Hate hanging lights but love the look? Help is at hand.

Too cold/tired/busy/clumsy to get out there this weekend and install Christmas lights? If you live in the GTA, you can get someone from Canadian Tire, to do it for you. The retail giant has just added installing outdoor lighting and decoration to its roster of installed sales.

For $150, someone will come to your home (but not apartment, condo or commercial building) and install up to 80 feet of lights on either a first or second floor. If you want lights installed on roof peaks, shrubbery or trees, more than 80 feet of lights, or to add inflatables, you’ll pay more.

Pssst - I'm having mine done this week. Check back here next week for pics.

The price includes any necessary clips, but the homeowner supplies all lights, extension cords and timers. Installers bring their own ladder, but special equipment, such as a cherry picker, will also incur additional costs.

It works like this. After buying lights and decoration from your local Canadian Tire (you may also use existing lights, or buy them elsewhere, of course), the homeowner calls 1-855-682-4663 to get a quote, and book an installation date. An authorized installer will call back within 24 hours.

If you do decide to do it yourself, Allison Duffy, category business manager of Christmas and toys for Canadian Tire has some great tips for creating lovely outdoor lighting:

• Think about using larger bulbs to trim the house and eaves, and using smaller bulbs for shrubs and trees. Mesh blankets make super-fast work of lighting shrubbery, or patio railings.
• An easy way to determine how many bulbs you need for a shrub or bush is to estimate the width and calculate how many times you’ll need to wrap it around.  
• “Trend” colours this year are purple, blue and green. But go with what you love, be it multi-coloured or white – of which there are now many more warm white options.
• LED options are real energy savers – and the new generation of them has a much warmer glow – similar to an incandescent.