Are You 'Picky' When Choosing Your Christmas Tree?

[Saphire]

We are going to a tree farm on Friday to cut down our tree. Our DS invited his girlfriend to come along so she can experience this yearly tradition. It takes us some time, a long time, to pick our tree. I am the worst offender when it comes to choosing the best tree. If it were up to the others, they would be done in 30 minutes or so. We usually take a few hours. The nicer the day, the longer it takes. I don't want a tree that is too big, or too tall, or asymmetrical. It has to look healthy and its needles can't be sharp to the touch. Of course it must be full and straight. If I am spending $50 and this tree will be a big part of my living room for 5 weeks, then yes, I want it to be just about perfect. Here is a line from the Tree Farm website:
"Selecting the perfect tree can take anywhere from a half hour to three hours depending on what you want to make of it."

LOL, and the weather is going to be party sunny in the high 40's on Friday. Perfect.

 

[mickeyboat]

Well, I don't consider myself too picky, but DH probably would. It takes us about 30 minutes to pick a tree, after DH tells me tree after tree - "it's too big." Funny how much bigger they look in your living room than they look on the farm.

Denae

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

we are pretty picky to begin with, but if it starts to take too long we eventually settle on one!

the year DH went without me, he came home with the hugest tree! Had to take a ton off the bottom and we couldn't sit in one side of our living room because we couldn't see around the tree to watch TV!!! Now we go we a measuring stick!!!

 

[aprilgail2]

I usually pull up to a lot, ask for a tree that is 6 feet-7 feet tall, they show me the section they are in and half the time I don't even have them unwrap it- if one side is bad I face that one to the wall- it really is not that big of a deal for me.

 

[DisneyBeagle]

Nope, I choose the first one I find in my basement

 

[Cool-Beans]

I don't think I'm too picky, but DH might say that I am.

All I need is a tree that isn't too big or too small, doesn't have too many "holes" or at least has them where they're all in the back or off to the one side, has the Christmas tree shape I like - more like a tall A and less like a barn, and isn't too lightly colored.

That's it.

But I do kind of look around a bit before picking it. So sue me.

 

[Keira1387]

I'm picky too! I want it to be as perfect as posible!

 

[Tinkarella]

We're the picky type. Going for a tree usually means an afternoon outing, with stops at many stands/farms. It's also followed by a take out dinner after we finally get the tree in the stand and the furniture rearranged. It's a big holiday event in our family and we all go together. One year we went without DD because she had to work and we didn't think she'd want to go anymore (she was 20) and boy did we hear about it!

 

[okeydokey]

I would think 30 minutes WAS being picky unless there was a large area to cover. I do my best to pick a nice tree from the lot (we live down South and like Frazier firs which don't grow here so we buy pre-cut). We go to the Boy Scouts to buy and every year after all the decorations are on we realize that it will always be beautiful no matter what it looks like naked.

 

[C.Ann]

If I wasn't freezing to death - and I was going to get a real tree - yes, I have to admit I would be very picky.. LOL Did it for 5 years when I was married to my first DH and drove him nuts..

 

[Hoodie]

My mother is famous for needing to look at every tree for the perfect one.

One year she had a couple of "maybes" while she stalked around looking at the rest. It was so cold and it was taking so long that we pulled up a bunch of grass and "made" a bird's nest to stick in the tree. A bird's nest in your Christmas tree is good luck. We told her "look what we found in this one!" and sure enough, she declared that the search was over.

We told her we faked the nest after we got the tree home. She still gets mad about it!

 

[kacaju]

yes I am. We take the kids, the dogs and sometimes my brother, sil and their kids come along. We have to take pictures of us next to the tree before it is cut down too.
I love it, it is special family time and we make a day of it.
My kids would be upset if we didn't!!

 

[C.Ann]

Funny story about when my ex and I went to get our tree one year.. This family pulled up in a car - Mom, Dad, and 3 kids.. Dad jumped out of the car, whacked down the first tree he saw, threw it in the trunk, handed the guy the money, and sped off all in less than five minutes..

Now I think that's going a little overboard in the opposite direction..

 

[JoBird]

DH learned the first year of marriage that I was PICKY picky picky! The first year he was ready to scream- the second year he thought about pulling his hair out, the third- he wanted to drop me off at the lot and come back three hours later. Ten years have passed and whadda' ya know- not much has changed!

Well, sort of. I have his attention now for about 3 hours. After that- well, it gets ugly.

I learned from my mom early on- ya gotta have the perfect tree. We used to go ALL DAY LONG- from early early in the morning until way after sundown to lot after lot to find "THE one". Daddy said he'd rather take a jab in the eye with a sharp stick than do something like that, so he'd stay home.

Then it would be home with the tree on top of the car for Daddy to fight with and he'd every single year end up tying the tree to the wall with fishing line b/c he couldn't get it to stand up in the stand.

And every single year, I'd learn me a new word, 'cause Daddy was a Christian and didn't say them words too often.


Ah yes- the perfect tree quest is awesome.

I can't wait to get mine this year!

Jo

 

[Juliegirl1]

I had to laugh at this thread because my mom ALWAYS bought a tree that had a hole on one side. She used to say that was the only way she would know which side needed to face the wall.

Me? I'm a perfectionist - when I cut one down I love looking for the perfect tree. Otherwise I put up my fake one!

 

[Saphire]

We take the kids, the dogs and sometimes my brother, sil and their kids come along. We have to take pictures of us next to the tree before it is cut down too.

We see many people that take their dogs, and they have such a great time, too! We also take pictures before we cut down our tree.

 

[EpcotBeauty]

I am absolutely anal about the tree. It has to have girth, lots of it. I want a wide tree, perfectly shaped. It must be between 9-12 feet, and just perfect. I irritate my family to the nth degree when picking out the perfect tree.

We purchased our tree last week, and I'm sad to say - it was the best Lowe's had. It is 12 feet but not wide enough...sigh....it is still lovely now that it is decorated.

 

[kristilew]

Growing up, my family was super picky. We'd go to several tree lots, and everyone had to agree. Sometimes we cut our own from our woods.

One year, we found a tree that was perfect on one side, but bare on the other. So we found another one like that, cut them both, and wired them together! We spent the whole Christmas season saying "It's twice the tree we've ever had!"

However, as a teen, I always thought it was a little too much family time drama. Then when I got married, dh's brother owned a Christmas tree farm and just sent a tree home with us when we'd see him at Thanksgiving. I learned the joy of not being picky, and just liking whatever we got.

Now that he has retired, we are back to tree lots. Last year, we picked a little too quickly, and it was dark, and we were sorry. It was a mess of a tree. So I guess this year, I'll start being picky again, just in time to make my own tween roll her eyes and sigh.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

It's usually a full afternoon project for us. My parents, DH and I, DS, and our dog all load up in the truck, and head for some friends of ours who own a tree farm. My mom and I (and now DS, since he can come tromping around in the woods with us this year) have to check out every tree from every possible angle. This can take a while. DH and my dad bring a 12pack with them, and wait to be told which trees they'll be cutting. We then drive them home, and hope they can get the trees up straight.....

It's wicked fun. DH gripes about it, but I know he loves it too.

 

[wvdisluv2]

Nope, I choose the first one I find in my basement

That's the first one I choose too!!!