Every year at the holidays my family would engage in the same conversation. It may not be the exact same word-for-word conversation. But, nonetheless, the underlying theme is the same.
When the kids were little, the conversation included whining. Lots of whining. And questioning. Lots and lots of questioning. Questioning with a whine that started when that first family in the neighborhood put up their Christmas lights.
… and as an aside, my daughter and I spotted the first Christmas lights shortly after Halloween this year. They were red and white and I tried to convince her they were Thanksgiving lights. You know, red for cranberry sauce and white for mashed potatoes …
But the annual Christmas season conversation would go something like this:
Kids: “Moooommm, why can’t we have colored lights on the tree?”
Me: “Because I like white lights.”
Kids: “But we have colored lights outside.”
Me: “Yes, that’s because your father likes the colored lights. So we compromised a long, long time ago. White lights inside. Colored lights outside.”
Kids: “But whhhhhyyyyyyyyy? Whhhhyyyyy can’t we have colored lights on the tree toooooooo?”
As the kids grew older, the conversation grew less whiny and it didn’t start until Mike hung the white lights on the tree.
And this year? Nary a word. Nary a whine.
One can only hope my good taste has finally rubbed off on them …
i am a white lights girl, but we have a christmas tree in our yard with this house….. so that tree gets colored lights. 🙂 but everywhere else white. oh and the kids pink tree has built in pink lights.
I’ve always been on team white lights (since becoming a grown-up), but I’m coming around to colored lights again. Last year I branched out by getting amber lights for the tree. Love them!
Yes we have white lights inside and out. but we now have a little string of battery operated colored lights that I move around the house. okay let me correct that, that I MOVED around the house until a certain teenager absconded with them and now currently has them hung on his marimba… hmm I think there is a conspiracy going on… 🙂 Have a wonderful week… you wouldn’t by any chance have any curtain suggestions would you? I’m stumped… and I’m supposed to be done with my project by tomorrow.. argh what was I thinking?? Your colored lights are beautiful on your outdoor trees/bushes!!! 🙂
I love both… but since I have a fake tree with white lights already wired into it, I stick to white 🙂 easy peasy!!
We do white on the tree in this house too. We probably discussed it at premarital counseling, along with how many kids we wanted and all that. Congratulations on finally convincing your kiddos to come over to the (light?) side!
As our kids got older we had to use the democratic way – we vote. They can vote between big bulbs, little colored ones or little all white ones. For the 3rd year in a row the unanimous vote is big bulbs for the tree. So I go with the crowd.
Bliss
Hi Linda! Funny that you would post this…we are in the process of switching our fake tree (THE tree, since we only have one) over to colored lights! I may or may not be posting about it eventually. 😉
Debbie
I think if they came up with some better choices for colored lights, I would get on board with that idea. Until then, I am all for white lights.
LOL – white inside and colored outside — that’s the way I go. I always figured since I was the one to do 99% of the work, I had the right to decide colored or white.
LOL- And NOW you must say, Thank you, Lord! They get it! And, yet, you know the sadness to this is that they are growing up? xo Diana
I want to be an honorary member of your family. How funny! I, too, prefer white lights.
I don’t like color lights either.In our living room we have led lights.I HATE them! They have a blue tinge.Next year they will not be on that tree!
xx
Anne
We had colored lights when my kids were little and then I switched to all white. Actually I think I may even have a few reels of those colored lights in the attic! Enjoy these days with your kids…they will be gone in the blink of an eye.
Oh, that was funny! I like white lights and always used white ones until last year that we bought a new tree with the lights already on, my kids were mad crazy about having that new tree with colored lights! I gave in! But this year, that my decorating theme is wintry blue and white, they even asked me to stop using the colored lights and put on some white ones because it didn’t look quite right! 😀 Oh boy! I was so happy!
We have white lights in the insides…nothing yet outdoors.
If I had my way, the inside lights would stay the yellowish white bulbs.
But, the outside would be the blue-ish LED bulbs.
There’s something about the blue-ish bulbs that makes me feel as though a black and white photo has come ALIVE!
my 17 yr old still whines my good taste has not yet rubbed off on her:-(
I’m with you on the white lights! I did buy blue led snowflakes for the kitchen window this year… I’m still not sure it was a good idea.
Lol! That sounds familiar! We’ve now crossed over into all white lights! Victory!
Xo Heidi