Christmas tree, that is.

If real, do you prefer one kind over another?

Also, what goes on top of the tree?

I thought about getting a fake tree this year, but we've always had real ones and I want to keep up that tradition as long as we can. I prefer Scotch or White Pines and this year we found a beautiful White Pine, we just haven't put it up yet. I hope it looks as beautiful in the living room as it did on the lot! LOL

We put a star on top. That goes back to my childhood when we always had a star for the top of the tree and it was always the very first thing to go on. I've kept up that tradition, too.

By Colette on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 04:33 pm:

Real. I will never, ever, have a fake tree.

We have an angel that goes on top of our tree and that also goes back to my childhood. She's not up there yet because I have to trim a couple of the branches at the very top.

By Cat on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 04:34 pm:

Fake. No mess, no smell (I don't like the smell of pine in my house), no watering, and I get to reuse it every year! I grew up with fake, so that's probably part of it. It's what I'm used to.

We have a star on the top of ours. That's also what we had growing up. I have been thinking about getting a thorn crown, though. Especially since the top branch of our tree is starting to bend. I don't know how many more years it will support the star.

By My2cuties on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 04:37 pm:

Funny, we put a star on but it is the very last thing to go on, as tradition.

We have a fake tree, every year, but DH is buying me a new one this year (after Christmas, so we can save 50-75% on a tree for next year)

By Missmudd on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 04:41 pm:

Real with a star definately. I also have smaller 4 foot fake tree upstairs by the kids bedrooms w/ plastic ornaments on it. I have one real 9" tree up in the living room and I may actually buy another for the family room because I have so many ornaments that I can do two trees and I absolutely LOVE christmas trees done up. Yes I am a looney

By Trina~moderator on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 04:45 pm:

Artificial. DH is allergic to pine trees and I like the no mess option. I grew up with a fake tree so I'm fine with it. We currently have an angel on the top.

By Melanie on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 04:46 pm:

Real with a star for us.

By Rayanne on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 04:56 pm:

Fake here. I have never had a real tree.

By Kate on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 05:14 pm:

Fake all the way! I grew up with real trees and have unpleasant memories of FREEZING as I was dragged all over the Christmas tree farm looking for the 'right' tree. Then there was the nightmare of setting it up and having to always always always trim several inches (several times) off the bottom and set it up AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN until it was right. And fishing line looped over nails in the walls to keep the tree straight! Ugh! When I got married, we got a real tree for several years and I was AMAZED that one COULD put up a tree in five minutes with no problems. I especially enjoyed going to a tree lot with PRE CUT TREES. Anyway, we realized buying a live tree each year was a huge waste of our money so we invested in a nice artificial one which we take good care of and we're very happy with it. We can set it up whenever we want as it's always available, and it's clean with no stray bugs or spiders or other gifts of nature. Also, our hands don't get sticky sap all over them, nor do our ornaments. We put a big red velvet bow on the top of our tree.

By Brandy on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 05:21 pm:

Fake = ) and an angel on top = )

By Tink on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 05:28 pm:

I grew up with real but we have used a fake tree the last 4 years. I actually wanted a real one this year but it didn't happen. I miss the smell but I love love love the convenience of the fake. We have an angel on top and that's what we had growing up. I actually found a snowman topper and am hoping that I'll get it for Christmas this year. It always goes on last in our house.

By Jelygu on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 06:06 pm:

Fake... I've never had a real tree so I just stick with what I know

We put a star on the top of ours.

By Kaye on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 06:17 pm:

Fake with an angel

By Dawnk777 on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 06:27 pm:

Real, with an angel that my mom gave me a few years ago!

THe last 2 years, we had a fake one, but the base is supposed to rotate and it worked the first Christmas, but wouldn't work last year.

This year, balsam fir and my house was filled with pine smell! Yum!

By Breann on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 07:06 pm:

Always real This year is our tallest tree yet at 10 feet. We just moved into our new house in early fall and we have great vaulted ceilings. I wanted that particularly for the Christmas tree!

By Breann on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 07:07 pm:

I forgot to say that we have a large bow on top.

By Bellajoe on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 07:09 pm:

real tree with an angel on top.

We usually make it a tradition to go to the tree farm with my inlaws to pick out 2 trees that are "just right". I always look forward to it but always end up saying to my mil "just pick a tree and lets go home!" LOL she's a bit TOO picky with her trees.

This year it was snowy and my kids hadn't gotten boots yet, so we just picked one that was already cut.

We got a Frasier fir tree. Short, soft needles that don't fall off as easily.

By Vicki on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 07:35 pm:

Well, growing up I always had a fake tree. When we got married, dh and I started going out and cutting one down and I did like that. Then after we had dd, I didn't want the mess of the needles and stuff for her to get into, so we went back to fake. I don't think we will ever go back to real. I love putting it up early and I was always so nervous with a real tree... Oh, and we have a star on top. Dd has a fake tree in her room with a angel on top.

By Imamommyx4 on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 02:27 am:

Growing up we always had a real tree and always fought mom about it bc she wanted a fake one. So I grew up and have always had a real one. I loved going to the tree farm, hunting down the perfect tree, getting hot chocolate or hot spiced cider at the barn while they shake off the tree. It was one of our big traditions. Until this year. Last year we only had our tree up for 2 weeks and it bugged me. DH wouldn't let me have it up any longer. So I told him to go out the day after Christmas last year and get me a fake tree bc it was going up Thanksgiving Day. DD loves all the Christmas hoopla and I wanted it to last longer. The tree already had lights on it and then we plugged it in. We had laughs all around. The thing turns. He didn't know it when he bought it and dd loves it. She just stands there and watches for certain ornaments. It's a ball!!!!

By Imamommyx4 on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 02:28 am:

And we have a star on top to symolize the star that the shepherds followed to find the baby Jesus.

By Children03 on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 06:47 am:

Growing up we had the same artificial tree and it was a nice tradition to decorate the same tree each year. So when we got married I bought an artifical tree too. We have put it up for the last 6 years - oops - I have put it up for the last 6 years! Anyway, that darn thing is a "booger" to put together so this year, I bought a real tree and I love it! It took me 1/2 the time to get it and up and decorated. I got my real tree for $35.00 - not bad. My sister went to the same place a week later and the same guy that sold me mine charged her $65.00 so she was disappointed and she said "he must have thought I was cute or something." Yeah, Right!

I let the girls do most of the decorating. We put an angel on top of our tree.

By Feona on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 07:14 am:

I would like a fake tree. No mess. But we always get the real tree. Have to ask dh what he wants. I guess I can clean up the needles again.

By Colette on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 07:17 am:

Is anyone else with a real tree, not having a problem with needles falling off? We bought ours the other day from a local grower. We had some, but not tons, come off bringing it in the house but now it's fine and drinking tons of water.

By Sue3 on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 07:59 am:

we have a real tree.There are no problems with the needles falling off either .
I grew up with an fake tree.
I like the real much better.An added plus is that our goats get to feast on it when Christmas is over,they like it also.

By Fraggle on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 09:07 am:

I like real trees, but I prefer to cut my own-otherwise it lasts less than 2 weeks in our house(we heat the lower level of the house primarily with a woodstove). DH has threatened to go to a fake tree many times, but every year he still makes plans to get a real one. The only time the needles fall of our tree is when we bring it in the house and when I water it.

By Yjja123 on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 11:01 am:

Fake tree. We put ours up---gasp---the day after Halloween. It gets decorated with cranberry and popcorn garlands and apples and cinnamon scented pinecones. Very rustic and the house smells like cinnamon all through the holidays. It stays this way until Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving or the day after we add all of our Christmas ornaments. The tree gets taken done the day after Christmas.

By Eve on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 01:04 pm:

Real tree for us too. Colette, ours doesn't drop needles very often either. We like the Frasier Fir's; nice and soft to the touch. Besides I actually love for it to drop some needles. Then I get to vacuum them up and it leaves a great smell all over the house when I vacuum. We have an angel on top.