Real or fake?

I think I am the only design junkie that hates putting up Christmas decorations, not having them just putting them up. The list of to dos grows ever longer at this time of year and for me the dread of rifling through all of that stuff, only to do it in reverse in a month, creeps in.

Not gonna happen in my house

Five years ago, I started putting up an artificial tree. I was in a house with 8 foot ceilings and really tired of the mess a real tree created. I still like a realistic looking one without fake snow or some strange color.

Frasier fir

Before that, my entire adult life included a Frasier fir every year. When my older kids were little we lived in a Victorian house with high ceilings and a bay of windows at the front. It was the perfect place for a huge tree.

I loved the smell but not the constant sweeping of fallen needles.

Frasier firs are known for their soft needles.

I will tell you that they are not that soft.

The first Christmas that their father was not at our house I insisted on buying a real tree and keeping everything the same.  I easily removed the tree from my roof rack, sawed of the end, and got it into the house. The fun came when I was trying to get it into the stand and straighten it. I was doing this all with no one else there and it was getting warm. Figuring it was no big deal I took off my sweater and wrestled the tree into place.

This is how I know that the needles are pretty darn scratchy! I looked like I fell into a briar patch.

I always retain my clothing when decorating for Christmas now, much to the relief of my family and neighbors.

How much effort do you put into decorating for Christmas?

Are you a real or fake tree user?