Don't go all Griswold with those lights

When channeling your inner Clark Griswold (did you check every bulb?), the results don’t always look like we might imagine. Kind of like Catherine’s deflated turkey.

So if you’re not planning to hire a pro, consider these decorating tips from the local Senske Lawn and Tree decorating pro, as well as a variety of internet sources:

1. Start with a focal point. Stand back first, and identify the stand-out feature of your home, identify the center. Big items such as big snowflakes or lighted trees can anchor, then dress with greenery or lights. Complete the look with accents to compliment, such as outlining windows.

2. Don’t mix and match. Whatever the plan, the most important element is cohesiveness. Too many themes and colors just distract and confuse. Each component of your outdoor decorating contributes to the overall effect, so before succumbing to an impulse-buy, consider how each new piece will work with what you already own.

3. Subtly accent. Use colored bulbs here and there — a roofline or a single, showpiece tree or shrub — to create subtle depth in a traditional cool white light display. Personalize the display with natural materials such as pinecones, holly branches, or twigs.

4. Be a good neighbor. Does their bedroom window back up to the side of your house? Bet they’ll appreciate you asking about lights disturbing them. Inflatables can limit visibility when a neighbor backs out of their driveway. Better a different decorating plan than a “Deck the Halls” revenge scene.

5. All night? Beyond being considerate (not everyone can sleep with lights beaming through the curtain), you can save power and reduce waste. Consider putting your lights on a timer or unplugging when you go to bed.

6. They’re not for Valentine’s Day. General etiquette is to take them down between New Year’s Day and Jan. 6.

Finally, please be careful if you climb. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that during the holidays, an average 200 decorating-related injuries occur each day, resulting in thousands of ER visits. Most are due to falls, so best go easy. Not everybody's as lucky as Clark to land in a soft bush.

“Think you might be overdoing it, Dad?” — Rusty Griswold

Sholeh “Ellen” Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network with a stack of disused Christmas lights in the garage. Is it plugged in, Clark?