what do you tip your mailman at Christmas?
lindalou
12 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (49)
gazania_gw
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Do you tip your stone installer?
Comments (7)I think it depends on what part of the country you live in. In the Midwest, where I grew up, tipping was not part of the culture, except in restaurants, of course. Much the same when we lived in Virginia. BUT, now that we are in New England, everyone seems to expect a tip. I've never seen so many tip jars EVERYWHERE! We've gotten with the program. Accordingly, we tipped the granite installers. It was a small crew of three: the owner and his two employees, one of whom does most of the actual fabrication. It's a relatively new company and all three work hard. They spent several hours helping us layout the countertops on the slabs, helped determine the appropriate curve radii, and were very patient in understanding what I wanted for the runnels (something they had not done much of before). Even though the install was not perfect, it was pretty darn good. For all these reasons, we decided that a tip was warranted. (They also got homemade cinnamon rolls each time they came to the house -- which was frequent since we used the extra granite for a buffet top and for our bathroom remodel.) Did we need to tip? I don't know, but it seemed like the right thing to do given the circumstances and the regional culture....See MoreWhen do you put up your Christmas tree?
Comments (60)The first year we were married, I put up a live tree. The Sunday after Xmas, which happened to be the 26th, my husband went to church and I decided the tree was too dry and a hazard so I took it down while I had the house to myself. When my husband returned from church, he told me his parents and sister were on the way over to see our tree. I didn't know it was their tradition to visit each other to see the trees. Whoops. There's the tree on the porch waiting to be dragged to the curb and here are the boxes the ornaments are in. Pretty, no? Most years I don't put up a tree. I put up a tree the first one or two years we were married but didn't enjoy it so I stopped for many years. When my niece and nephew starting visiting us for the month of December, we did a tree again for 4-5 years. They will not be visiting this year so no tree is planned. When I do a tree, and it's live, I wait until a week or so before Xmas. If I use our fake one, I put it up the Saturday or Sunday after Thanksgiving. I don't have a set tear down day, it depends on tree dryness, my schedule, if I'm tired of the look and need a clean slate....See MoreHow do you like your pre-lit Christmas tree?
Comments (31)kmcg, did the tree have replacement bulbs with it? They usually do. Ours were taped to the "trunk" section. The trick is, the small lights are all different. It may be hard to find one that will work. They taught me to pull the green part of the bulb from the socket, then pull just the glass part of the bulb from it. You can insert another glass part (they are interchangeable), but you may have to pull the wires apart and thread them through holes in the base, if there are any. The key is that the wires need to make contact with the base of the socket. I've described how mine worked, yours may be different. If you can, I'd go to the place where you got the tree and see if they have bulbs that are exactly like the ones you have. (You'll need to bring a bulb in with you.) Sounds like a pain, and it is, but once you get the hang of this it's no big deal....See MoreWhen do you take down your Christmas tree?
Comments (36)slightly OT but still in the spirit of things: for over 20 years we lived in the converted carriage house of an 1886 Queen Anne brick house. The living room was on the second floor as it formerly was the hayloft, a huge room but awkward as it was roughly 25 feet long and 14 feet wide. There was a wonderful window (12 ft x 12ft) with an arched top in the middle of the long wall and the ceiling was 14 feet tall. It just begged for a truly enormous REAL Christmas tree, which we did for all those years. Now, mind you, I was in my 30s then, able to leap tall buildings -- well, at least able to climb my great-aunt's borrowed 12-ft ladder to hang ornaments on those 12-foot trees. The most difficult thing to do was to get the naked tree up the enclosed circular inside stairs from the driveway. It took three men to do that job, usually (tho there was the one year when we had the wrapped tree waiting to be hauled up and told our teenaged son to wait til we got home -- typically, he proved his manliness by ignoring us and hauling it up all by himself proudly. At 41 and the papa of four, he is now mostly more sensible, thankfully, lol). Our Christmas tree in those days took me well over a week to decorate. I am very fussy about my tree, and am the sole decorator. Nobody seemed to mind, tho one year time ran out before I had finished the backside and my DH has never let me forget it ("did you do the back?" he still says. Humph to him, says I). The tree stayed up til at least Twelfth Night and had to be cut into pieces at that point to be removed and thrown out the large window -- no way to get it back down those narrow circular stairs. One spring during outdoor burning season, we burned some yard debris including the old tree, and it was most sobering to see how extremely fast a dry Christmas tree went up in flames. Now that I am past the desire and ability to decorate gi-normous trees, and having lost my enthusiasm for vacuuming their needles well into July (how DO they manage to still be lurking??) we have long had artificial trees. I mostly miss the wonderful fragrance, but this way I can keep them up longer and enjoy what Ginny said -- the loveliness of lights and color at this bleak time of darkness. And I meant what i said in my previous post. Thanks to my new faux tree I am definitely going to cover it and leave it for next year. Why try to improve on near-perfection, hmmm? =) I'll stop now. Enough already! Thank you for your kind indulgence....See Morejannie
12 years agoazzalea
12 years agoiowagirl2006
12 years agolinda_in_iowa
12 years agoterilyn
12 years agokayjones
12 years agomarie_ndcal
12 years agomatti5
12 years ago3katz4me
12 years agovannie
12 years agominnie_tx
12 years agolynn_d
12 years agoworkoutlady
12 years agokacram
12 years agokacram
12 years agolindalou
12 years agocynic
12 years agolefleur1
12 years agoscarlett2001
12 years agolynn_d
12 years agoOklaMoni
12 years agomonica_pa Grieves
12 years agoUser
12 years agonicole__
12 years agogoldy
12 years agoevatx
12 years agojan2
12 years agoLuAnn_in_PA
12 years agoKathsgrdn
12 years agojannie
12 years agoLily316
12 years agolydia1959
12 years agocasey_nfld
12 years agogabbythecat
12 years agodedtired
12 years agoamyfiddler
12 years agodawnp
12 years agoMarilyn Sue McClintock
12 years agolynn_d
12 years agojel48
12 years agomonica_pa Grieves
12 years agobulldinkie
12 years agotwinklenose
12 years agojae_tn2
12 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years agofrenchamy
7 years agoAnne
7 years ago
Related Stories
HOLIDAYSChristmas Cleanup Tips for the Not Naturally Organized
Dreading the postholiday chores? First let yourself unwind. Then grab some boxes, a few supplies and this easy guide
Full StoryCONTRACTOR TIPSContractor Tips: Countertop Installation from Start to Finish
From counter templates to ongoing care, a professional contractor shares what you need to know
Full StoryMOST POPULARContractor Tips: Top 10 Home Remodeling Don'ts
Help your home renovation go smoothly and stay on budget with this wise advice from a pro
Full StoryCONTRACTOR TIPSContractor Tips: 10 Home Areas That Likely Need a Pro
Safety, less cost and better aesthetics on a home improvement project may rest in the hands of an expert
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESContractor's Tips: 10 Things Your Contractor Might Not Tell You
Climbing through your closets and fielding design issues galore, your contractor might stay mum. Here's what you're missing
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESContractor Tips: 10 Hats Your General Contractor Wears
Therapist, financial advisor, mediator — for the price of a single good contractor on your remodel, you're actually getting 10 jobs done
Full StoryLIFEYou Said It: 'Don't Use Your Phone' and Other Tips of the Week
Memorable tips, tricks and quips from around Houzz this week. What are yours?
Full StoryPETS10 Tips for Keeping Indoor Cats Healthy and Happy
It's National Cat Day: Ask not what your cat can do for you (because it will ignore you) but what you can do for your cat
Full StoryENTERTAINING8 Stress-Busting Tips for Hosting Small Gatherings
Make entertaining easy with these ideas for casual get-togethers
Full StoryMOST POPULAR10 Tips for Organizing Your Closets and Cabinets
Add to the enjoyment of your home with these easy organizing strategies and containers — after you pare down, of course
Full Story
monica_pa Grieves