Oh Christmas Tree

Dilemma: Christmas Tree.

Our big old white plastic tree made the move to our new house, but it was on its last legs last Christmas due to sun damage. I think Little Miss told someone, "We have a brown Christmas tree." It was then that I knew it had to go.

So do we go and buy a new fake tree or get the real deal this year?

I happen to think that like dog people or cat people there are real tree people and fake tree people. I have been a faker. I didn't want the extra mess of pine needles to clean up,  how would we get rid of the thing when its dead? And is it really very green to cut down a tree for a few weeks pleasure?

However I did grow up in a real Christmas tree house. Every year my Dad took it upon himself to go out and cut down a tree. We lived very close to a railway line and so he was able to clear the track so to speak and find a fairly small pine tree along the railway bank then cut and drag it home. Some may think this is stealing, others may think this is cleansing the bush of introduced species. I remember my Mum liked the idea of a free tree, but was always worried that someone had seen Dad in the act. I do recall once that he misjudged the size required and the tree wouldn't fit inside, but with a great deal of sawing and mess it was made to fit. Once the tree was in, the house would fill with the scent of pine that announced Christmas Day was close.

That pine smell is synonymous with Christmas for me. I love it, it brings back so many memories of my childhood home and Mum making so much effort. Having had quite a few scentless white (one brown) plastic Christmas tree years I thought it would be nice and proper to go for the real thing this year. In memory of all that effort my Mum made and for the sake of the kids knowing the smell of Christmas. And we can always put the tree in the green recycling bin afterwards cant we?

So for the real deal experience we went and chose our living Christmas Tree at a Christmas tree farm.





B was not convinced about killing a tree for Christmas at all.
"Trees are important for the environment." He told us. "I don't want it to die."
The Christmas Tree man then showed us that the tree regrows and doesn't die. Instead its like its had a really hard prune and shoots again. In 5 or 6 years it is big enough to be sold again by the farm. B seemed to be relieved by this information and it was a load off his mind.

This tree has been cut down three times


























The tree we chose

So the cutting began.



There was an uncomfortable few minutes when the Husband had to have a go and negotiate about the price, but once that was all sorted we shoved the tree in the back of the car, just.

B complained that there was no room for him. Little Miss said the needles were hurting. I made a mental note to bring an old blanket next year to wrap up the tree.

Once home the tree was decorated, but only after I cleaned the inside of my car of pine needles.

The real Christmas tree looks fantastic, but best of all it smells like Christmas is here, plus Little MIss and B can smell it too.

Note that B will be wishing for a front tooth this Christmas 



How do you solve the Christmas tree dilemma in your house?