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

[Teacher510]

Last year we paid about $50 for our ill-fated tree. Then about $250 for our new one! If it lasts more than 5 years we're ahead!

 

[m&m's mom]

We always had real trees until we had 1st DD. She was a micro preemie (born at 1 pound) and she came home from the hospital in November. At the hospital they recommended an artificial tree since we did not know if the tree would irriitate her. That year we got a tiny 2 foot tree (we were really paranoid). Since then we have moved on to a normal large artificial tree.
We grew up going into the forest and cutting our own tree the day after Thanksgiving. It was a gradual decision but now all my siblings and parents have a fake tree.
My next door neighbor is an attorney and he said based on a case he worked on he would never have real tree in his house. He said the tree made this house an inferno very quickly.
But......I miss my real trees.

 

[Momof2princess]

We have both. Our main tree in the family room is a real tree. I have three other trees that I put up that are artifical. One is a "Charlie Brown" tree, and two that are pre-lit.

I myself cannot imagine not getting a real tree.

 

[mommybunnyof2]

I voted artificial but would love to have real one. We live in Fla and the real trees are just such a mess by the time we get them out of the house at the end of Christmas. We ordered a live tree online one year that was cut the day we ordered and shipped to us. That one was great -- loved the scent and it lasted the entire time. However, with two kids now our Christmas budget goes to them -- no extra $$ for that expensive tree. We inherited a beautiful tree from MIL. She seems to think that she won't decorate for the Holidays and gets rid of all her Christmas stuff throughout the year and then buys everything again Crazy Lady -- but we make out with all her hand-me-downs!!

 

[JandJ]

I've had both and now we have a small artificial. I put our tree on a box (covered in a Christmas-themed throw) in front of the window and the way my house is, from the outside, it looks like a 6 foot tree, but it's really only 3 feet tall. I love our little tree but when we have kids we'll likely get a larger artificial. They're much easier to handle in FL (and cheaper over the years), and with an evergreen scented candle from Yankee Candle you can mimic the gorgeous smell of a real tree - sort of

 

[Minniemouse07]

Real tree or NO tree. When I was in college my apartment lease prohibited real trees so I strung my lights around my apartment and hung the ornaments on the light strings.

We had 15ft trees every year when I was growing up so even a 5-6ft tree is a compromise!

 

[coolbeans]

Real Tree!!! We had an artificial tree the first year DH and I were together, after that we always had a real tree. I don't mind all the needles, they smell great in the vacuum for a while.

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Real! Wouldn't be Christmas for us without a real tree! There are wonderful Christmas tree farms about an hour away from us in the mountains. We have a wonderful time tramping around the hills looking for a tree we love. Having hot apple cider, standing in the brisk air - it's wonderful, a family bonding thing. Wouldn't miss it, it's one of our family Christmas rituals now

 

[suzydisney971]

Artificial. I grew up with an artificial tree. My dad and I would put it up after Thanksgiving and would decorate it together. As I got older, the responsibility fell to me and he wanted nothing to do with it. He would just get it out of storage for me and I'd do all the work. No worries except what is under the tree . My DH grew up with a real one so he had to adjust. We moved into an apartment when we got married and our living room was pretty small so we got a smaller artificial tree. Now we have a bigger living room but I think we'll stay with the same tree (it's only a year old), we just have more room for presents . It's so much easier to just take it out of the box, put it together, decorate it and you are done. Then you can take it down whenever you want. I'm sure the real ones smell really nice but I'll just light a candle, it will smell like the forest without the mess .

 

[Carolinagirl1063]

I prefer a real tree but due to allergies of my child we now use artificial.

 

[mama2girls]

i wish i could do real, but DH is allergic to pine. i guess he is worth the sacrifice!

 

[mrincredible2008]

i wish i could do real, but DH is allergic to pine. i guess he is worth the sacrifice!

just left walmart. wow, they got some nice looking artificial trees. even the silver retro like granny use to have. check them out.

 

[mrincredible2008]

bump. i am not a christmas tree thread killer. maybe after christmas.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I cant say that I love taking care of the real tree... but the family tradition is worth more than any amount of pine needles in my vacuum cleaner. Every year we have gone out through the field and the kids picked the farthest tree out. We take a picture with all of us around the tree holding hands... (finding another unlucky parent is the hardest part). We live in Buffalo and I have pictures where the snow is higher than my kids and pictures of green grass and blue skies... But the memories are precious and I would never give it up...

Hoping for a snow picture this year

 

[mamalle]

artificial for a long time. I love my 9ft tree. we have it up already and ready to decorate.. I hate the needles from the real trees and that is doesnt last very long. Not too mention the price tag of them..

 

[mrincredible2008]

here you go thread. i cant bump you anymore. you got to make it without me. farewell

 

[buffalogirl]

I prefer artificial- no needles to clean up, no guilt about cutting down a beautiful tree. The only downside, missing out on that wonderful pine smell.

 

[mrincredible2008]

hello buffalogirl.....are you going to kill this thread? where did you get your neat little thread killer banner? pretty neat.

subject matter.......we have several artificial trees. kind of different themes in each room. would like a live one but have two dogs and a cat. not sure how they will react to the live version. dont need them watering it too.

 

[buffalogirl]

Just trying to help you out mrincredible2008

I'll attempt to pm you the thread killer banner. If I don't succeed, I'm sure one of the other threadkillers will share.

 

[disney_fan_fam]

The past 2 Christmas' we used a fake pre-lit tree. Just because we were paying $100+ for a tree every year, the needles get everywhere & I got sick of cleaning them up. So...because we LOVE the pine smell we get a few wreaths & that works