Every year Elly Maistros decks out her home for the holidays. But last year someone stole part of that Christmas cheer. Maistros hopes it was for a good reason.\

NEW ORLEANS - While many families are decking the halls for Christmas, some Grinches find ways to steal those decorations. One Bywater woman had enough and found a way to stop those thieves.

Every year Elly Maistros decks out her home for the holidays. But last year someone stole part of that Christmas cheer. Maistros hopes it was for a good reason.\

"I'll sit there and hope that my projection lights that got stolen last year are making a child very happy this year," Maistros said.

This year she's taking precautions.

"This year I decided metal zip ties might do the job," Maistros said.

And it did. The other day Maistros was on her porch when she noticed one of her projectors was facing the wrong way. A look at her home security cameras showed her why.

"I went back and caught two different videos of someone who came up on the porch and tried to take it and the zip ties did their job," Maistros said.

Maistros has a message to the Grinch who tried to steal her Christmas.

"Bah humbug," Maistros said.

She says she does the display every year for her neighbors.

"I just do it to make other people happy," Maistros said.

And this holiday season she hopes any scrooge's out there think twice before stealing away that happiness that makes this time of year special.