More Christmas Ideas

Merry Christmas!

Don't you just love this season of giving?

Since moving to Georgia from Boston in February 1994, I often have a difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit.

It's not because I'm Scrooge. I actually love the Christmas and holiday season.

The reason I suspect can be blamed on one thing.

WEATHER.

Back in Ohio where I grew up, or in Boston where I lived for 18 years after college, it wasn't difficult to get into the holiday spirit. In Ohio or Boston, we experienced our first snow falls often before Thanksgiving. Snowfalls always have a way of getting you primed for a festive holiday mood.

Since we rarely experience the type of weather I need to get me into the mood in Atlanta, I typically rely on the Salvation Army Bell Ringers, Christmas concerts and the singing of carols to get me ready for the season.

In the last week or so, the Atlanta metro area has experienced record low temperatures for December. On Sunday we actually saw a few large snow flakes. Last night it actually got down to 14 degrees. So, for a transplanted Northerner like me, I am finally experiencing the Christmas spirit.

Last night, for another reason other than Christmas, I found myself wondering the isles of the local Best Buy. The store was packed with people. Based on conversations I over-heard, most people in Best Buy seemed to be overwhelmed by the technology that surrounded them. Some folks thought they had their purchase dilemma figured out only to be side-tracked by another brand or model that had an added feature for less money. These folks were even more confused about what to buy after their consultations with the extremely helpful sales staff.

I overheard a conversation an older couple was having about what to get a family member who had evidently been a 1st time home buyer in 2010. Of course my ears perked up as I strained to hear the conversation. As the story unfolded, it made me reflect back 12 years ago on my first Georgia home and my first Christmas in my new Georgia home!

I started building my first home in Georgia in early April 1998. Since I was born in April, I signed the papers and chalked the transaction up to the biggest birthday present I would ever bestow upon myself. My home was finally ready to move into in September. After a summer of visiting my house almost daily and recording the building progress in pictures, I was overjoyed with the end result. I moved into the home on September 5, 1998.

All of that to say that although the builder did a great job with landscaping, there was still much to be done. While the house was being built, the look of the lot changed many times. I ended up with a huge birm that wrapped around the back side of the property. This birm would definitely require major landscaping as well as to provide a ton of privacy for a corner lot.

My family surprised me at Christmas that year with landscaping gifts.

My aunt and uncle gave me 98 junipers of 3 different varieties. My sister gave me 12 camellia's while my brother gave me 5 crape myrtle trees. A Great Aunt/Cousin gave me a stacked stone and rock wall for seasonal plantings. The rock planting area was embedded into the side of the hill. My parents gave me 7 rose bushes, 12 cleyera, 38 loropetalum and a Bradford pear tree.

Although the builder had installed a great sod front yard, my back yard was seeded fescue. It was not filling in well, so my parents also gave me a gift certificate ear-marked for the back yard to receive sod in the spring.

These days the plantings have all filled in very nicely. The back yard is still to die for! And, I have no weeds -- ever! Regardless of the season, my lot is the talk of the neighborhood as there is always something in bloom.

As people come around the corner, my lot stops traffic. Drivers actually pause and heads actually turn to look and enjoy whatever is blooming at my house.

Yes, I look back on that Christmas with fondness. And, I enjoy those gifts every day all year long. Year after year. So do my neighbors.

Who do you know who purchased a home this year? Who do you know who might have been a 1st time home buyer in 2010?

Are you wondering what to get them this holiday season? I can certainly suggest that you talk with your local green house or landscape nursery. There are many available to choose from -- especially in Atlanta. If you are a northerner as I am, you probably know very little about the indigenous plants of the south. You will have much to learn, but you will also have a ton of fun in the process. Find a landscaper that knows what they are doing and understands what plants and shrubs work best in particular light conditions. For example, hydrangea's and aucuba love the shady or north side of the house. If you plant them in the east, they won't last. OR call me for a recommendation to a local landscaper. I know a lot of them. At the very least, I can certainly tell you what to look for and what to ask of your landscaper.

Most of all have fun with your gift. This is actually the time to plant bushes and shrubbery. Your landscaper will work with you to start the process after Christmas.

To present the gift, ask your landscaper for pictures -- whatever it is. Get a picture of lorepetulum and wrap it up. Remember it's all in the presentation! OR, get some refrigerator letters that spell the item you are giving. Put a letter in each package for the recipient to open. When they get all their packages open they will still need to put the puzzle together to learn their gift. You'll have a ton of fun with this and you'll love this season of giving.

Merry Christmas to you and those whom you love.

Sara Hibbard is a licensed Realtor in the state of Georgia. Sara is available for consultation by calling 770-399-8108 or e-mail at sara.hibbard@metrobrokers.com. Sara Hibbard is Glad Georgia Real Estate Is On Your Mind This Holiday Season!