Real or Artificial Trees... What do you do?

[Hedy]

After growing up with artificial trees my whole life (which I lived with, they improved vastly once we got rid of the one my dad won in a work raffle that looked like a Charlie Brown tree), we finally started getting real trees 2 years ago. I love them.

 

[mickeyfan9194]

Fake! DH and I work full time and are too busy to fuss with a real one daily. We actually did get a real one many years ago, and that's how we found out DS was allergic to it! No more of that. And I certainly don't miss all the pine needles and the dog drinking up the water from the base. Besides, here in Minnesota, it isn't always fun trying to pick out a real tree if it's below zero wind chill and trying to drag the thing to the car and get it home in one piece. With the artificial, I can get it out at my leisure. It's pre-lit, so no more wrestling with tangled light strings anymore either. But the kids and I do make a huge deal out of decorating it every year. We drink cider and take turns putting ornaments on the tree, all without ever having to go outside!

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

It's not Christmas to me without a real tree! My mom told me that she was planning on a fake tree for this year I'm 24 and she has never done that before! Luckily, this is my first year out of college and in my own apartment, so I will be getting my own real tree!

 

[5 at disney]

REAL - ever since I was a child and now my children are learning this tradition. It makes for a great bonding experience to spend the whole night decorating a tree, christmas carols on the stereo, a fire and some food. Life cannot get any better than that!!!

 

[mandysbus]

fake tree lover here! We have a vintage silver aluminum one that we've used for the past 4 or 5 years. I guess some people think they are way tacky looking but I've got the old colorwheel and revolving treestand to go with it so its a pretty neat setup. Besides, I dont think I've ever had a real tree in my whole life...my parents always had a fake one (they actually upgraded the other year to a nice new prelit one, they had had the same one for like 20 years)

 

[ampc3]

fake tree lover here! We have a vintage silver aluminum one that we've used for the past 4 or 5 years. I guess some people think they are way tacky looking but I've got the old colorwheel and revolving treestand to go with it so its a pretty neat setup. Besides, I dont think I've ever had a real tree in my whole life...my parents always had a fake one (they actually upgraded the other year to a nice new prelit one, they had had the same one for like 20 years)

I love your tree I think it is soo cute! we are vintage tree lovers here too right out of the 70's with the gold garland and colored lights.. It's what we both had growing up and we love it, so do the kids they think it is a fun tree

 

[Davidsmommy]

I picked artificial, but I actually prefer real. We had real trees up until last year I think - when I just got crazy with everything we had to do. A smaller artificial tree was easier with 2 small kids.

However, I fully intend on going back to real when the kids are older.

 

[kimisabella]

We have both!! We love the look and smell of a real tree, which is our "main" tree in the living room, then we have an artificial tree on our front porch, another will be in the dining room, and one in my dd's room. Just hope I have enough ornaments for all of them this year!!

 

[Princess_Amanda]

I've always had a real tree. I love picking it out and love the smell is has.

 

[clhcpaca]

Artifical---allergic to pine etc


Cindy

 

[ZPT1022]

We go the environmentally friendly route and have a real tree -- usually a Balsam fir from Nova Scotia.

same here!

 

[blana]

What I want is different from what I do. I real trees, but can't justify the expense. Even at $25 at the grocery store, our $120 tree that we've had since the after Chirstmas sale in 1999 has more than paid for itself. We did have a real tree our first year, spending about $60 on it from church, but that was the year we went to K-mart & got our fake one.

 

[TupperMom7]

We just went back to an artificial tree last year. I grew up with an artificial tree - the kind with the color coded tips that go into the wooden pole. Then when we got married, we got a real tree. Now I am tired of trudging through the cold to pay $40+ for a tree, so we got an artificial tree that looks very real.

 

[fakereadhed]

Artificial tree+Yankee Christmas Wreath candle=good enough to fool your DH and you don't have to sweep up pine needles.

 

[kldmom2000]

I would LOVE a real tree, but we have forced hot air in our home and we learned our lesson when we moved in 7 yrs ago that we CANNOT have a real tree... it dries out in days no matter how much water it's given! We were so afraid it was going to be a fire hazard that we couldn't turn the lights on as we got closer to Christmas with the branches being so dry....

We now use one of the pre-lit artificial ones that looks quite real. I burn Yankee Candle Mistletoe tarts to give the scent of a real tree though...

 

[DOOM1001]

We usually buy real but about 3 years ago we bought an artificial one with fake snow on it and after spending a year up in the attic the snow turned yellow and considering what we paid for it it just wasn't worth it.We switched back to real which I prefer anyways since I love the smell and going out to pick one out.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Artificial. Bought originally due to allergies, but I love being able to keep it up for over a month! I also love the idea of not sacrificing a tree every year!

 

[MissyDVC]

Artificial---and love it! We like to put it up right after Thanksgiving and keep it until New Years Day so the artificial gives us that ability. Grew up with real but love our beautiful artificial tree and Christmas is still wonderful

 

[DVC Sadie]

We always had both a live tree and a artificial tree until Katrina, so now we don't have enough ornaments and all of the accessories for both.

Last year we bought a beautiful pre-lit 7ft tree and this year we'll buy the ornaments for it instead of just using ribbon. Once that tree is decorated it will stay decorated and will be kept in a spare room.

We also use pre-lit garland for the mantel but have live wreaths and centerpieces for the interior of the house.

 

[kimis]

What do you prefer and why?

We always get a real tree. However with the fantastic looking fake trees I decided I wanted a fake one but my dh and our ADULT children said no way. So we will continue getting the real ones. LOL