Friday, November 9, 2007

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

So, when I put out the call for questions, the great mielikki asked:

Christmas tree, live or fake?

I have to admit that I'm a Christmas tree snob. I like the tree to be uniform and matchy and beautiful. I LOVE the trees on display where all the ornaments are gold and red or blue and silver, etc.

So, I have to have a fake tree. They are uniform. And they come pre-lit, which is the BEST. And they hold the ornaments much better than a real tree. I think we only had a real tree twice when I was growing up. And I remember being frustrated that the ornaments wouldn't stay. And my dad took freakin' FOREVER to string the lights.

I have to admit that I put up two trees. And if I had room I'd have even more. I have a "family tree". It's 7 feet tall (we have vaulted ceilings) and it's pre-lit. This is the one that the kids decorate (and I redistribute the ornaments when they're in bed). All the "normal" ornaments go on this tree.

I also have "my" tree. It's only 5 1/2 feet tall. It's my fairy and snowflake tree. All the ornaments are blue and silver. And I string it with blue lights. I just love it.

How many trees do you have? Real or fake?

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In other news, I've been super busy around here. Cleaning closets and garages. Donating toys and clothes. And general organizing.
Corey- I plan to answer your question in four parts, when I get a minute.
Jo- Thanks for the award. I'll post it soon!
I have figured out the Truth or Dare meme, just need time to post it all.
I'm slowly catching up, but this weekend is busy. Soccer, football party, Christmas pictures, Veteran's Day, etc.

10 comments:

Mary Ann said...

We have one tree. We used to buy real ones but Nathan is allergic. So we now have an articicial pre-lit. They are soooo nice, aren't they. I remember as a kid my dad trying to string the lights every year on a real one and getting mad because it was such a pain. The prelit is so much easier. I think we'll be hanging ornaments higher than usual this year since Sam is now mobile and I'm sure will try to pull them all off!

Can't wait for the truth or dare meme!

CamiKaos said...

When it was just Mike and I we had real trees, I was always disappointed. Then we had K and I couldn't deal with the searching for the tree, loading it on to the car, is it going to fall over, will the baby try to get into the water pan etc insanity. Getting that fake tree: best choice ever. We currently have 1 7 foot fake tree and 3 small fake trees 4,3,2 feet. The small ones are prelit and we bought them after Christmas last year so I don't know what we'll do with them yet. Eventually the 7 foot tree will be the Family room tree that can have whatever everyone wants on it and I will have a new prelit tree for the living room that will have only burgundy and cream on it.

I always say I hate Christmas and I think it used to be true, but now it's all an act. Mike asked me last night if we could sit down and coordinate K's Christmas list this weekend and start getting ready for present purchases and I swooned. Love that man, and I hate that I love Christmas.

sybil law said...

Fake trees, all the way. I like the smell of real trees, of course, but not all those damn needles on the floor! Plus, you can leave a fake tree up so much longer.
We have a 7 1/2 footer, NOT prelit (because I like to make my husband put the lights on - haha - but we lave them on and actually the whole tree together, sotred in the basement, until next year). Any ornaments, old ones, new ones, whatever. 2 smaller (4 feet?) trees that go in urns outside on the porch, and this year my kid will get a small "bird" tree for her room. Just birds and fake snow on it.
I like to decorate for Christmas but HATE the shopping hell of it.

Becky C. said...

Being new to Arizona I am real excited about putting lights on the saguaros out front of my house.

~Becky

mielikki said...

Oh hell. I am the only real tree snob here? I loooove my real tree. I either get the replantable kind, or I take it to a place where they use it in some of the local lakes to build homes for the fishies. Real tree all the way for me

Lisa said...

Okay. We always do at least 2 trees...REAL trees that we cut down ourselves. I have to say it is fun for us, more for the kids and my hubby...since I am the one that has to maintain the trees! I am going to pose the fake tree idea for this year. We will also probably only do 1 tree this year. Our rental in AL is smaller (a little under 3000 sq ft) then our home in CA. Next year, I will go all out since the home we are building is close to 5000 sq ft!! I love christmas though, and it will actually get COLD here!! Thats a nice change!!

Meghan said...

I grew up with enormous real trees. We had a vaulted ceiling, so the trees were like... 12-14 ft tall! Christmas really was larger than life in our home. I loved the smell of the tree, and it was my job to keep it watered.

I have to say, though... I never liked just throwing it out in the trash after a month of living in our house. So, I think it's more ecologically responsible to have a fake tree. Unless, of course, the factories that produce them are harmful to the environment. Quandary there, eh?

As for the last couple years, it's been mixed. We've had real trees for the past two years. I'm not sure what we'll do this year. I will say though, fake trees are a HECK of a lot easier to put up and take down!

Another Mom on the Internet said...

We end up with a "real" tree in the staircase, a 6ft "fake" in the front window, a 3ft "fake" in the loft, and a 3ft "fake" tree in the playroom. I'm hoping I can pick up another "fake" tree this year after the holidays. A 6ft tree for the living room.

I usually put a "pine" air freshner near the "fake" trees, for the christmas tree smell. Actually last year my dad said my fake trees smelled better then the "real" tree. lol

holly said...

i have a picture of a tree on the wall, and every evening i let the children walk around the block and let them look at other people's trees.

just kidding, but the thought of it amused me.

i have a *silent* tree. i LOVE LOVE LOVE cute ornaments, but was one year driven to the brink of sanity by the tree that had about 8 christmas tunes on constant loop. i really wanted to go postal on that thing, back before that was actually a phrase.

DIXIECHICK said...

The only way I roll is fake, pre-lit...I just don't have the time for clean up of pine needles, I worry about fire safety....because I would definitely forget to water it...shoot, I can't even keep a plant alive...my tree would go up like the one On the movie Christmas Vacation...lol