Real Christmas Trees vs. Artificial Holiday Decorations: Green, Safe, Inexpensive

When my husband and I first married, we were diehard DIYers and traditionalists. We vowed always to have a real Christmas tree each holiday. We would trduge through snowy fields and cut our own. But reality hit me in the head last year. In the form of a realization that with the children growing older, I was doing all holiday decorating alone and it wasn't so much fun anymore.

In our 22 years of marriage through four children we've accumulated a heaven of happy memories, many of which revolve around holiday traditions. Bundling starry eyed children for the winter weather, wandering through snow bedazzled woods on a cold, clear December evening with the smell of a wood fire and more snow on the air. Stopping by our wizened elfin neighbor's Christmas tree farm, his log cabin home lit like a pretzel and issuing for Christmas carols and sugar cookie incense. Looking over every evergreen tree like a potential new best friend. Finding one we all just knew was 'the perfect one'. Lugging our trophy home, perfuming our home with frosty pine fragrance, sipping cocoa and admiring our treasure. Idyllic memories.

But when our beloved neighbor passed away, the Christmas tree farm closed up. Selecting a tree became a matter of sort through long dead, half dried out, sprayed green Scotch pine on in the bargain corner of the Christmas tree lot. Then followed trying to tie a brittle, crumbling tree to the roof of the van, driving at a snail's pace lest the tree should fly up and thrash about like the boom of a sailboat.

Once home, I had the onerous task of single-handedly erecting what was in effect a piece of kindling while incurring numerous scratches and injections of pine venom. All of which gave me a unpleasant allergic reaction. No to mention having to completely rearrange huge pieces of furniture and shuffle them into other rooms to make room in our small house. Very few Christmas trees have straight trunks, especially the cheap Scotch pine. I had to screw an eye bolt into the wall and tie off the tree from the back to secure it and prevent upended ornaments. Did I mention that real trees, when lit with lights pose a huge fire hazard?

So what did I do? I got wise. I bought a $40 artificial Christmas tree, pre-strung with lights and a convenient stand. Three snaps together in three easy pieces. I found a narrow tree which fits perfectly in one corner with no rearranging of furniture, cursing or hernias. Just open it like an umbrella, arrange to branches to the desired angle, and plug it in. When the holiday season is over, down comes the tree and in less than five minutes the tree is neatly folded in its convenient carrying case and back in storage.

Do I miss the annual finding of the Christmas tree? No. I have happy memories to sustain me and children must grow. Maybe when the grandkids come, I'll brave a real tree again. Do I miss the real tree? Let's see. Over-priced, allergenic, hazardous landfill fodder? I'm not missing it. For more on Christmas, visit me at www.thechristmasseason.blogspot.com .