It always amazes me how decorating your house for Christmas can help put you in the holiday spirit. More often than not once you take the time to put up your decorations your neighbors quickly follow suit, transforming your neighborhood into a magical winter wonderland. At our house, there are two basic decorations that we make sure to include each year; outdoor Christmas lights and outdoor Christmas wreaths.

Blue Christmas LightsOutdoor Christmas lights come in all shapes and sizes. Our preference is to typically pick one (maybe two) colors and design our decorations around it. This year we opted to decorate entirely with blue Christmas lights. Against a red brick background, these lights look awesome. The key thing to remember when decorating the outside of your house with lights is that the bulbs and cords will be exposed to the elements. Make sure you buy products that are designed for indoor and outdoor use.

Outdoor Christmas wreaths should also be designed for outdoor use. Even though they are made to hang on your front door, they will be exposed to wind, rain, and perhaps even snow. Make sure that whatever wreath you decide upon has a sturdy wire base that won’t rust. Additionally, you will want to ensure that there is not small, delicate pieces that will get broken the first time you open the front door. If you get a wreath that has includes lights make sure that these are also specifically designed for outdoor use. This should help reduce any risk of fire or electrical shock.

Decorating our home for the holidays is one tradition my family looks forward to the entire year. When you are planning your seasonal decorations make sure you take a few safety factors into consideration before spending time or money on new decorations.