After a bit of reading I found I did not understand high current relays as well as I should. Spark Fun has 2 types that might work in my project but I need to know more about them. I will get a couple of each and work with them to see which one will work the best for controlling the lights in the basement.

The first one is mentioned in the Spark Fun project write up and this second one. The second one is a Solid State relay which means there are no moving parts to wear out. It can also switch on and off quicker and I think that could be a neat thing for maybe one of those crazy holiday light setups. Unfortunately the solid state one is a bit more expensive per part but I think it has more potential for fun down the road.