Sprigs of mistletoe, the taste of warm eggnog on a snowy night, bright rosy-cheek pictures of Santa Claus…. There is nothing quite like the holiday season. For those of you that like decorating, outdoor Christmas Lights are a great way to participate in the festive mood. I think we all have childhood memories or riding around in the car late at night, awestruck by the luminous displays.

If you’ve never purchased outdoor Christmas lights, it’s fairly easy to dress up your trees, your house, and your lawn with these eye-catching lights. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind when you make your outdoor Christmas light purchase.

First, you need to do a bit of measuring. Find out exactly how many lights you need. You always want to buy a bit of extra just in case you need more. Keep in mind that strings of outdoor Christmas lights come in lengths from 25 to 200 lights. You need to estimate approximately 50 lights per foot of height, or even purchase more if you plan on using the smaller, miniatureOutdoor Christmas Lights versions.

Choosing your lights can be a lot of fun. You have your choice of virtually every color of the rainbow. The lights also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Outdoor Christmas lights come in size C-7 or C-9. These stronger wattage bulbs are more vibrant and longer lasting than indoor models. Make sure that you purchase outdoor Christmas lights whose strings can plug into each other. You want to easily be able to deliver power to your strands of lights.

Make this a family event. Choosing a color scheme and design pattern for your outdoor Christmas lights can be a fun process. The kids are sure to love the results, and your neighbors will too.