I Feel Like The Neighborhood Scrooge
By MARILYN
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
United States
December 16, 2025 9:15am CST
Happy Tuesday Everyone! it's sunny but cold here today so it's doubtful that anything outside will melt. The snow removal company came by yesterday and cleared the driveways again and put down ice melt. At least the driveway isn't slippery anymore and we can get to the mailbox without breaking our necks.
As much as we planned ahead for the holidays and got our Christmas tree up early, we didn't get around to doing the outside of the house. Every year my grandson comes over to help but this year he only came home from college for Thanksgiving weekend and won't be home until next week. He's so busy that he had very little time this semester to come home even for a quick visit. So, our house is one of the few without outside lights.
My daughter was going to just put a few lights around the porch railing but that didn't happen either. So, now I'm feeling like it's already too late to bother and I think I'm going to just put some battery operated candles in the front windows. At least I have a pretty wreath on my front door so my house isn't totally without any Christmas spirit.
Outside looks like scrooge but come inside and it looks really festive.
Do you decorate the outside of your house for the holidays? I know our friend Valerie @just4him decorates her apartment door and it always looks so festive.
13 people like this
12 responses
@just4him (319690)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Dec
My door is getting a makeover today. I finally finished decorating my tree. A tree that has been up and lit since October. Yeah, I'm late too. Hey, I've been writing. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. 
I'm sure your house will look lovely with the candles in the window and the wreath on the door. You can only do so much. We aren't getting any younger.
I'm sure your house will look lovely with the candles in the window and the wreath on the door. You can only do so much. We aren't getting any younger.3 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
If my daughter didn't do 90% of all the decorating my house would be sparse when it comes to decorations. I can't do much by myself anymore and have finally reached the age where I can understand why my mom stopped doing a lot of things when she got older.
Hope you're going to post a picture of your door makeover
@BarBaraPrz (50939)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
16 Dec
It's not too late to put the lights around the porch railing. Most people around here keep their lights up and on until the end of January (says the gal who's never put up outside lights).
I do have a string of red lights in one front window and my mother's ceramic tree in the other, but that's it. My one neighbor has a bunch of lights on her house, but I don't think any of the other houses on this block have any.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
It's just been too cold to even string lights around the porch but its supposed to warm up by the weekend so maybe she'll do it. We're just one of the few houses without lights but the candles do look pretty.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
I'm sure your place still looks festive with your tree and candles. I do miss not having my grandson around to help with the outside. For the past few years he certainly came in handy 
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (489077)
• Italy
2h
@Marilynda1225 The apartment is festive enough, the little tree is pretty and the candles and blinking lights create a cozy atmosphere.
The apartment is festive enough, the little tree is pretty and the candles and blinking lights create a cozy atmosphere.
@Tampa_girl7 (53980)
• United States
16 Dec
We live so far out that we stopped after our son was grown. I do decorate inside.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (53980)
• United States
13h
@Marilynda1225 I miss them too. In West Virginia our home is in a neighborhood, so we will put lights and decor outside when we live there.
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
I do miss not having some lights outside. But to do what we've done the past few years I need my grandson to help hang the lights,etc. This year he is so busy at school that he won't be home until next week.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (67143)
• Centralia, Washington
16 Dec
I had fun with my front porch this year. It's glassed in. I put my blow mold Santa on a table so that he could be seen from the street. He has a light bulb in him. I also put a fake tree on a shelf out there and a sled on another table and a wreath hanging from a black iron stand. Just had fun.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
I'm sure your Santa looks festive in your window. I haven't seen a blow mold Santa in awhile...is he vintage?
1 person likes this
@sallypup (67143)
• Centralia, Washington
15h
@Marilynda1225 That's a good question about Santa. I don't know. A lady sold him to me for under 10.00. I don't like the blow up yard monsters. I prefer the sturdier blow molds that have light bulbs in them.
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
I don't blame you for only doing a little if you're going to be away for Christmas
@AmbiePam (108198)
• United States
16 Dec
I don’t, but there isn’t much room for decorations in front of my apartment door. And honestly, I’m a little afraid they’d get stolen, and if they did, I would cry. I know things have been stolen from me before, but something about them being actual Christmas decorations would hurt.
Inside my apartment, I just don’t know where my decorations are. I’m slowly making progress with the bags, but I haven’t found the decorations. I DID find one ceramic Christmas tree I painted a few years ago when I went pottery painting with my friends. I used lace to paint it, so it has a very pretty effect. That is my official tree. 
Your house must look so pretty inside!
Your house must look so pretty inside!2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
With the history of stuff being stolen at your place I don't blame you for not wanting to put anything outside. I'm sure your handpainted Christmas tree is pretty. I used to go to ceramics and loved it.
My house does look festive but that's thanks to my daughter who did most of it. My dining room is a mess with boxes that still need to be opened and sorted and gifts that need to be wrapped.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
It does take a lot of energy and time to drag out all the Christmas decorations and then have to put them al away again when the season ends. If my daughter wasn't here to do 90% of it all I probably would only have the minimum when it comes to decorations.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (163741)
• United States
17 Dec
We don't decorate inside or outside and we rarely go outside to see if the neighbors decorate their houses or not. *shrug*
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (163741)
• United States
15h
@Marilynda1225 The neighbors I can see from our front porch aren't decorated outside, either. The last time we left the house was when we went to the eye specialist and nothing was decorated here at that time. We have another appointment with the eye specialist on Dec. 23rd. I'll look again then.
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
Our neighborhood is very festive looking and pretty when you ride around. Decorating inside and/or outside is a big job
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (126553)
• Marion, Ohio
16 Dec
I have some outside. Maybe if you get a warm up you can get a few lights out
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
Should warm up a bit by weekend so maybe we'll get some lights outside. Would still give us a few weeks to enjoy them
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (208412)
• United States
22h
Hubby always put a wreath on the front door. No wreath since he's been gone. The inside isn't decorated either except for a stuffed Christmas tree that cousin #2 brought over. I'm glad they put some ice melt down for you.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
Back in the good old days I always had a "real" wreath but those days are long gone and now I have an artificial one which still looks pretty. My daughter does most of the decorating now otherwise there would only be a few things around if I had to do it myself.
Thankfully they put ice melt down because anyone having to come up the driveway could have broken their necks.
@LooeyVille (57)
• United States
16 Dec
I do not decorate outside. By the year end when it's time to take things down it's too cold and dangerous.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (87485)
• United States
16h
I do agree that when it comes time to take everything down it's cold and probably snowy/icy. Beng in an HOA here we have regulations as to when it all has to come down.
1 person likes this
