Christmas decorations, nativity scenes and advent calendars.

[graciegirl]

Do you decorate much for Christmas?

Are you having a big change in your traditions of Christmas this year?

We aren't going to be with our kids and grandkids for the first time, so I am trying to do all of the other stuff we have always done and gather folks we love to ensure that we don't get a bit down.

Tell us how you celebrate this lovely season and decorate your home here in this beautiful place.

Below is a picture of our very old and out of date advent calendar that we still love. That mouse has traveled his pockets for many, many years and has been snatched out of the pockets by the kitties, if the calendar isn't hung high enough. We had the sparkly ones from German that you opened doors on too, but this one was the easiest for small people to envision.

AND I have added a picture of our equally old nativity scene. The Holy Family are put in the center of the table for Christmas Eve dinner. We have several sheep no longer able to walk from old injuries from enthusiastic children prancing them about years ago. But it is still is important to our celebration and much loved.It was given to us by Sweetie's mother our first Christmas.

[stuckinparadise]

We love the holidays and adore decorating for Christmas. We will be spending the weekend prior to Christmas day in our TV home. Because we will only be there for 5 days the house will not be decorated this year, which is a little sad. Luckily, we have dear friends who also live in the Villages and we plan to spend Christmas eve with them.

[surfergirlov]

I love to decorate for Christmas. I also have the same advent calendar as Graciegirl. When our children were young, they took turns moving the mouse each day. Now our grandchildren have fun moving the mouse.

[Cantwaittoarrive]

We don't decorate near as much in TV as we did back with our family. Mainly because we travel back home at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas so we are not around to enjoy and we are so tired from the travel back and forth just can't bring ourselves to decorate very much. We put out some candles, Christmas towels and some figurines around the house and that's it

[gomoho]

Back in the day I use to decorate like crazy. One day my husband came home and said the house looked like Macy's. Over the years I have pared down considerably and now only have and put out my very favorite things I have saved from the past. I enjoy the simplicity and not killing myself to get everything just so. Enjoy the holidays and remember the real reason for the season and will be well.

[Bavarian]

Plan to decorate here in SOMD. Spent yesterday putting lights up outside the Church as that is what we Knights of Columbus do each year, also, cleaned up the St Marys Youth Memorial for next Sunday's Candlelight Vigil on National Youth Memorial Day.

Will put out lights across garage, large lighted wreath, and lawn figures. Most appropriate is the Navitiy, shame it is wearing out. Then deside which to take to Villages house for next year. I decorared even if away, have everything on timers.

Need to get big tree for foyer.

Then bake the stollen following my mothers receipe. A lot easier since my wife has Kitchenaid mixer. My mother and I always kneaded it ourselves when I was there.

Our Advent calendars much different, open doors.

Also, have Advent wreath.

[senior citizen]

Back in the day I use to decorate like crazy. One day my husband came home and said the house looked like Macy's. Over the years I have pared down considerably and now only have and put out my very favorite things I have saved from the past. I enjoy the simplicity and not killing myself to get everything just so. Enjoy the holidays and remember the real reason for the season and will be well.

We enjoyed the neighborhood decorations, that all were kind of synchronized, in THE VILLAGES neighborhood where we stayed last November. We were hoping they would have lit it all up on Thanksgiving, but guess they were all waiting for December 1st or closer to Christmas; by then, we were gone. It showed "neighborhood unity" as a whole.

Since we returned home December 1st with all the "to do" chores piling up, it was our first Christmas that we decorated very very sparingly.
Rather than the tall trees of the past, I brought down a few of my "PETALS" pre lit artificial trees (if anyone recalls PETALS)......plugged them in and they were great for "instant cheer".

Certainly not like the floor to cathedral ceiling trees of old when all of our kids were home, but still festive.

I also put out TONS OF BATTERY POWERED CANDLES from QVC.
I used to have all the "real" flame candles but since all the grandchildren arrived on the scene.........I feel these are safer and give the same warm ambience. Even this year I have them all across the fireplace mantelpiece, the glass coffee table, etc. and in all the other rooms as well.

We didn't put up a big tree again this year.........as it's just MORE to put away. So, yes, we are downsizing........after years of hyper decorating.

My husband DID put up our LED multicolored lights on our front porch railing and also going down the front porch steps........plus lit up the hanging evergreen baskets from the front porch roof overhang.......

Other years he would continue those LED lights all along the front white picket fence.........to the property lines......it looked great. Also, lit up the lamp post.

He'd also put out a flock of "lit up" reindeer on the front lawn, on the side lawns and on the back lawn "hill".........the grandbabies loved them and would help him put up the last one........Rudolph.....on Thanksgiving day.
The "reindoons" as the littlest one called them, "moved their heads".

All of our neighbors, who are our age now, have downsized to "less is more"..........guess it just happens as one ages.

We also did the advent calendars for our kids.....and put the trains around the bottom of the tree.......the nativity set , ditto.

I gave my original creche which I inherited from my mother in law, to our daughter and now she follows the same tradition I did........of letting the children take turns carrying one of the figures to the stable, etc. each day leading up to Christmas Eve when they put baby Jesus in the manger.
It's nice to know that our daughter continued that with her children.

What we don't do for our kids. To make memories..........

Now, we are just ready for our long winter's nap...........