You should look to see if you can find any LED icicle lights.  A quick Google search shows that they are available.  LED Christmas lights are all the rage this year—they save a ton of electricity over conventional lights.

OMG, I’m hyperventilating. I checked the electric meter a while ago to see what the damages were and those horrid lights racked up an extra 1.5 kWh (for 3 miserable hours of holiday cheer)! Holy mackerel!! I couldn’t figure that one out—come to find out my neighbor plugged her lights into mine and I’m sporting the whole shootin’ match. That has to be rectified in a hurry. Now she wants to get a spot light for a second storey wreath AND more lights for the weeping cherry tree out front. As much as I don’t want any part of it, she is just so excited and happy about it all that I would feel like the uber-Scrooge to deny her excitement. She LIVES for Christmas. And, let’s face it, to most normal people 1.5 kWhs is hardly worth mentioning. I NEED to find some LED lights. I’m not going to survive Christmas with any semblance of sanity left at this rate. I think I could use a good cry right now.

Well, I guess I am not as nice as you are. I would not have taken to her putting them up after the comment you made about the lights taking up to much electricity, and then plugging them into YOURS so that YOU are paying for HER lights. Not a chance. Maybe if you don’t turn them on she will unplug them from yours so she can turn them on!

It is half her house, so she’s entitled to put lights up if she wants. I’m not happy that she changed her mind, but she does have the right. I’d like to convince her otherwise, but I’ll have to come up with an alternative that she can live with. I *am* going to look into some LED lights. I don’t think it’s worth the hard feelings to refuse to put lights up on my side.

Nevertheless, I didn’t agree to feed her lights juice, so I’ve unplugged hers from mine. She wasn’t upset about it...actually she thought that would make it easier for me to control the lights myself. Like I said, we’re talking about a person who doesn’t view electricity at all the same way I do and, from her perspective, I have a rather odd attitude about it. I’ll spring for my own lights. Not happily, but I did agree. If she wants to light the rest of the place up like Times Square, then she can foot the bill for it. In terms of cost, it’s not that significant, but each kilowatt hour is carved out of my hide. I see awful waste where she sees pretty...and tradition...and normal. We’re just not on the same page. I would like to change her mind, but unless I can come up with a stunningly better alternative, this place will be illuminated to the rooftop.

She totally has every right to light up whatever and however much she wants to. I think the holidays would be pretty dull with out all the pretty lights!
I just thought that was a little rude/ballsy (which ever you prefer lol) to plug into yours. Everyone (even people that don’t dread the monthly bill every month) knows how expensive it is to run holiday lights.
Is it the same bobbles as last year? or did she get new ones?
Oh and I have a couple of days off this week, Mon. Tues. I am having that thing done tomorrow and took Tues off just to get over myself lol. So maybe if If I get my sheet together and get stuff done today I shouldn’t have much to do on Tues. Maybe I can sneak over for a visit!

Brand new lights this year. Multi-color icicles instead of white. I wasn’t too sure how they’d look, but they’re pretty. She bought way more than she needed so handed a box over the porch railing and that’s what I put up. I have a spare box in case something burns out.

Good luck tomorrow and if you can make it over on Tuesday that would be great!  Even if you don’t get all your stuff done today!

I saw this today and thought it would be the perfect solution:

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20071203p2a00m0na017000c.html

LOL! I wonder how many it would take to run all our lights. I’ve always wanted a fish pond.