Find the best holiday light displays near you with this map

The end of the year is fast approaching, and along with it comes nonstop holiday prep. Among the more stressful tasks is gift shopping.

Do you need help finding gifts for those hard-to-shop-for people? Tap or click here for gift ideas for the person who doesn’t want or need anything.

One holiday tradition is relaxation: seeing houses decked out in decorations and lights. The hard part is finding the best displays in your area. Well, guess what? There’s an app for that.

Mapping out the holiday cheer

Nextdoor

Nextdoor is a social media platform designed for neighborhoods. You sign up and communicate with others in your area. Users can post about products and services, bulletins, local crimes, lost items, real estate and more.

According to a poll by the hyperlocal social platform, 90% of Nextdoor users plan to decorate this holiday season. And 70% put up holiday decorations in November, while 21% decorated before Thanksgiving.

Nextdoor teamed up with Home Depot to roll out an annual Cheer Map. It’s a local interactive map that helps you find the best holiday lights and decorations in your town. You can even mark your home as decorated to participate. Anyone can use these spots to map out a custom holiday sightseeing tour.

The app also shows nearby Nearby Home Depot locations where you can scoop up decorations, including live trees and inflatables. The map features a seasonal how-to guide to inspire décor and gift ideas.

Want more holiday stats? A survey of adults in the U.S. conducted on behalf of Nextdoor and Home Depot found that:

  • 83% of people decorating this year plan on keeping their decorations up throughout December, with 42% not taking down their décor immediately after the New Year.
  • 54% don’t mind if neighbors leave their outdoor holiday decorations up past January 1.
  • 17% prefer all-white holiday lights over multi-colored holiday lights.
  • 49% plan to explore their neighborhood to enjoy holiday displays.

How to get the map

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Watch out for these Amazon scams during your holiday shopping

The holiday season is prime time for scammers. People are in a rush, looking for deals and trying to find exactly what they want, which leads to careless decisions.

Christmas lights are already going up, and you can hear holiday tunes everywhere. If you want to shop for decorations online, be careful! Scammers are out in full force with fake ads and shoddy merchandise. Tap or click here for holiday decoration scams to watch out for.

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12 feet tall

Giant skeletons are one of the Home Depot’s hottest items, selling out within hours every Halloween. They’re a spooky $299 (paywall link), but I’ve got a budget-friendly alternative: Human-sized skeletons for just $40. They’re so humerus!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Shopping for holiday decorations? Don’t fall for this online shopping scam

The holiday season is nearing rapidly, which means many are shopping for decorations. Stores have already started playing Christmas jingles, and their decorations are up in full force. Tap or click here for the best way to avoid spoiling gifts you purchased on Amazon.

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Use tech to have the spookiest house on the block this Halloween

Spooky season is well underway and you should be expecting some trick-or-treaters soon. Before you get the candy ready, take some time to ramp up your security.

Vandalism and property damage are more common during the holiday season. Whether you’re home or away, you’ll want to keep an eye on things. A video doorbell is a simple way to secure your home. Tap or click here for my favorite video doorbell to keep an eye on what’s happening out front.

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Get a copy of your or a loved one's military records

If your parents are no longer alive, probably not a day goes by that you don’t miss them. I know — I feel that about my father. During the Korean War, he served in the Army and later worked as a management employee for United Airlines.

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Add a little ambiance to your home with these 13 upgrades

When you look around your home, does it make you feel relaxed? Comfortable? Maybe you’ve finally reached a point where you’re living in the lap of luxury.

No? Well, saddle up because all it takes is a new set of curtains here and an area rug there to make your home look radiant.

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Find all the best candy spots this Halloween with a handy neighborhood map

Nobody does Halloween like America with an entire night of festive trick-or-treating until you can’t fit any more candy in your bag. Want to really get into the Halloween spirit? Tap or click here to get spooky with your smart speakers.

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Best things to buy before and after Christmas

We all know there can be some incredible deals leading up to Christmas. Black Friday and Cyber Monday especially offer huge savings that are difficult to turn down. But many people might not be aware that there are some deals that come after Christmas that can be even bigger money savers. Here are some of those deals that you might get now, and some to wait until after Christmas to take advantage of.

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