You’re Hanging Your Christmas Lights Wrong
I know that if you were going to have one at all this year, you've probably already put up and completely decorated your Christmas tree. How did you put those beautiful, twinkling lights on? Did you know that you have most likely done it wrong?
Personally, I've always checked the lights first by stretching them out on the living room floor and plugging them in. That way, I could easily identify exactly where any issues might be. After replacing any bulbs that are out, I unplug them and put them on the tree spiraling from the bottom to the top. Of course, I have a holiday-inspired cocktail or 2 while I'm doing it - but having a few drinks while I decorate isn't what I'm doing wrong.
According to the folks at Real Simple, the correct method (with or without a giant glass of egg-nog) is to only light up the part of the tree that faces out (we'll call that the "front"). They also recommend stringing the lights vertically! That means top-to-bottom-to-top, from one side to the other for what they call "maximum sparkle."
Reportedly, this method eliminates dead spots and un-even distribution. If you're confused, don't worry. I found a really helpful instructional video that shows you everything (except the egg-nog). Merry Christmas!