Finally relented and bought a new pre lit tree this year. Gotta admit it’s an effort and a time saver. Also gotta admit that the prices are outrageous.
I have a 2 foot white fake tree that I leave the lights and ornaments on and store in a garbage bag. Takes 5 minutes to set up and “fluff up” the branches. I had the real ones for 50 years, that was enough.
Well for the 50th year in a row we just put up our annual. “Real” tree….it seems to get heavier ever year but the wonderful fragrance is worth it….This years compromise is to use 50% white lights and 50% multicolor and i must admit it does look spectacular in it’s naturally imperfect state and shape…As long as i have the strength to carry it each year we’ll keep getting a ‘real’ tree here in the good old and cold CLE …
We stopped with the live tree 25 years ago; went to an artificial 6-footer and now reduced to a pre-decorated 4-footer in a pot, storing it in the basement under a large garbage bag. Can’t wait for the 2-foot tall ceramic version.
We’ve done some down-sizing on our Christmas decorating in recent years. This year, when the eaves lights showed their age, we decided not to replace them. Even a 10-foot-high eave and 6-foot-tall ladder can get to be too much. But we still have the 8’ tall tree we got 16 years ago; 43 years of marriage are in the ornaments and we can’t give them up.
I seem to recall a past Season when Arlo got a three foot artificial tree and I, who am slightly older than he is, realized that I am a trendsetter in A&J World.
Using the same Arlo thought and perception processes, I also recall wondering about the same as he did With his first mini-me tree: when did this happen; how did it happen; what’s the next tree stage of celebrating the season; and will there be a full circle as the next 6+ foot tree I live with be in a retirement community or assisted living.
The other feeling is that we enjoyed the room with our three footer as much as we did when we wrestled our first six foot live tree into our first shared living space that we rented a few decades ago.
Last year, as an experiment, we put up our 9’ pre-lit tree with only FOUR ornaments on it. We hosted my husband’s family (24+ people) and for the first hour no one even noticed the lack of ornaments. Then one of the young kids was looking for his ‘favorite’ one and asked why we didn’t have very many ornaments on it. I suppose this year we’ll have to put more up, but it was fun last year: easy to put up and even easier to take down!
Ah, the old “rock, paper, scissors”. Arlo wanted the colored lights and Janice wanted the white lights. Arlo wins and they get the colored lights on the tree!
Husband was told as a boy that if one has real tree lights cannot be put on it as it is a fire hazard. ( I am Jewish so no tree or other Christmas decos growing up.) So we have had an artificial tree since the second year we were married (no tree first year). We are on our 3rd full sized tree in 40 years.
We put up a 7 ft tree in our living room – currently in front of room, some years we put in back corner. When we bought our second tree & retired the first one, Realized my teddy bear (and other bears) ornaments were taking over the tree, so I had husband make me a stand for the top tree-shaped section of the old tree and put it upstairs in “the teddies room” & put most of the teddy ornaments on it (rest stayed on big tree). Over the years this evolved into a changing seasonal teddy village at the top of our stairs on a trunk. Then we had 2 trees.
One year I put a very small tree in our (home) office & decorated it with office supplies – paperclip chain, colorful pens stuck in, decorative seals stuck on paper clips…, but that was only done twice.
Had thought of putting up a small tree in our studio with ornaments we have made (and were on our big tree). The year we had bed bugs we did not put up the big tree & bought a small one – so the following year when we set up the big tree again,that tree went into our studio & I pulled most of the ornaments we had made & put them on this tree, with rest of handmade ornaments on the big tree. (That’s 3 trees.)
We have belonged to Colonial Williamsburg since 1994 & receive a brass ornament every year. About 3 or 4 years ago I noticed that same was taking over the big tree. Our dining room is decorated colonial & we had only put up decorations in there proper to the period, so no tree, but husband decided that CW ornaments on a tree in there would be nice, so we bought a small tree (at Ikea) and that now gets setup in the dining room. (That’s 4 trees.)
mddshubby2005 over 4 years ago
Apparently the rock-paper-scissors determined who got to choose the lights, not who had to untangle their box of lights.
MrFixit over 4 years ago
Janis wanted white lights, Argo wanted colored lights.
Dirty Dragon over 4 years ago
“Good old rock, nothing beats that!”
Grumpy Old Guy over 4 years ago
A win-win for all, at the lighting of the tree….
assrdood over 4 years ago
Finally relented and bought a new pre lit tree this year. Gotta admit it’s an effort and a time saver. Also gotta admit that the prices are outrageous.
Lucy Rudy over 4 years ago
I have a 2 foot white fake tree that I leave the lights and ornaments on and store in a garbage bag. Takes 5 minutes to set up and “fluff up” the branches. I had the real ones for 50 years, that was enough.
desvarzil over 4 years ago
A friend of the family made a two tree decorated with Beanie Babies for my grandson. We store it in a large garbage bag as well.
kennnyp over 4 years ago
Well for the 50th year in a row we just put up our annual. “Real” tree….it seems to get heavier ever year but the wonderful fragrance is worth it….This years compromise is to use 50% white lights and 50% multicolor and i must admit it does look spectacular in it’s naturally imperfect state and shape…As long as i have the strength to carry it each year we’ll keep getting a ‘real’ tree here in the good old and cold CLE …
Tyge Premium Member over 4 years ago
Colored lights. Definitely colored.
HarryLime Premium Member over 4 years ago
We stopped with the live tree 25 years ago; went to an artificial 6-footer and now reduced to a pre-decorated 4-footer in a pot, storing it in the basement under a large garbage bag. Can’t wait for the 2-foot tall ceramic version.
jr1234 over 4 years ago
Got paper thin all fully decorated tree that hangs on patio door. Lights up when the sun shines through, folds up in drawer
axe-grinder over 4 years ago
Why not both?
LadyPeterW over 4 years ago
We’ve done some down-sizing on our Christmas decorating in recent years. This year, when the eaves lights showed their age, we decided not to replace them. Even a 10-foot-high eave and 6-foot-tall ladder can get to be too much. But we still have the 8’ tall tree we got 16 years ago; 43 years of marriage are in the ornaments and we can’t give them up.
Clotty Peristalt over 4 years ago
It was always white lights in our house, with silver and snowy ornaments. Much classier. Blinking and/or coloured lights and ornaments are gaudy.
Just IMO, of course.
ScullyUFO over 4 years ago
I observe that firemen do not just leave the hose in a tangled up ball when they get back to the firehouse.
admiree2 over 4 years ago
I seem to recall a past Season when Arlo got a three foot artificial tree and I, who am slightly older than he is, realized that I am a trendsetter in A&J World.
Using the same Arlo thought and perception processes, I also recall wondering about the same as he did With his first mini-me tree: when did this happen; how did it happen; what’s the next tree stage of celebrating the season; and will there be a full circle as the next 6+ foot tree I live with be in a retirement community or assisted living.
The other feeling is that we enjoyed the room with our three footer as much as we did when we wrestled our first six foot live tree into our first shared living space that we rented a few decades ago.
oakie817 over 4 years ago
once left Christmas tree up for 8 years
Linda Schweiner Premium Member over 4 years ago
Last year, as an experiment, we put up our 9’ pre-lit tree with only FOUR ornaments on it. We hosted my husband’s family (24+ people) and for the first hour no one even noticed the lack of ornaments. Then one of the young kids was looking for his ‘favorite’ one and asked why we didn’t have very many ornaments on it. I suppose this year we’ll have to put more up, but it was fun last year: easy to put up and even easier to take down!
JLChi over 4 years ago
Real trees, only, for me. Never artificial! The real ones are so wonderful, and I find no joy whatsoever in plastic trees.
Blue Owl over 4 years ago
Rock, paper, scissors. This year. Large colored lights won over small white lights…
Ermine Notyours over 4 years ago
Arlo gets his lights on the tree, but now Janis needs to put up her lights outside.
33Angel over 4 years ago
CUTE!
wgskiba over 4 years ago
Ah, the old “rock, paper, scissors”. Arlo wanted the colored lights and Janice wanted the white lights. Arlo wins and they get the colored lights on the tree!
mafastore over 4 years ago
Husband was told as a boy that if one has real tree lights cannot be put on it as it is a fire hazard. ( I am Jewish so no tree or other Christmas decos growing up.) So we have had an artificial tree since the second year we were married (no tree first year). We are on our 3rd full sized tree in 40 years.
We put up a 7 ft tree in our living room – currently in front of room, some years we put in back corner. When we bought our second tree & retired the first one, Realized my teddy bear (and other bears) ornaments were taking over the tree, so I had husband make me a stand for the top tree-shaped section of the old tree and put it upstairs in “the teddies room” & put most of the teddy ornaments on it (rest stayed on big tree). Over the years this evolved into a changing seasonal teddy village at the top of our stairs on a trunk. Then we had 2 trees.
One year I put a very small tree in our (home) office & decorated it with office supplies – paperclip chain, colorful pens stuck in, decorative seals stuck on paper clips…, but that was only done twice.
Had thought of putting up a small tree in our studio with ornaments we have made (and were on our big tree). The year we had bed bugs we did not put up the big tree & bought a small one – so the following year when we set up the big tree again,that tree went into our studio & I pulled most of the ornaments we had made & put them on this tree, with rest of handmade ornaments on the big tree. (That’s 3 trees.)
We have belonged to Colonial Williamsburg since 1994 & receive a brass ornament every year. About 3 or 4 years ago I noticed that same was taking over the big tree. Our dining room is decorated colonial & we had only put up decorations in there proper to the period, so no tree, but husband decided that CW ornaments on a tree in there would be nice, so we bought a small tree (at Ikea) and that now gets setup in the dining room. (That’s 4 trees.)
Plus beaded tree that I made decades ago.