Outdoor holiday decor - do it quickly!

 

 

 
 
Now that the white stuff is blanketing lawns everywhere, folks are getting in the mood to do holiday decorating. Here are two small items that will be a big help while you’re decking the halls.  Chez moi, Stanley’s hardware and household accessory kit is Mother’s Little Hanging Helper. Inside the handy carrying case, you’ll find nails, thumbtacks, pushpins, anchors, screws, picture wire, picture hooks, hangers, cup hooks and sawtooth hangers. It sells for about $12 at Wal-Mart. (Good for stocking stuffers, too!)

If outdoor decoration is on your list, it’s no use cursing yourself for not doing it in mid-November when it was 12°C and sunny. Regret is futile. Just get out there and do it. If you want to help secure lights or wreaths quickly (before your fingers fall off from cold), try Scotch Tough Outdoor tape, which can hold to a variety of surfaces, including stucco. This one is also good for rough outdoor jobs, such as hanging or securing plastic sheeting or tarps. Also great for quick fixes — I used the transparent tape to fix a rip in a window screen at the cottage this summer. When I checked last week, it was still holding, despite cold, rain and snow! (Yeah, yeah, I know, I should take the screens off, but hey, I’ve been BUSY!)

To avoid hassle next year, think about investing in a LiteLocker. This is a low-profile container made from the same UV-resistant  vinyl plastic found on doors, windows or siding. It runs along your eaves, and hides the lights until holiday season, when it flips open to display them. You open it from the ground, so there’s no need to even get out a ladder. Retail price averages about $4 per linear foot — depending on the installation. Right now, it just comes in white, but it can be painted to match your home’s trim. Clever, no?