Help me decide!

[catnapper]

Oh the drama of my household - the big issue today is whether to put up our artificial tree or buy a real one :p

Here are the pros and cons of both:

Real Tree:
Pros
~The wonderful smell!
~It will be the perfect size for our livingroom
~The kids have been wanting a real tree for years

Cons
~Cost - even if its just $30, thats $30 I really don't have right now
~Lifespan, drying out, etc.
~Threat of fire from my millions of lights

Artificial Tree:
Pros
~We have it, so no expense involved.
~Been cat tested and stood up to Harry 17 pound climbing up and down it. ;)

Cons
~This thing is HUGE, leaving little to no room for the baby swing, play mat, toys, etc

[Logan]

Normally, I would always say get a live tree, but given your financial issues, right now, I must vote to go with the one you have. Maybe you can get a live tree next year, Kim. The reason I say this is that live trees are so expensive, and I don't think you would get much for $30. Around here, even with so many Christmas tree farms near us, a 6 ft tree is probably $50 or more. I would save the money and splurge on something else. You'd probably have to buy a tree stand, too, which is not cheap, either.

You could go by a tree lot and ask to take some of the branches that they have cut off of the bottom of trees and decorate your home with them, so you'd still get that wonderful smell.

Just my two cents!

Logan

[kittycats_delight]

IMO I would say stick with the artifical. You don't need the extra expense and besides in my books they are too dangerous. I have never liked live trees. It seems like such a waste to chop down a tree just to stick lights and stuff on for one day. I am also allergic to trees believe it or not. And as they start to dry the needles are everywhere. And that can be dangerous for both Cam and the kitties. Just one stray needle is all it takes. Just my opinion though.

[JenBKR]

IMO I would say stick with the artifical. You don't need the extra expense and besides in my books they are too dangerous. I have never liked live trees. It seems like such a waste to chop down a tree just to stick lights and stuff on for one day. I am also allergic to trees believe it or not. And as they start to dry the needles are everywhere. And that can be dangerous for both Cam and the kitties. Just one stray needle is all it takes. Just my opinion though.

Agreed! I would probably stick with the artificial one

[borzoimom]

I have always had a live tree, and love it. However- with tight finances, I would use any resource I already had. SAve the live tree money for other things.
As far as saftey with a live tree, get one as fresh as possible- we soak ours in sugar water after a clean cut at the trunk for overe 24 hours before we even bring it in the house. We also keep water in it, never leaving the lights on over night or when we were not in the area of the house where the tree is. Use only UL listed lights etc. Simple precautions. I also unplug it from the wall 30 minutes before bedtime. Ours are always really fresh- but 30 dollars?? Around here trees are 55 and up.

[Argranade]

REAL TREE OF COURSE!!! :D

Life is only so long, we better start living to the fullest of it! ;)

[catnapper]

Crud - I forgot all about the cost of a stand! :eek:

As for trees, they are pretty cheap around here. $30 is high. We have dozens of tree farms to choose from.

I have tossed a hundred ideas out to Ash as to where to put the tree... and all were vetoed for one reason or another (my favorite is I can't move the family computer into my office because people won't like not being able to watch tv while they play online :rolleyes: )

You have to understand the artificial tree we have is HUGE. I'm talking 4' diameter. Space is tight as it is thanks to all the baby stuff. I am so torn about this!

[Donnaj4962]

I voted for the artificial tree. I grew up with live trees, and I do love the smell. But the needles, cost, maintenance, etc. have led me to an artificial tree. (The final straw was the year that I bought a live tree and couldn't get it into the stand properly and had to TIE it to furniture to make it stand as straight as possible!)

It sounds like space is at a minimal at your house (I can understand that with all the baby things), but for me, the lack of space for a month or so would outweigh the thought of all of the hassles and cost of a live tree. Of course, that is just my humble opinion! :o

Good luck with your decision!

[catlover4ever]

Kim, with the artificial tree is there any way to remove some of the branches. We do that at my mom's house because of the room/space issue. By removing some of the back branches it lets us move it closer to the window and out of the way.

[Blue_Frog]

If you wanted to go the route, maybe see if any of the tree farms in the area (and sometimes grocery stores) have littler ones that could go in a pot (the trees are like 2-3 feet high) - then, you'd have a much smaller tree that you could put up off the ground on top of a small table or something (away from baby), get the nice smell, don't have to worry about a stand, and could be transplanted somewhere once you're done with it so its' not a dead tree.

That would prolly take care of the dropping dry needles issue as well. :)

[catnapper]

Kim, with the artificial tree is there any way to remove some of the branches. We do that at my mom's house because of the room/space issue. By removing some of the back branches it lets us move it closer to the window and out of the way.
Did that last year! :D Of course I can't find any pics of just how big the tree is in our livingroom.

I was trying to convince Ashley that we could remove the whole bottom set of branches completely but she thinks it'll look weird. I think it'll be ok if we pile a bunch of presents along the bottom.

[Vela]

Since she isn't paying for the tree, do what you want. For me I don't like live trees. Seems a waste to cut them down for a holiday like that, when so many get thrown out without even being bought. They are also much more of a fire hazard and require more maintenance, imo. I just prefer the artifical and if money is tight, do what works best for you.

[kuhio98]

I have a live tree fan -- but I voted for the artificial one. Don't spend the money now for a real one. If the kids whine tell them to cough up the $30 bucks themselves.

In fact! Why not make them responsible for all the holiday decorations this year?

Just my 2 cents ~ Quit asking Ashley. It's your house. Not hers. And her decision making skills have not been stellar to this point. But she will learn. With age comes wisdom. ;)

[Craftlady]

I vote for artifical.
Once you've seen a house go up in flames because of a real tree (in our neighborhood when I was in highschool in 1970's), real tree gotta have goes out the window.

[moosmom]

I am a big fan of real trees. However, since my little "room" has no space for any kind of tree, I got 2 Yankee Candles in the scent of Mistletoe and light them whenever I'm home. If I want to see a tree, I just close my eyes, imagine a beautiful tree in the corner with lights and tons of tinsel, then I inhale. It's the best I can do for right now. Besides, my fake tree is packed away in Michigan. :p

I also think Vela is right, since Ashley isn't paying for it, go with what YOU want.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I also voted for an artificial tree.:) You don't have the extra money to spend, they're a fire hazard,and they have to be maintained. If your kids want one so bad then make them pay for it and maintain it. If you want the nice pine smell you can buy this in a can and spray it whenever you want the room to smell like a tree.

[Miss Z]

I reckon the artificial one will be fine. My family have had an artificial one for quite a while and I think we'll always have fake trees now, we kept getting too many pierced toes from steping on the fallen needles! :p I like the idea of removing the back branches, ours is also huge so that could be an idea for me too ;)

[catnapper]

Thanks again everyone! I'm putting up the fake tree t onight and will be removing a lot of lower branches to save room. No idea where the swing will go yet :rolleyes:

[Sevaede]

Geez, Kim! If I wire you the money will you ship a tree to me? :eek: (jk! :D) Here, just the tiny little trees in the grocery stores are a hundred dollars or more.

I would stick with what you have available. I second the febreze pine smell. They also have a couple of other scents available as well! :D

[kuhio98]

Geez, Kim! If I wire you the money will you ship a tree to me? :eek: (jk! :D) Here, just the tiny little trees in the grocery stores are a hundred dollars or more.I know what you mean. Trees here are $80 and up!

[jenluckenbach]

OK, lets see if I understand the choices......

1-Use the gorgeous, $300 artificial Christmas tree, that you already have, that looks better than ANY real tree in the lot, that was given to you by a wonderful friend (me)

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR

2-Spend money (that should be paying your bills, vetting your cat, and diapering your grandson) on a real tree that will dirty up your living room in a week and not meet your expectations of perfection, just because someone thinks it will be ugly? (is that the same ugly as Camry's perfectly good clothes?)

hhhmmmmmm.....which do you think is my choice?? :rolleyes:

[catnapper]

Jen, I must admit this tree is the single most gorgeous artifical tree I ever saw! You know I love this tree! Its just HUGE! LOL I am actually glad I decided to put it up.... its what I actually wanted to do all along, but I had others in the hosue who wanted a real one this year (and years past)

I hope this question didn't insult my dear friend Jen! :o

[Lizzie]

I know what you mean. Trees here are $80 and up!

The whole pricing issue on Christmas trees seems very strange to me. I think of Alaska as having plenty of trees. I know that Washington state has plenty of trees. Fifteen years ago, I dug out my own living Christmast tree from a tree farm and it cost me $30. I don't want to imagine what it would cost me now. More, probably, than buying a bare root noble fir from a nursery.

I voted for the artificial tree also. Glad you put it up and are happy.

[jenluckenbach]

I hope this question didn't insult my dear friend Jen! :o
Insult? Heck no. I was just going to mope and whine and pout until you chose the artificial one. ;) ;) (LOL)

[borzoimom]

Yea!!!! Tree is up huh??? Well I am glad! lol. I just want to see you happy. You could use a lift!

[catnapper]

Yea!!!! Tree is up huh??? Well I am glad! lol. I just want to see you happy. You could use a lift!
Nope, not up yet. I am waiting til everyone is asleep tonight to put it up. I don't want ot be tripping over people, especially during hte lighting phase. I am absoultely obsessed with getting the lights perfect and I don't want to show everyone in the house how obsessive I am when I rip the same strand of lights off for the 5th time :rolleyes: