A real or artificial Christmas tree?

Kitten, the homemade ornaments with spices sounds great. Why not share with us? I think I have heard about the styrofoam balls being used. Sounds like something I might like to do for mine and my daughter's tree this year. But guess I had better get busy!

Hopefully, you'll be able to buy another real one. I notice around town they usually start lowering the prices the closer it gets to Christmas. I don't mind having a nice artificial one, but if I have to have one again, it will be a tall one! I guess that's one reason I'm so reluctant to pull all the decorations down. You have them all out but can't use them all. Maybe this year I'll buy a new big one or get a real tree. And I also want to put it up earlier.

I would love to have a staircase to put garland on. I have a stairway, but it goes to my basement. The scented oil in a crock pot sounds great. I have one of those little small ones I could do that in during the holidays.

There are tree farms around the country growing nothing but trees for Christmas. That isn't wasteful to me. The tree is usually then either discarded or perhaps used for something else. Also some people buy real trees, use them in the house for their Christmas decoration, and then afterwards, they plant them in the yard. I think that is a great idea. As for the smell, there is nothing better than the smell of cedar or pine in the house during the holidays. It really gets me in the holiday mood! The aroma just penetrates the whole house and lingers for days. Makes me want to go out now and chop down a cedar tree, not that we have any on our land big enough to chop. I was just thinking the other day about the men who had to chop one in the edge of our property because of it reaching the power lines. I wish I had thought then to tell them to wait and let us cut it for Christmas! Too late now, though.

Oh yes, nothing like the smell of a real Christmas tree. I too, was raised with fresh cut cedar trees and that smell is unforgetable. As a matter of fact, when ever I get a whiff of that smell, it brings me back to those childhoold days of Christmas and I have to take a moment to take in a deep breath of that tree or wreath that I just walked by. I lost my second parent last year and those smells of yesteryears Christmas' mean more to me than anything now. Well, I must admit after all of this, I have an artificial Christmas tree and I have had one for 8 years since I have been married but actually a total of 14 years overall. I use to always get either a fresh cut or living Christmas tree (that we would replant) and I miss that Christmas tree smell. What changed my mind about getting an artificial tree years ago was that I traditionally liked to decorate for Christmas on Thanksgiving day. I use to wait on the Christmas tree for a couple weeks or so but with the way things are in life, I wanted to make the best of the holiday season as much as I could. So I (we) decided to put up a tree at Thanksgiving and we knew that a real tree would not last that long. To help, I cut fresh cedar tree branches from a tree that I intentionally planted around the holidays and bring them in the house and when they are exposed to some warmth, they give off thay old familar cedar smell from 45+ years ago that I remember so well growing up. Although my neighbors ask me why did I plant that cedar tree, I quickly defend that tree by telling them it brings me back to those special holiday days in my life. In conclusion, yes I do miss that real Christmas tree and the smell. But I do enjoy the 5 or so weeks of having up a Christmas tree (when I was a kid, we put up our real Christmas tree a few or so days just before Christmas), but with cutting those fresh cedar tree branches, it gives me that "missing" real tree smell. If you put up a real tree, your view of it is shortened because of it drying out but you do get that real tree exposure. If you put up an artifical tree, not only will it last you for many years, you can enjoy the view of it as long as you want but you may have to go cut some real cedar or pine branches and bring them inside so that you won't get "cheated" out of that real Christmas tree smell. Good luck with what ever decision you make...more importantly, don't ever loose the SPIRIT!! Kevin Bridgewater, VA mooreselec@aol.com

You are right. They are cleaner. I always hated to have to get out all the cedar needles in my carpet. And it was terrible when I was barefoot and stepped on one!