Tree or not to Tree

[cdneh 3,112]

We have a fake tree as well. Just seemed to make more sense for us economically.

I grew up always having a fake tree, my husband is Muslim, but he loves the decorations as well.

Funny story- my husband's interview was in December (6 years ago), I thought he might be here for Christmas I didn't know anything about the dreaded AP, and promised him I'd leave the tree up until he got here.

I kept my promise, and when he got here in July, the tree was still up!

Aww...now that is sweet

[Hugglebuggles 60]

We always had a fake tree when I was growing up. Unfortunately I'm allergic to everything and real trees in the house always makes me sneeze. Whenever I'd go to a friend or family members house when they would have a real tree up, I'd sneeze like crazy. So fake only made sense for us.

It makes me a little sad we won't be able to get our own tree this year. Our room isn't big enough and the ceiling isn't really tall enough to put a nice tree in it. We decided to wait until next year when we have a more established homestead (hopefully..) and can purchase a tree that really fits where we're living.

Speaking of christmas decorations, I'm a sucker for anything that moves around and talks or sings It annoys everyone. Eventually I will have a house decorated with a million annoying little singing and dancing plush characters at christmas time.

[Inky 1,110]

Speaking of christmas decorations, I'm a sucker for anything that moves around and talks or sings It annoys everyone. Eventually I will have a house decorated with a million annoying little singing and dancing plush characters at christmas time.

You must !! post a picture of this when you get it all done, my mom has a collection of moving singing led lighted and optical lighted angels for christmas.. it kills my dad every year she puts them up and she trys every year to put them up earlier and earlier before christmas... i think shes attempting to make it year round set up .. hmm

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Now I've got Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees" stuck in my head...

She looks like the real thing, she tastes like the real thing, my fake plastic love....

The bends is one of my favorite albums of all time.

It's pretty great, yeah.

I have over 850 CDs, and bought a CD wallet to hold 72 of 'em so that I could pack up all of my CD cases for the move, but keep a selection of discs free for the next couple of months or so until I hit D.C. The Bends and Hail To The Thief are among the 72.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

We always had a real tree while growing up - often went into the woods or tree lots to cut our own as well. It was a nice day - sleighing out to the lots, choosing and cutting the tree, bringing it back to the center and having hot chocolate from a big vat that was simmering over a wood fire. Big Sigh! We always had to wire the tree to the two walls (it was in a corner) because we always had cats who felt that they were the best decorations and ended up climbing the trees. They always had favourite sleeping spots underneath among the presents as well.

I haven't had a tree at all since I moved out on my own. I was always somewhere else for Christmas and with the cats it was always too much of a hassle to put up a tree. Here I decorate the outside of the house and until it got too big used to hang decorations on the Bradford Pear tree by the front door (yep - put a partridge in it as well!). I always loved decorating the tree - that was one of the activities my Mom and I used to do together. Wonderful memories.

[MrsCat 6]

Someone posted a photo of their xmas tree last year, I think it hung from the ceiling and spiraled upwards. . . . . it was lovely and done on the cheap I think. . . . . . let me see if I can find it.

[ScooterMac 2]

We always had a fake one when I was growing up (usually with the bottom half undecorated, so none of the pets broke anything ). Once I moved out, I spent three years tree-less, and then decided to buy a small (tabletop) one for an apartment I shared with three roommates. They were all very bah-humbug about it, so it didn't get set up the second or third years I lived with them. I think I (maybe) set it up the last year I lived alone, and it's currently packed in a box in my basement with everything else in the world, waiting to be moved to the new apartment.

I'm being the bah-humbug one this year, and suggesting we don't put up a tree. We have two (insane) cats, and we're already helping various family members decorate their trees. Our "family" Christmas is literally one floor below us, and no one ever comes up to the apartment. We're planning a wedding at the end of January, and I just don't want one more thing to do!

[Sprailenes 47]

When I was a kid, my mom and me always did a real tree. But we'd never un-decorate it. We'd throw out all the ornaments with the tree. It was weird. My mom didn't like the clutter of ornament boxes, so we'd just throw them out and choose all new ornaments and colours the next year.

It wasn't like I grew up in the money either, we didn't have much, but she insisted on not keeping ornaments in the closet for a year because it was clutter to her and took up space. My husband is perplexed by this. But his family has ornaments on his tree from when he was a kid and I find that totally weird... even though I know it's the norm. Like there's decorations on there that he made in grade 1... and I call them antiques.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Yeah, my Mom has some ornaments that my sister and I made in elementary school as well. And yes, every year they hang on my parents' tree, much to my chagrin.

[Sprailenes 47]

They decorate their tree weird too, but maybe that happens with families with more than one child. Both Mike and his brother have a box of their ornaments and when they're ready they put their ornaments on the tree. It takes them all about a week to cover the tree, because they don't do it together they kind of do it when they feel like it.

Again it could very well be the norm, but I find it strange. I love spending time with other peoples families because they're like alien specimens to me.

[bowflex 0]

I think my wife broke some sort of speed record with the tree this year haha. We bought the tree on Saturday afternoon (fake one as it's cheaper and we can start a tradition of putting the same one up for years), had it setup within 30 minutes, then had it completely decorated with new ornaments and stuff by Sunday. She really got into it, even made a few Christmas pillows to put on the couch when she was done. Mind you I just helped put the tree up and then played some NHL 10 on the ol' Xbox lol, great life to have.

[ScooterMac 2]

Yeah, my Mom has some ornaments that my sister and I made in elementary school as well. And yes, every year they hang on my parents' tree, much to my chagrin.

My folks have a circular picture frame with a picture of the 4-year old me in it.

The 4-year old me in the Christmas pagent at Church. Wearing the "lamb-ears" hat.

I've tried to sneak off with it, not put it on the tree, and even hiding it at the back of branches on the back of the tree, and it always somehow sneaks its way onto the very front and center of the stupid thing *grumbles*

[Inky 1,110]

Yeah, my Mom has some ornaments that my sister and I made in elementary school as well. And yes, every year they hang on my parents' tree, much to my chagrin.

My folks have a circular picture frame with a picture of the 4-year old me in it.

The 4-year old me in the Christmas pagent at Church. Wearing the "lamb-ears" hat.

I've tried to sneak off with it, not put it on the tree, and even hiding it at the back of branches on the back of the tree, and it always somehow sneaks its way onto the very front and center of the stupid thing *grumbles*

aww thats cute!

[CBR 0]

I grew up with fake trees, then when I was on my own, bought fake after fake as they kept breaking somehow. I now stick with real trees. We have a nice tree farm in the area that has a bonfire going, free hot chocolate and popcorn, farm animals and all around homey atmosphere.

If you decide on fake, you might want to wait until after Christmas and get one on clearance. You can get a much nicer one for cheaper that way. Then you can just get a small real one for this year. Needles, cleanup and importance of watering will vary with the species of tree you pick. Frasiers are supposed to be good for needles that don't fall and the smell, but last year I got one that had the smell, had the awesome needles but more durable branches than a frasier and was nice and full. I'll post again if I remember what kind it was.

I love shopping for Christmas decorations after the holidays for the sales and then the next year I have a bunch of new stuff to put up. It's like early Christmas presents to myself that way lol.

[Marilyn. 340]

ok I think I seriously have an addiction to Christmas decorations.

I was watching QVC last night and they had an hour with Mr Christmas stuff.. some of the stuff was super cute and as I was watching I could feel myself get all emotional and tearing up although it probably had more to do with getting in the Christmas spirit ... I still felt a little foolish though ..lol