A couple weeks ago I was able to participate in a focus group that revolved around Christmas decorations. It was a group of about 8 of us and I wondered going in if I was going to be the one that went overboard.
Suffice to say, I was.
The facilitator asked us to go around the room and describe our “vision board” that we had to create ahead of time, showing our house at Christmas. I happened to be the one that went last. As such, I heard lots of descriptive words like “classy,” “simple,” “elegant,” and “Pinterest.” Then it was my turn.
“It’s about to get trashy up in here, y’all!” I crowed as I turned my vision board around to show them. Their reactions were pure shock and awe.
“Is that your house?” one of them whispered hesitantly.
“It is,” I replied gleefully.
I explained that I do a full light show, with music and dancing lights, and that we also have over 5 dozen lighted animals and 7-8 inflatables that we put in the yard. And then I described how the inside of my house has three Christmas trees, about 24 stockings that line my staircase, a huge collection of white elephant figurines, and that Denis and I have hosted a White Elephant party every year for 25-35 people every year since 1997.
Some of the questions asked by the facilitator:
“How early do you start decorating for Christmas?”
Most said they start a couple weeks before Christmas, since ALMOST ALL OF THEM GO TO XMAS TREE FARMS TO CUT THEIR TREES. I explained our trees are fake and our oldest one is from 1997 and we bought it the first year we spent Christmas together. I also explained that our outdoor set up takes four days and so we start Thanksgiving Day.
“How early do you start thinking about Christmas decorating?”
Almost exclusively they all said Thanksgiving weekend. I explained that I was already listening to Christmas music in order to begin my programming in July.
“When hosting parties, is it stressful to plan for it?”
Everyone said yes. One woman said she feels overwhelmed having more than 4-5 people over so she refuses to do big parties. I reiterated that Denis and I have been doing our party for 20 years at this point, and it’s a well oiled machine. We take the day off from work before the party and spend the day prepping, and then the day of the party we finish prepping, clean the house and then just enjoy the party completely. No stress. We test recipes all throughout the year and begin finalizing the menu by July or August.
Basically, if they were score-keeping behind the two-way glass, I was the anomaly that ruined all their test scores. For every single question, I went against the grain. It’s clear that I do Christmas differently than a lot of women out there.
When the focus group ended, I left the building to find 5-6 of the other women huddled near the door, waiting for me come out. One of the younger women said, “I want to come to your party.” Another one said, “Where do you live – I want to bring my kids to see your house?” I demurred on inviting them to the White Elephant party, but I did let them know what town and neighborhood I’m in, and told them to come on by anytime from the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend through the first week of January. I also encouraged them to ring the doorbell to let me know they came by.
Here’s the kicker though. Last year we didn’t do the lighted animals and had a vandal-free season with only the light show and the inflatables. And I’m half-tempted to do it again this year. It’s an easier setup for Denis and me, for sure, although not as fun for the young kids for whom we do our display. As such, I’m really torn as to just how big our display will be this year.
Opinions?
