Archive for the ‘Holiday’ Category
5 New Traditions To Start this October
October is upon us and we’re super excited to start your season off with 5 new traditions to start this October! This year, we have a whole 5 weekends in October to fill your time with fun, family and festive new traditions. Including outdoor family fun, football (of course), sweet treats, frisky flicks and spooky adventures. As the season is transitioning and the leaves are changing, now is the time to fall into new family traditions! Check them out…1. Pumpkin Patch
Fun for the entire family! Grab the kids, your favorite sweater and a smile and head out to your local pumpkin patch or farmer’s market. What greater way to spend the day than to take in the splendor of the local fall harvest? Pumpkin patches offer more than just pumpkins too, check out Didier Farm’s Pumpkin Fest, located in Lake County. They are a family owned and operated farm since 1912, bringing fun fall traditions such as pumpkin painting, hayrides, a bountiful farm-stand and more! After you’ve picked your favorite pumpkin, hold a family pumpkin carving or painting contest! This tradition is a whole day packed full of FUN!2.Football Party
Get ready for a touchdown! Grab your team (aka friends) and invite them over for an afternoon of football and yummy treats. Get the whole family in on the activity and dress up in your favorite team colors. For pregame snacks, check out these winning recipes. During halftime, get outside and play a game of touch football, or simply throw the football around. We only have a few more weeks of mild weather in Chicago this year, so jump outside and enjoy the fresh air while you can! PS: Go BEARS! 3.Celebrate National Cookie Month
Did you know that October is National Cookie Month? That’s right! In addition to the traditional trick-or-treating that comes with this month, we’ve got an extra reason to inspire your sweet tooth. Cue the cookie cutters, chocolate chips and frosting and dust off those baking pans for a delectable new tasty family tradition. Have each member in the family bake their favorite cookies and enjoy all month long. You can even bake up a batch and bring it to your neighbors, friends and loved ones- for a pleasant, sweet surprise. This tradition has its extra benefits as it’s a great dish to bring to your next outing or gathering. Make sure you take advantage of this nationally recognized month- it’s only here for 31 days- that’s the way the cookie crumbles! 4.Halloween Movie Night
A night in with the family watching your favorite Halloween flicks, enjoying monster munch popcorn and thrills & chills! Set up the living room with Halloween lights to set the ambiance. Kill the lights, take protection under a cozy blanket and settle in for a spooky, memorable and fun evening. Whether your poison is scary or classic family fun, you’ll be certain everyone will enjoy the ghosts, ghouls and laughs of this new family tradition. A few of our favorite movies to get in the Halloween mood are Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas and of course, Halloween!5.Visit A Haunted House
This tradition goes without saying…it’s simply all about finding the perfect attraction for you and your family! There are many attractions throughout Chicago and the Chicago suburbs- all sure to provide a fun, spooky time. An evening sure to provide a night full of screams, scares and classic Halloween memories to last throughout the years. Faint of heart? Don’t worry there are many local attractions that offer both family fun spooks to bone thrilling chills! Check out this link to find your perfect level of freight. Have any other October traditions you like to celebrate? Share them with us! Also, don’t forget the decorations! It’s A Wonderful Light is all set with your perfect Halloween or Fall outdoor decor-check them out here. As always, enjoy the little moments leading into the best season ever!!!12 Reasons to Hire a Professional Holiday Lighting Company
1.TIME
Save yourself time to enjoy the holidays this year. When you hire us to install your display you get more time to spend actually enjoying the season, less time worrying about your tangled lights and display.2.LED LIGHTS
We use the highest quality LED lights for all of our displays. These lights look the same as incandescent, but they are much brighter and provide a luster you can’t get from ordinary lights. Best part is, they SAVE you up to 80% energy costs compared to regular lights. Now that’s beautiful and eco friendly- go GREEN this year with IAWL!3.DESIGN
Our professional designers come to your house, learn about you and your property and design your display custom to your vision. You’ll even be able to see what your display will look like in our virtual design program BEFORE you make any commitment.4. INSTALLATION
Our friendly installation crews are trained to install each display with the utmost care. They work year-round installing displays, not just the holidays. Your display is installed with property friendly clips and fasteners, all cords are safely and neatly hidden, and you don’t have to worry about climbing ladders or shivering in the cold making your display look just right. We handle that for you!5.MAINTENANCE
We all know what Chicago winters can be like. A big snow storm, or freezing temperatures put a light out? No problem. Just give us a call within 48 hours of any incident and we’ll be out to fix your display. That’s right, 48 hours and your display is back to looking shiny and new. 1 phone call and you can go back about your business, not having to step outside!6.TAKE-DOWN
Come season’s end, our crews will be back to take down your display with the same attention to detail and care as your installation. Our crews make note of each detail for your display and store it in our system so next year your installation and display is the same beautiful work of art as the previous year. Keep your ladders, mittens and gloves- we’ve got your take-down covered.7. STORAGE
After take-down, we safely package and store your entire display, including all accessories and store it in our temperature controlled facility until next year. Before each year’s installation we test ALL lights before install to confirm everything is working up to its optimum performance.8.COLD WEATHER
Handling outdoor lights in Chicago anytime after October can be tricky. Specifically because we all know how cold it gets. Not to mention the longer you wait, the colder it’s going to get. Stay inside warm and cozy, let us face those freezing temps while you sit inside and enjoy a nice cup of cocoa!9.FOOTBALL
Do we need to say more? NFL or your favorite college team-don’t miss the game because you were stuck outside hanging wreaths, garland and lights! The Bears only have 17 games each season, don’t miss a single one due to hanging holiday decor.10.WREATHS & GARLAND
Mixed noble, pre-lit wreaths and garland are a HUGE trend this year! We only use the highest quality greenery, and offer you the discounts we receive. Why? Because it’s YOUR product and we want to make sure it’s maintained and properly handled so you can get years of use out of it while using IAWL to install your display. The mixed noble greenery we offer is pre-lit with LED lights (you choose the color!), pine-cones and beautiful red bows. It’s the real deal!11.FREE QUOTE
We come out to your home, evaluate your property and vision and provide you with a no commitment FREE QUOTE. You name the date and time, and we’ll be there. What have you got to lose?12.BEST ON THE BLOCK
No more attempts at DIY holiday decor. Show up your neighbors and impress your holiday guests this season with the brightest, best looking house in the neighborhood! Be the envy of the block with your beautiful, professional, no hassle display installed by It’s A Wonderful Light. Everyone will wonder how you make it look so easy! Don’t wait until the last minute, our crews and professional designers are out in YOUR neighborhood providing quotes and installing for both Fall & Halloween displays and Holiday Displays. The sooner you schedule, the sooner you’ll be able to relax and cross one more thing off of your long holiday “to-do list”. So contact us today for a FREE quote and in the meantime, kick back and enjoy the season watching football and spending time with loved ones. With one less thing to worry about, you’ll have plenty to enjoy the season. As always, wishing you a beautiful weekend and GO BEARS!Building Traditions | Professional Holiday Lighting
Here at It’s A Wonderful Light we wholeheartedly believe in building traditions through professional holiday lighting and decor year after year. Over the past decade, we’ve had the special pleasure of bringing holiday spirit to homes and businesses all over Chicagoland through lights, garland, ornaments and more. This goes without saying that the holidays are our favorite time of year. Yep, we’re the ones who anxiously look at our calendars and count down the days, hours and minutes until holiday season is here. That special time of year when you can actually see the joy and cheer manifesting all around you; the smell of pine needles and cinnamon in the air, the serendipitous encounters with pleasant strangers, the sounds of Christmas carols playing on the radio, the family gatherings that seem so long overdue…and of course, the bright, beautiful lights cascading down every street you turn. Now that right there, that is what we feel the holidays are all about. Simply put, we just can’t get enough of the holidays. We sleep, breath and live it everyday! That’s why year after year we continue to build traditions for families and businesses all over Chicago and Chicago Suburbs. And as traditions go, we always pull out our lookbook of our displays at each summer’s end to get even more excited for what’s yet to come. We couldn’t help but to share our tradition with you. So, sit back, relax, and take a look at the traditions we’ve proudly put into place. Let your inner holiday spirit delight in our favorite season of all, who knows, you may just find a new tradition for yourself![RPG id=563]
Feeling a little holiday spirit yet? We sure hope so. As you can see we offer a full array of design options for each display. The way we see it: traditions are unique, therefore, each display is designed and installed with your vision in mind. Whether you’re interested in a simple, classic look, or you want to completely deck the halls, you can be certain that your display will be designed and installed with the smallest of details in mind. As you can see, we offer the full line: Roofline, Mini-Lights, Garland, Wreaths, Ornaments and more! We weren’t kidding when we said we’re filled with holiday spirit! Oh, and did we mention all that comes with a custom It’s A Wonderful Light display?Check it out…- Free quote: one of our cheerful sales reps will come to you and discuss your vision. During this visit, we can get a great idea of what you’re hoping to acheive, offer suggestions, answer questions and even show you what your display will look like with our virtual design program. After the first visit you’ll know what your display will look like and have the price point.
- Installation: When it comes to installing holiday decorations, It’s a Wonderful Light is second to none. Our installation crews receive extensive training on the use of ladders, lifts, electrical supply and demands, and above all, safety. As a highly skilled and fully insured company, you can rest assured that your decorations will be installed quickly, correctly, and without damage to the property.
Here are a few of the extra details that we put into every project:
- Timers are installed so all of the lights are turned on at the same time.
- All extension cords and wires are hidden away, protecting them and leaving a clean look.
- We tape all extension cord connections eliminating moisture build up that can trip the buildings circuits.
It’s a Wonderful Light takes pride in every decorating project we do, and our goal, as always, is to bring you cheer through your holiday display. We go through extensive training with our crews insuring the up most safety for our workers and clients properties. Our installation crews are trained for latter use, lift and bucket work and electrical allowing for a clean and simple installation process.
- We install timers so all of the lights are turned on at the same time.
- We zip tie extension cords to the outside gutters, leaving a clean look and preventing GFI’s from tripping.
- We tape all extension cord connections eliminating moisture build up.
- We attach all our C9’s or Light Links with plastic clips that are removable at the end of the season, no stapling is ever used.
3. Maintenance: We only use high quality products and we always take every precaution to prevent product failure, there may be times when you experience a problem with your decorations. In this event, our service crews are on call to provide you with the best customer service in the industry. Product failures are often fixed on the same day they are reported or within 48 hours of your maintenance request. Even if only one bulb has burned out, we will be there to replace it, and at no additional charge. Win! No running out in the blistering snow with your jammies on anymore!
4. Take-Down, Clean-Up & Storage: When the season comes to an end, our take-down crews reverse the installation process, with the same care and attention to detail. We’ll take down your product, packing it away until the following season. We also make detailed descriptions of how your decorations were installed, and even take pictures and draw diagrams, to ensure we get the installation right season after season. Unless otherwise agreed upon, we will take down your project no later than the end of the 3rd week in January and store the products for you in our climate controlled storage facility. Yay! Those days of tangled holiday lights are OVER!
Are you imagining how bright this holiday season will be when you get your display installed by us? What are you waiting for? Get the perfect display this year, professionally installed by It’s A Wonderful Light. It’s never too soon to plan, and we’re already out and about giving quotes and scheduling installations for this season. Contact us for a quote today. If you simply can’t wait until the holidays, check out our Fall & Halloween displays here. We install all year round, ensuring perfect, bright traditions 365 days a year.
6 Things to do on Labor Day Weekend in Chicagoland 2015
Labor Day weekend in Chicagoland is a well celebrated weekend with plenty to do for the whole Family. If you don’t already have plans, check out the many events and activities you can celebrate to get the most out of this long weekend. Who knows, perhaps you’ll find another new tradition to celebrate along with this cherished American holiday. Labor Day for many Americans can represents countless things: An extra day off of work, the official end of summer, the official beginning of football season, and so on. It is certainly a holiday in which we all so enjoy, but often forget the origin of. Labor Day actually has a long historical tradition about the labor workers who built our country. According to History.com, in the late 1800’s at the peak of the Industrial Revolution, the average American worked upwards of 12 hour days- seven days a week just to make ends meet! Hence, the idea of Labor Day was evolved from labor unions throughout the country who rallied for better working conditions and an 8-hour workday. That’s something to be truly grateful for! The holiday evolved over time, and finally became a recognized federal holiday in 1894. So, as you prepare for an enjoyable Labor Day this year, remember the contributions that American workers made to give us this special tradition that allows us to enjoy a long weekend and a splendid day off of work. Now, take a look at what’s happening in and around Chicagoland this patriotic weekend…1. Navy Pier Fireworks
Talk about a grand finale…
2. Naperville’s Last Fling
Featuring music, food & fun!
This isn’t your typical carnival. The Naperville Last Fling is a tradition that’s been celebrated for the past 50 years. Hosted by the Naperville Jaycees, the festival celebrates Labor Day and supports as many as 100 local businesses. The fling lasts all weekend and is featuring great bands this year. On Friday, September 4th you can catch Lita Ford, Jack Russell’s Great White Pirates & Bad Medicine. Saturday, September 5th American Idol’s, Daughtry, will play as the headliner and you can also see Ed Kowalczyk & Matthew Curry. Closing the entertainment on Sunday, September 6th is Chevelle, Finger Eleven & Naperville’s own, Lucky Boys Confusion! And, of course, Labor day isn’t complete without a parade! The annual Naperville Labor Day Parade, also hosted by Naperville Jaycees, starts at 10am on Monday, September 7th. Check out the website here for more info on the Last Fling.3. Explore Elmhurst Express
Jump aboard and experience Elmhurst like never before! 
Get an exclusive and exciting tour of the beautiful city of Elmhurst, Illinois! This FREE trolley service gives locals and tourists an opportunity to discover and explore Elmhurst. The hour long jaunt gives riders an exclusive look at all the shops, restaurants, parks and attractions that Elmhurst offers. Riders can also get a discount card on board saving them 10% at participating shops and restaurants. You can catch this ride all weekend! Explore Elmhurst Express takes off on Fridays (6-11 p.m.), Saturdays (12 noon – 11:30 p.m.) and Sundays (12 noon to 5 p.m.). Check out elmhurst.org for specific boarding times and more info on this fun little adventure! 4. Nature Nights: Seed Scatter
Bring a picnic dinner and spend an evening in the Garden!
This Saturday, September 5th from 5pm-7:30pm you can join in on this green Glencoe event is certain to become a standing tradition in Lake County. Held at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Nature Nights is a perfect time for the family to spend time in nature, soak up the outdoors and learn about the fascinating world of botany. This is a great event for the little ones (ages 4-10), everyone is able to explore different areas of the Garden and participate in a variety of hands-on activities. Each Nature Nights includes a fun tram ride, planting project, and s’mores around the campfire. As CBG says, “Seeds can’t walk, but they sure can get around! Hitchhiking, exploding, and parachuting are just a few ways that plants spread their seeds. Learn how and why seeds need to scatter, make a seed bomb to scatter seeds, and take home a plant with an interesting dispersal method.” Sounds like a new tradition may be growing in your future…check out more info on Nature Nights here.5. Dunham Woods Horse Show
One of the finest equestrian facilities in the entire Midwest! 
A summer season isn’t complete without a trip to a horseshow, and this one is world renowned, located right here in Chicagoland, and offers so much more than just a horseshow! Lamplight Equestrian Center features beautiful perennial gardens and thousands of trees. At this time of year, the perennials bloom creating an enchanting environment. Enjoy the horseshow facility’s gorgeous flower-lined walkways, covered ringside pavilions, a ringside café and the Hitching Post Bar. So grab your fancy hats and binoculars and enjoy what’s said to be an event filled with “tradition, & class” at such a lovely facility in our region!6. Glen Ellyn’s 5th Annual Sounds on the Street
Live concerts taking over Main Street!
Book the sitter or bring the kids. This is a free event held this Friday, September 4th starting at 7pm! Sounds of the Street is a building tradition for this southwest Chicago suburb. You can bring your favorite food and drink onto the street and enjoy the musical entertainment from five of the favorite Glen Ellyn restaurants: Wooden Barrel, Santa Fe Mexican Restaurant, fire + wine, Blackberry Market, Shannon’s Irish Pub and Cab’s Wine Bar Bistro. School of Rock, a children’s band, will perform at 7 p.m. and the featured band will take the stage at 8 p.m. This event is sure to be a hit- and the weather will be perfect! For more information on this event click here. With all of the events going on around Chicago, you’re certain to make the most out of this long Labor Day weekend. Whatever your plans are, we hope you have an enjoyable, relaxing time filled with traditions and memories to last throughout the year! As for us, we will be continuing to install Fall & Halloween displays to brighten up houses and businesses all over Chicagoland, of course! You may actually see our red trucks in your neighborhood. Looking for a Fall or Halloween display for your home or business? Contact us today for a free quote. As you may know, we offer professional holiday light installation in Chicagoland year round. We have lights, decorations, hay stacks and more to bring a spooky or classic fall swagger to your home or business. And the best part is, It’s A Wonderful Light handles everything from product, installation, service, takedown and storage- so you can spend your holiday relaxing and enjoying the beautiful display rather than installing it yourself. Take a look at our Halloween & Fall Decor Blog that features just a few of the many designs and options we can offer you this fall season. Happy Labor Day from all of us at It’s A Wonderful Light!