Holiday Light Peer Pressure

I'm feeling like I'm letting the team down. If by team I mean "neighborhood." Our street is a sparkly holiday wonderland complete with bushy wreaths, candy canes, giant blow-up Santas and snowmen, glittery trees and reindeer and spotlights on houses looking like giant wrapped gifts.

And then there's us.

We live in a side-by-side duplex and the other side takes this decorating very seriously, hence my nearly being blinded when leaving the house other night as the result of the glorious spotlight aimed directly at our house (or my irises, take your pick). So, I feel like I should try.

First, I put up a festive wind sock with a happy snowman on it.

Pathetic.

I plugged in the multi-colored "grid" lights which have been on the same bush, year-round, for about 3 years. It worked! Huzzah!

Yeah, still pathetic.

So I went to 4 different stores today to see what I could find. Alas, there are definitely no giant blow-up menorahs or dreidels to be had. After searching high and low, I bought some lights to surround the door,fake candles to put in the windows so that we match the other side of our dwelling (hi, OCD, I hate when things are unbalanced. I mean, other than me), and a 3-pack of tiny white light trees.

No clue how to put them up, but I'll try.

After I get back from yet another store. Who knew you needed extension cords for all this festivity? Maybe I'll stop and get some brandy and egg nog to fight off the case of bah humbugs I fear are festering just below the surface.