And the Award Goes To...

Tonight L and I drove around for our annual Christmas light viewing party. We saw a few things we liked, but mostly we just saw atrocity. Here's how you can avoid being criticized by people like us.

1. NEVER mix LED light strands into your decor with regular lights. It ruins the entire yard. That being said, if you live in one of those neighborhoods where they require you to put out lights lining your driveway and the sidewalk and the rest of the neighborhood used regular lights, don't be the one to put out LED strands instead. It ruins the entire neighborhood which is completely uncool.
2. If you live in a neighborhood that puts out arches, be a team player and put your arches up. It brings unity to the neighborhood and brings cheer to all who pass through. Also, don't try to be different with your arch (i.e., if the rest of the neighborhood has an alternating red/white pattern with their arches, don't put up LED or multicolor arches).
3. Make sure the lights you put up are proportional to the size of your home and yard. If you have a massive home and put out one little decoration, it really makes you look lazy. If you can't afford to do this, don't put up decorations at all.
4. NEVER put up more than one theme for your yard. If you want to be commercial and put Santa out, then leave it with a Santa/reindeer/elf theme (except for those cute cutouts of Santa kneeling at the manger because those are incredible to see); if you want a Peanuts theme, don't mix it in with Disney characters. Having seventeen Santas, snowmen, Disney characters, and nativity scenes in your yard all at once is trashy.
5. Above all, keep in mind that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas, so keep the decorations tasteful.

Keep in mind, sometimes the most beautiful homes are the ones decorated all in white lights. Sometimes, they're more beautiful with multicolor lights.

Favorite Decoration of the Year: This year's choice is the same as last year's - the strands of lights that hang down in one straight line from the tallest branch of a tree. I have no idea how people get them up there (or more importantly down), but it looks really cool if done properly.

Witticism of the Day: Never send your junior high school child out into the freezing night air to play Christmas tunes on their trumpet. It's festive, indeed, but it makes passerby want to call Child Protective Services on you.