Get Ready to Decorate – Planning is the Key

It’s time to decorate! We’ve turned the seasonal page and are enjoying the beautiful colors of autumn. Now is also a good time to plan ahead for the task of outdoor decorating this holiday season.

“Visit any home improvement store these days, and you’ll see the front end filled with products for outdoor decorating,” said Christmas Decor by Arvidson lighting designer, Bill Grant. “Christmas decorations and outdoor lights are an important part of the holiday season experience.”

Are you a planner? If so, you’ve probably already been planning to take advantage of the warm weather to hang your outdoor lights. Installing your decorations while the weather is still warm is a much more pleasant experience. It can also help you avoid the risk of slipping on ice and snow if you wait until November or December.

Let’s get ready to decorate and look at how planning is key to a successful holiday lighting display.

Follow Safety Precautions

There are always risks involved. We urge you to consider using important safety equipment (such as a good ladder!) This ensures you emerge in one piece and don’t land in the hospital from a fall off the ladder or a more serious injury.  In fact, we have prepared five safety tips for installing your holiday lights.

Get Ready to Decorate - Planning is the Key

Give the Holidays a Touch of Magic

Spending more time at home this year is another great reason to plan ahead for holiday decorating.

Everyone is going to need that extra dose of holiday cheer!  Imagine how good it will make you (and your family) feel to come home to a house lit up for the holidays. However, once the weather turns cold, you may not have the same motivation to get the job done. Plan ahead to take advantage of milder fall temperatures.

Hire a Professional to Decorate

Prefer to hire a professional?

We get it and we’re here to help! Our turn-key service includes design, installation, maintenance, and removal of your outdoor holiday lighting decorations.  Christmas Decor by Arvidson products are high-quality, commercial grade and will last throughout the holiday season.

Decorating Slots Fill Up Fast!

Believe it or not, our decorating slots are already filling up! If you are planning on hiring a decorating service this year, we encourage you to contact us now so that we can get your home on our installation schedule.

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What Your Christmas Light Colors Say About You

Have you ever wondered why you are drawn to a particular choice of light colors? Turns out they can give clues to your personality.  Read more

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5 Safety Tips for Installing Your Holiday Lights

As 2020 began, most of us had no idea the year would take the many turns it has. So far, the theme for this year is unpredictability and uncertainty.

With a winter wonderland headed our way in the next few months, we want you and your family to have a predictable holiday season. You can have the Christmas season you deserve with these safety tips. Read more

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It’s a Bright Idea to Book Holiday Lighting Early!

Christmas may not be the first holiday that comes to mind in September, especially in 2020 when we have so many more distractions caused by COVID-19 and election year politics.

However, the savvy homeowner recognizes that this is the best time of year to book holiday lighting with a reputable lighting design and installation expert. Read more

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Tips for Last-Minute Holiday Lighting

This year marks one of the shortest time periods between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Just about three weeks separate the two holidays.

Traditionalists who choose to hold off on decorating for Christmas may be caught off guard by the short turnaround this year.  Here are some tips for last-minute holiday lighting from local outdoor decorating professional, Christmas Decor by Arvidson.

Keep Holiday Lighting Displays Simple

You’ll enjoy maximum impact and less stress when you keep it simple.

The key to creating a glowing holiday look is to focus on creating maximum impact with minimal effort.

It’s tempting to buy the latest looks. Yet, once you go through the lights and decorations you already own, you may discover you already have everything you need to make your home feel warm and welcoming this holiday season.

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Find Your Decor Focal Point

Stand back and take a look at your home from a neighbor’s or visitor’s point of view.

Is your front porch a stand-out feature, or is your front door the star of the show? Is there a perfect line of shrubs or a nicely-shaped tree along the path that welcomes guests?

Identify your home’s most attractive features and dress them for the holidays with garland, greenery, and lights.

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Complete the Look

If you have time, look for ways to enhance other areas of your yard and home to compliment your focal point design.

Simply outlining windows or roof lines can extend the holiday glow across your home, and subtle hints of color can add interest and depth to your plan.

Keep your Decor Simple

Reduce your stress and improve your results by keeping your outdoor holiday display simple and classic. Too many themes and colors detract from your focal point and confuse the overall impression. A clean, uncluttered display is more attractive, safer, and more cost-effective.

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Still Too Stressful?

For many of us, the holidays seem like they are way out in the future, until suddenly, they’re here. If these tips for last-minute holiday lighting have you wishing for the pros, we’re here to help!

If decorating your home each year is more stressful than joyful, it might be time to call in the experts. Christmas Decor by Arvidson designs and installs amazing holiday displays that fit your vision and your budget.

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Top of the Line Products and Season-Long Maintenance

Christmas Decor by Arvidson is your choice:

  • We use exclusive professional-grade lighting and decor options not available to the everyday consumer.
  • Arvidson’s maintains your display throughout the holidays, and removes and stores the lights and decor when the holidays are over.
  • It’s a full-service solution that frees up your time to enjoy the whole holiday season, including the time before and after.

Christmas Decor by Arvidson offers a complete turn-key service that includes design, installation, maintenance, and storage.  We can help create happy memories this holiday season with a custom holiday lighting display created just for you!

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Halloween’s Over – Let the Holiday Lighting Season Begin!

Halloween’s over, it’s time to let the holiday lighting season begin!

When the Halloween lights and decorations come down, homeowners naturally plan ahead.  Perhaps you’re thinking of the many family gatherings and celebrations between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

This is the time of year when holiday lighting installers receive the most phone calls requesting a holiday design. Let’s look at some of the most common reasons homeowners hire a pro to do the job. Read more

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Lighting Up Christmas – Hollywood Style

In this blog, we’re taking a look at how holiday lighting is used in some of our favorite holiday movies that make us laugh.  Let’s look at lighting up Christmas – Hollywood style! Which one is your favorite? Read more

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Grinch or Cindy Lou Who? Which One are You?

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

When December rolls around, do you identify with Cindy Lou Who or the Grinch?

Some years, it’s easy to join in the pure spirit of unselfish giving and togetherness that the Whos exhibit when they “stand, heart to heart and hand in hand.”  But if you are feeling a little more Grinchy this year, here are some suggestions to kick start that heart into the Christmas spirit before it’s too late.

Volunteer at or Donate to a Local Charity

Opportunities to volunteer abound at this time of year.  Consider taking a shift as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army or helping to pack food at your local food pantry or organization such as Feed My Starving Children.

The sheer act of taking the focus off of yourself and giving time to help those less fortunate can provide that happy feeling that lingers long after the service is done.

If time is short, look for “giving trees” sponsored by your community where you can pick a tag off of a tree that lists a child’s need and return the items in time for Christmas delivery.  Many local businesses also serve as Toys for Tots collection centers.  Of course, online donations are just a few clicks away.

Enjoy a Classic Holiday Movie

Invite a friend over to watch your favorite holiday movie.  There’s no shortage of options from “It’s a Wonderful Life” to “Miracle on 34th Street” and even more recent classics like “Elf” or “Love Actually.”

Heat up the hot cocoa, pass the popcorn (and the Kleenex if it applies) and snuggle up under the blankets to share a memory that harkens back to your own childhood favorites.

Even a sappy Hallmark holiday movie with the predictable plot and “happy ever after” ending can create that sentimental feeling of the season.  If nothing else, you’ve found an opportunity to spend some time with someone you care about.

Prepare a Favorite Holiday Recipe

Is there a particular meal, cookie, or recipe that signifies this time of year as part of your past or culture?  Carve out the time you need to make a special holiday meal or treat and then be sure to share it with others.

If family is far away, share your creation with co-workers, neighbors, or those people who help you throughout the year such as your pet groomer, hair stylist, or pool guy ;-)!

Not only will the taste and aroma of your favorite recipe instill that sense of well-being, the act of sharing with others really taps into that “heart-growing” experience.  Here’s Nadine’s favorite recipe for Italian Lemon Drop Cookies!

Take in a Holiday Performance

Local schools have annual holiday band and choir concerts.

Be sure to check the school calendar in early December so you don’t miss the dates.  In addition to free community performances, there are many opportunities to attend other holiday themed performances from The Nutcracker to A Christmas Carol to comedy shows.  You’re sure to find something for every interest and budget if you plan ahead.

Attend a Church Service

Do you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa?

If it’s been some time since you’ve attended a church service, this may be the best way of all to shed that grouchy mood and open your heart up to the true meaning of this time of year.

Better yet, attend a service at a new church for a fresh perspective and experience.  Many churches also host Hymn Sings at this time of year.  Check local listings for times of special holiday services and activities.

Decorate Your Home

Nothing says Christmas more than holiday lights!  Feeling too Grinchy to deal with the cold weather and tangled lights?  Hire a Christmas Decor installer to do the work for you.

You’ll get the happy feeling of coming home to a beautifully lit home every night without the fuss, stress, and danger of trying to hang the lights yourself.

Follow even one or two of these ideas, and you’ll be on your way to letting your heart grow three sizes that day!

“Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer.  Cheer to all Whos far and near.  Christmas Day is in our grasp so long as we have hands to clasp.  Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we.  Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart and hand in hand.”

― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

 

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Coming Home to Holiday Lights

The first weekend in November marks the annual “Fall Back” ritual of Daylight Savings Time.  Those first few weeks with shortened days are an adjustment for all of us.  The transition of ending your work day with a dark night sky can be a bit, well, depressing.

But there’s one sure way to squelch that feeling of dreariness — coming home to holiday lights. Read more

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Holiday Lights are a Favorite Family Tradition

. Who remembers piling in the family car to drive around different neighborhoods and look at the beautiful Christmas light displays?  For our family, this was a must-do annual event each holiday season! Holiday lights are a favorite family tradition for our entire clan. Read more

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