Think about this: Saturday is a brisk day. While perched precariously atop an unstable ladder, you juggle a web of verdant cables with one hand and cling to your coffee with the other. Before you’ve even hung a single strand, you can’t help but feel overwhelmed as you gaze up at your house. Is this place familiar to you? There’s an improved smart lighting for year-round use method for decking the halls.
We should start with a discussion of safety. Put your acrobatic skills on pause. Utilize a stable ladder at all times. Be very careful not to step on any slippery patches or uneven ground. Let the action flicks handle the risky stunts. You should probably get a new ladder if your old one looks like it came from a sitcom blooper reel.
Sort your lights next. Get them untangled first unless you’re looking for a challenge. Turn everything on by connecting each string. Are those dead lights? Discard that thread when you retire. A cable that has been toasted more times than your mom’s fruitcake cannot be magically repaired.
Before you begin, make a plan. Go for a stroll around the block. Could you please tell me where you would like the lights placed? Smack them around a bit. Picture it. Just use your phone to take a picture and then draw or doodle on it. Believe me when I say your future self will be grateful.
Stay away from the mess of fifteen extension cords. In your mind, it’s always more organized than it is on the grass. Get waterproof coverings and outdoor-rated outlets. The plugs must be dry at all times. Cats and bubble baths are roughly as compatible as rain and electricity.
Pick a light fixture design. Is it just white? Many hues? Glow steadily, whirl, fade, or chase? Just choose one and stay with it; there is no wrong choice. In an instant, your house may go from “festive” to “Vegas neon jungle” if you mix and match too many designs.
Leave the sharp hooks and nails at home. You can do better. Gutter clamps made of plastic attach to gutters securely. When it comes to doors and windows, adhesive strips are a lifesaver. Harmony is achieved with less hammering.
The timing must be remembered! Unless you are a fan of going for a nighttime stroll in your pyjamas. Turn your lights on and off at predetermined intervals and let technology handle the rest. The locals will assume you perform enchanted tasks first thing in the morning.
Keep wattage in mind. Just take a quick look at the packaging. Breakers will be frying more pancakes than pancakes at a diner if you plug too many lights into a single socket.
Cooperate with Mother Nature rather than fight her. Do some soul-searching if you’re out in a blizzard trying to string lights. Go for a peaceful day. Slick shingles won’t let you off the hook, and chilly fingers fumble.
Involve the family as a last step. Participating in it as a team? There will be reminiscences, echoes of laughing, and, most importantly, someone to steady you if you sway.
This holiday season, do something new with your Christmas lights. Enhanced, less risky, and more brilliant. May your holiday season be filled with joy and joyous hanging.