When we lived up north we always had a real tree. My hubby would take the kids and go cut one himself. Ha ha yes kinda like Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. Well now that we are in Florida I am concerned about bugs in the real trees and chemicals that they spray on them (I think to keep them fresh).
So do you have a real tree or a fake one?
I love the smell of a real tree and no there is nothing that can replace it. We are still undecided for now, but we have time. I did see a fake lighted palm tree in Lowes and thought it was neat. I guess there are pros and cons to both.
Rachael I have been traveling and didn't see you post. sorry :(
fake - and we live in MN :)
The key is to buy the most expensive one you can afford as they will have the most branches, etc. You need to let it fall out for a day and then you reach in and really have to manipulate the branches by opening them up, etc. once you do this it looks much more 'real'.
When I lived in the northern states, where we could get a fresh tree, I loved having a real tree. Living in Texas now, I have a beautiful artificial tree. But every year I decide I want a real tree.
Then every year I remember having the real tree fall over, having to remember to water it, having the water spill, trying to get the dropped needles out of the carpet with tweezers, etc. Then once again I love my beautiful artificial tree.
REAL -always! And I've always lived in Georgia. I've never had a problem with bugs or chemicals or anything. We've had cut your own and cut from farms Leland Cyprus and pre-cut Frasier firs. We put ours up the day after Thanksgiving and take it down the day after New Year's. I've never had an issue with dropping needles or it getting too dry (it's dry by the end, but not crazy). We've also had a number of 70 degree Christmases around here. Both Florida and Georgia are usually quite humid year-round, and I think that helps.
Every now and then we splurge on a real tree, but I have a fake one that has served us very well for many, many years.
I like the fragrance of a real tree, but they are frankly very messy and I worry about fire danger.
Also, we hate taking the tree down, so it's always usually up through January. It's the last Christmas thing we put away.
Our tree was on sale and it's beautiful when decorated. It stores easily.
One year, I was only 8 weeks into a very long ordeal with a broken leg and took a nap one Saturday. My son came in to wake me up and tell me he had a surprise for me.
He had gone in the garage and gotten the tree and set it up and decorated it all by himself.
It's still, to this day, the most beautiful tree we ever had.
Best wishes.
I wanted to do a real one this year...but we are now traveling and will wake up Christmas morning in a hotel room. (husbands grandmother turns 90 the 23rd)
So the fake(pre-lit best way to go) one will go up earlier than usual (day after Christmas) and will come down when we return in the new year!
fake...........its older than me and in great condition
Fake pre-lit tree here. I like to be able to bend a tree to my will and shape it accordingly!
I love the smell of a real tree, but I hate the expense. We bought a fake tree last year. I would recommend getting a real tree this year and after Christmas buying a fake tree on sale. Make sure to get pre-lit. We will go to one of the places that sells trees and get a real wreath and\or garland to put up for the smell.
Fake pre lit tree. Our Garden Ridge had some great sales on Christmas trees on Black Friday, so you could probably get one for a good deal. Or get one half off the day after Christmas for next year.
Eh, we alternate.
Some years I want the smell of a cut pine in the house and my son and I go out, buy one and drag home. Some years we set up the horribly tacky white wire tree with white lights already on it and decorate it - really, tacky - as it was also designed to be an outdoor decoration (think of those light up reindeers on people's lawns but in tree form). But, my son fell in love with it a couple of years ago. Sometimes I just do the small 2 ft fiber optics enhanced tree and all the table top decoration my son has collected over the years - everything lights up and makes music.
Oh, my, we have a huge holiday tacky streak going on here in Mississippi. LOL I can't wait to drag it all out now.
fake. in Texas they dry out too fast. They become a fire hazard and start dropping needles immediately. Since the tradition here is to decorate the day after Thanksgiving a real tree just isn't practical.
Real.
Smells wonderful.
They are mulched or burnt when they are done and are a renewable resource.
Fake trees get dusty.
I don't like the plastic smell and fake pine smell is not quite right.
They are not recyclable and they take up space in land fills.
Growing up we had a horrible fake tree. Then I decided when I was grown we would have a live tree...didn't know I was allergic and having one made me sick for weeks leading up to Christmas and at least a month after. Once I was sick for three months straight. We go w/ a beautiful pre-lit artificial tree now (I hate stringing the lights so it works great).
Honestly, I've only had a real tree in Florida, and it never caused an issue. Heck, we didn't do anything to it. It was up for over 2 weeks, we made sure it had water and that's it! It shed like a normal tree but still looked as beautiful in the end as it did when we first bought it. c:
I had asked this the other day :)
I loooove real trees, but we might do a fake one this year so the baby isn't spreading sap and pine needles throughout the house ;)
Real! I've never had a problem with bugs, but I have heard of that happening to others. Make sure you buy it from a tree farm or someone who comes in from another state and sets up the trees - don't get it from Lowe's. They cut their trees so early that they usually don't last through Christmas. (Been there, done that) We did a fake tree one year and it was ok. It is a lot of work setting a fake tree up too - so many parts! I'd rather just string the lights on a real tree myself. And I missed the smell of a real tree. No candle in the world can recreate that true smell. :)
We live in Texas and we always have a real tree. We don't put it up until 2 weeks before Christmas because it will die if we put it up sooner. It is a pain cleaning up needles, watering and not getting it on the floor, getting it home, etc., but you just can't replace the smell or look of a real Christmas tree. Of course, you could put up a fake tree in the living room for your main tree and then buy a small real tree and put it in the middle of the dining room table or somewhere else to get that wonderful smell or use real garland to decorate the mantle.
