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Oh Christmas Tree | Pad Patter 12.3.15.

Awesome tree Jen! Cheryl your tree is gorgeous. I am guessing all of the books are a 12 days of Christmas thing?? So fun!!

We haven't had a real tree in years. I kind of miss the hunt for the tree rituals that we used to have growing up. The kids have their own trees that will be decorated this weekend. I am still debating as to whether I am putting up the big tree, or opt for a smaller version. It's not that I'm all humbug or anything... it's just a crazy holiday season for us and I am already feeling the pressure of being late with the tree. Generally December 1st kicks off our holiday bonanza, with the elves arriving from the North Pole, advent calendars, and tree decorating all in one day. Not starting on the 1st has really thrown me for a loop.
 
I just cannot imagine having an artificial tree. My whole life we've had a real tree even if it came pre-cut from a lot. But I think since I've been an "adult" on my own, there was only one year that we didn't go and cut one. But we live in an area that is right against rural/farmland and it is a way to support the locals. The only disadvantage is the mess and the bugs, but there is nothing quite like having a fresh tree in the house :giggle

We always have to wait until one of my daughter's days off, so we're going to be getting it this Sunday, which I think is the latest we've ever gotten one. We almost always have some minor disagreement at the tree farm, but never anything too crazy. Tim always gets annoyed trying to get it into the stand, while Jessica and I roll our eyes. She and I put on the lights and then we decorate.

When I lived with my ex-boyfriend, he'd require this whole elaborate planning of theme/color and change it every year (even when we were flat broke). He wanted the decor look and didn't want any funky/kid-related ornaments on it. It always seemed so boring and forced. LOL. Our tree is always a hodgepodge of whatever we're into at the time, so it is always chaotic and crazy (lots of Hello Kitty, deer, Fisher Price, and other randoms). We always have the white lights with garland that are aqua, pink and lime green. I buy everyone a new ornament every year, so when Jessica/Kennedy leave, they'll have their own to take along.

I always try to start the romantic/snuggling by the tree tradition, but Tim never goes along with it, so it has yet to happen. :giggle
 
I just cannot imagine having an artificial tree. My whole life we've had a real tree even if it came pre-cut from a lot. But I think since I've been an "adult" on my own, there was only one year that we didn't go and cut one. But we live in an area that is right against rural/farmland and it is a way to support the locals. The only disadvantage is the mess and the bugs, but there is nothing quite like having a fresh tree in the house :giggle

We always have to wait until one of my daughter's days off, so we're going to be getting it this Sunday, which I think is the latest we've ever gotten one. We almost always have some minor disagreement at the tree farm, but never anything too crazy. Tim always gets annoyed trying to get it into the stand, while Jessica and I roll our eyes. She and I put on the lights and then we decorate.

When I lived with my ex-boyfriend, he'd require this whole elaborate planning of theme/color and change it every year (even when we were flat broke). He wanted the decor look and didn't want any funky/kid-related ornaments on it. It always seemed so boring and forced. LOL. Our tree is always a hodgepodge of whatever we're into at the time, so it is always chaotic and crazy (lots of Hello Kitty, deer, Fisher Price, and other randoms). We always have the white lights with garland that are aqua, pink and lime green. I buy everyone a new ornament every year, so when Jessica/Kennedy leave, they'll have their own to take along.

I always try to start the romantic/snuggling by the tree tradition, but Tim never goes along with it, so it has yet to happen. :giggle
 
We haven't got ours up yet. I'm hoping that we can at least get the tree up on Sunday and then I'll decorate it during the week when I need to take a break from work. We have a 7 ft artificial tree and I know it isn't the same as a real one (with the lovely scent throughout the house), but it is clean and doesn't drop needles and cleanup is a breeze in comparison. So I guess it is more convenient than a real one, at least for us. We buy a new decoration every year, so I'll need to find something that will work for 2015. Since I hate shopping, that might be difficult!
 
they are up...one decorated, the kids are doing the other ones decorations tomorrow!! woo hoo
 
I have two "fake" trees. lol. I've had the same ones for 10 years! I've changed out the decorations a few times, but I've had my current set up for a few years now and the kids and I love them! We usually decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving, but we did two days before Thanksgiving this year. My dad was here and we wanted to celebrate Christmas with him and let him give the kids their gifts from him. And I have no idea why the pic is so small on here...

DSC_2982.jpghttps://the-lilypad.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
 
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Ours is not up yet. Hopefully one day next week. We usually do a real tree and I always want to go to the tree farm and drink hot chocolate and pick out the perfect tree and have perfect memories and pictures...... but my kids just want to go up to the local grocery store and pick one up. I would probably fight them more on it but with 5 of them the grocery store is probably a safer and far less stressful way to go. We did the whole farm thing last year for our Christmas card picture and it had been rainy and one of them fell in the mud, we froze to death, and then it took forever to agree on a tree.

I have seen some of the potted real trees that you plant after Christmas at our local nursery and I thought about going that route this year. I love the idea of being able to plant the tree in our yard after Christmas is over. Of course, that would certainly require me to water the thing while we have it in the house. Ours is usually so dead by Christmas that the ornaments are falling off.
 
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MrsPeel said:
Cheryl!!!!!!! I'm in LOVE!!!!
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Thank you!

jenevang said:
OH, please tell us about the BOOKS under the tree!
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Trista said:
Awesome tree Jen! Cheryl your tree is gorgeous. I am guessing all of the books are a 12 days of Christmas thing?? So fun!!
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It's all our Christmas books. I just put them under there until we start putting Christmas presents so it doesn't look so bare. There are a few books that belonged to me as a child that I still enjoy ~ Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree and Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas are at the top of the list. It's nice having them out to look at again and again.
 
We don't have ours up yet. We're having a hard time all being home at the same time long enough to get it done. lol. Hopefully this weekend we can get it accomplished.
 
Cheryl, scrap that story! Love that idea. If my dog wouldn't chew up things on the floor, I would totally do this!!!

Last year was our first tree, actually. In 2011, I was pregnant, and remember being so irritated that we had no room for a tree in our apartment, I hung a garland on the wall in a sort of zigzag - tree branch ish sort of way. And hung ornaments on it. :giggle

I would love a real tree, and more than one. But, husband says not now. We have a $40 6 ft prelit artificial. It went up Nov 30th both last year and this year, by coincidence. But it would typically be after thanksgiving. The kids decorated our tree this year, with minimal help... just picking them up for the top. I decided not to stress and rearrange. The ball ornaments are shatterproof, the handmade ones they put up I have a few extra of, so no real loss if something happens, and the "good ones" (the ones I can't as easily replace) are higher up the tree, because we had the kids do those ones last. Less likely to get knocked or anything.

Also, we made paper trees last year for them to decorate with stickers, and apparently kept them. Haha. I put them right back on the wall this year, added push pins, and then let them decorate more trees. Lol! I have a handful of toddler Christmas activities for them to do, and many mean we will have more ornaments to hang, so they may as well put them on their own paper trees!
 
We finally went and got ours on Saturday morning and then decorated it last night after my son's band concert. It's a little on the skinny/short side, but once it was decorated it's pretty. :)
 
klee73010 said:
Cheryl, scrap that story! Love that idea. If my dog wouldn't chew up things on the floor, I would totally do this!!!

Last year was our first tree, actually. In 2011, I was pregnant, and remember being so irritated that we had no room for a tree in our apartment, I hung a garland on the wall in a sort of zigzag - tree branch ish sort of way. And hung ornaments on it. :giggle

I would love a real tree, and more than one. But, husband says not now. We have a $40 6 ft prelit artificial. It went up Nov 30th both last year and this year, by coincidence. But it would typically be after thanksgiving. The kids decorated our tree this year, with minimal help... just picking them up for the top. I decided not to stress and rearrange. The ball ornaments are shatterproof, the handmade ones they put up I have a few extra of, so no real loss if something happens, and the "good ones" (the ones I can't as easily replace) are higher up the tree, because we had the kids do those ones last. Less likely to get knocked or anything.

Also, we made paper trees last year for them to decorate with stickers, and apparently kept them. Haha. I put them right back on the wall this year, added push pins, and then let them decorate more trees. Lol! I have a handful of toddler Christmas activities for them to do, and many mean we will have more ornaments to hang, so they may as well put them on their own paper trees!
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Yes, I'm eyeing the books to take photos to scrap about it for my December book this year. LOL

And I love how you keep the children engaged. The paper trees are a great idea! And don't worry about a real tree . . . I grew up with artificial and honestly, it's so much less upkeep and inexpensive for the most part, except the initial investment in one.
 
Our tree is up. Normally we put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving but it didn't get done until this past weekend. We had bought real trees the last several years. My favorite part of decorating the tree is the photo ornaments I do of our family each year. I used to by the Hallmark ones but the last two years I have gotten them from Tiny Prints. Playing with my new camera taking lots of bokah and starlight photos of my tree this year :).

 
I am planning on coming by this thread often for holiday spirit inspiration, you all have such pretty trees ... and sweet stories. I just got my tree up a couple of days ago but it is a 10ft prelit. The lights didnt work anymore despite hubbys best efforts, so he pulled them off. My sweet daughter came over today and helped me put on lights partially as we ran out with 800, 80 ft but only a 1/4 of the way up. Hahahaha! Day 2 tomorrow, and I will be back with a photo. Wish us luck.
 
this is our main tree

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and this is the children tree, they decorated it themselves
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