU?

Oh, no, @suero! Much damage?

Yes, much damage. Fortunately it didn't hit any people, just property.

suero - I‘m glad no one was hurt. I’m sorry about the damage.

Suero, I hope you meant the tree is gone now, not the house!

suero, so sorry that happened. Glad you’re ok! ❤️

Wow, Suero, that is scary. Glad all are ok and hope your house can be fixed quickly.

I took down the tree yesterday. It was only 5 1/2 ft or so, so cut in half it fits in the yard waste bin nicely. I am in the process of taking down the multicolored lights outside, but I will leave the white lights up through February. They are strung along the fence, and it is cheerful in the winter darkness. My neighbors leave their lights up as well. DH requested I leave the string lights up in the kitchen window, so those will stay a couple more weeks.

I love when people leave a bit of light up in the darkness. Not the full display, just a little comfort. "We'll leave the light on for you."

@bpath, I saw a recent Nicole Kidman interview. She said she puts her lights up early - Nov 1 - and leaves them up, calling them "winter lights" which sounds good to me too.

@suero, I'm glad no one was hurt, but I'm sorry that you are dealing with extensive damage especially during the winter as bad weather makes every effort so much more difficult.

Sue, I’m so sorry that happened, especially during this season, but I’m very glad no one was injured!

Suero, what a frightening thing. Glad no one was hurt. Hope you get things resolved smoothly with the insurance company and contractors. Thinking of you.

Suero, what a scary thing to have a tree fall on your house! I'm so thankful you are all ok. May your home be back to normal soon.