Soon the holiday season will be upon us. I might as well be honest and admit it, I love this time of the year for so many reasons, one of the absolute favorites, is arranging the Christmas tree decorations.

This page will be a humble list of ideas and tips that I like to follow.

I will concentrate on thoughts about putting up the tree, stringing the lights, maintaining its freshness, and making it beautiful (and tasteful!) with decorations.

In order to maintain the tree's freshness, make a cut of the tree stump and place it in water right away. The freshly cut tree will immediately soak up a few quarts of water, making it imperative to check and replenish the water several times a day for the first week. After that, you can ease up a bit on the frequency, after all, this is supposed to be fun!

Make certain that your Christmas tree stand uses a large container for water and that the container stays full. Your tree's life can be lengthened by using a mixture of 1 quart water, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon liquid bleach.

Now on to the decorating! To arrange your Christmas tree decorations, I recommend you follow this order: lights, garlands, and finally the ornaments.

Begin by placing the lights on the tree's branches at the bottom of the tree. Wind the strands of lights through the "inside" branches and proceed to the outermost portions of the branches.

Don't attach every Christmas tree decoration on the ends of the branches. Position ornaments and additional adornments "inside" the tree so that you add a sense of depth and interest.

To begin, order the "filler ornaments" around the tree with equal space in between. To coordinate the scheme of your decorations, include the standard single color balls which are carried at discount stores in a vast array of hues. Use approximately twenty "filler ornaments" for each two feet of Christmas tree.

To make things more interesting, and to add a unique touch, include one-of-a-kind, special ornaments in between your basic ornaments. Expect 10 special themed ornaments for each two feet of tree at first. Then you can allow your collection to grow, and each year, hang the special ornaments a little closer to each other.

Well, there you have it, my thoughts on a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. I hope everybody has fun, and though this is still very early (please don't hate me), I'd like to wish everybody a very merry Christmas!