Christmas

xLights Around the World 2023

We participated in the xLights Around the World (XLATW) project again in 2023. xLights is one of the more popular sequencers for synchronized Christmas light shows. We use Vixen for our house but I appreciate the community aspect of the XLATW project so I do keep a setup of our

Christmas

Full Hammond Lights Christmas Playlist

Click the artist name for a link to Youtube or a site with the music for sale. Ira Glass / Intro from episode #728 - Lights, Camera, Christmas Ukulele Christmas / We Wish You a Merry Christmas - Over the Rainbow Allison Crowe / O Holy Night (Excerpt from Luke read by Henry

Christmas

Update on RGB Christmas Spheres

Previous post: https://rydell.com/rgb-christmas-light-spheres-pauls-balls/ We made 20 of the spheres. 18 have been hung in the big tree in the yard and they look great. They don't like being 40 feet away from the controller without plenty of f-amps or data boosters along the way. Some

Halloween

Intersecting Holidays

Can't wait for Christmas.

Christmas

RGB Christmas Light Spheres - AKA: Paul's Balls

Our tallest tree in the front yard has never had lights on it. This year we have a plan to decorate it. Topiary Art Works makes a metal sphere for growing topiaries in. They call it a Wire Globe 20" Diameter. The nice thing about this sphere is that

Christmas

Taking down Christmas lights math

I estimate that taking down the Christmas light show is 8 to 10x the speed of putting it up. The last two days I took down: 1. Arch tunnel 2. Arches 3. Wall lines 4. Lawn lines 5. Stairway lines 6. Trees 7. Tree trunks 8. Bushes 9. Megatree &

Review

Review: Jelly Belly Holiday Favorites

Santa delivered these Jelly Bellies to my stocking. They have five flavors: 1) Pumpkin Pie 2) Egg Nog 3) Cranberry 4) Candy Cane 5) Hot Chocolate They really aren't bad. Each tastes like the flavor it claims to be. The egg nog is the strangest and I would

Review

Review: Trader Joes Advent Calendar 2022

I haven't had a chocolate advent calendar in a long time. But Kari gave me one this year. Frances and Calvin also got one. Frances gave up on hers after about a week and a half and gave it to me. So then I had two advent calendars

Christmas

Christmas light traffic 2022

Christmas was on Sunday this year. We had a QR code in the front of the house that people could scan and then vote for the show they wanted to see. Christmas Eve Eve (December 23rd) was the most crowded day. Traffic was lower on Christmas Eve and on Christmas

Review

Review: Brown Family Lights

The Brown Family Lights is a synchronized Christmas light show in Rancho Santa Margarita. I met Colin Brown who puts the show together a few years ago. It is on my list each year of must-visit lights. It is unique because it isn't just one house with lights

Review

Review: Pacific Symphony Organ Spectacular 2022

Maybe this concert should have been called a trumpet spectacular. Barry Perkins is the principal trumpet player for the symphony and he was the real star of the show. The first act featured "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen and "Hallelujah" by Handel. So that was fun to

Review

Review: Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree

This book is one of our favorites to read in December. The premise is that Mr. Willowby has bought a Christmas tree but it is too tall for his room. So to fix the problem he chops off the top of the tree. The tree then magically looks fine and

Christmas

Christmas Carolers

A very enthusiastic group. 0:00/1×

Christmas

RGB Christmas Lights on Garage Matrix

We use a low density matrix of lights in front of our garage for our lightshow. There are 16 strands of 10 lights each. So just 160 lights. But they create a really neat effect. 0:00/1× Video showing how they look.

Christmas

Review: Laguna Niguel Christmas Parade

I have gone to the Laguna Niguel Christmas Parade for a few years. I go because the kids are in the marching band but it is actually a nice parade. Even though almost every parade entry has something to do with Christmas they officially call it a "Holiday"

Christmas

People voting on the light show

People can scan a QR code in the front yard and then vote on the next song they see on the light show on the house this year. They pick Danger Zone from Top Gun over and over and over. It is definitely not a favorite for anyone who lives

Christmas

How to choose a Christmas tree

Going to the tree lot and reaching a consensus is impossible for our family. So sometimes someone will get final say in the choice. But this year we tried a new method. Four of us were going to the lot. So three of us got to select our favorite tree.

Christmas

Another cool still frame from the Light the World videos

I didn't notice the nurse as the shepherd with a crook made out of the IV holder until a year late.

Christmas

Do you store your Christmas lights plugged-in?

I love the Light the World videos that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints puts out each Christmas. But we always laugh at the intro of the video from 2016. The person is unpacking their Christmas lights and they are on!

Christmas

Dancing in the Driveway

Sometimes you have to dance when you see the lights. 0:00/1×

Christmas

Making a QR Code with RGB Christmas Light Pixels

I wanted a way for viewers to see a website about the lights this year. So I tried making a QR code out of pixels. The website will have a way to vote for the show you want to see on the house with Remote Falcon, information about the lights,

Christmas

Effective light show sign in Macon

One more from Eddie.

Christmas

Macon's light show

Eddie doesn't approve of the singing face. 0:00/1×

Christmas

Del Mar Highlands Christmas Decorations

My friend Bruce has been designing and decorating the Del Mar Highlands for a few years. The boys helped him design the synchronized RGB LED lights on the surfboard tree there. Last year the igloo decoration was destroyed by arson. This year he designed a snow globe to take its

Christmas