Oh Christmas Tree
This Saturday we took a drive out to the country to find a place that sold Christmas trees.
Since we were going out that way we decided to stop off at Conowingo Dam (think Hoover but on a much less majestic scale) to see the bald eagles that flock there this time of year.
When we got to the dam we realized that we were totally unprepared. Everyone else there must have been serious bird watchers because they were all decked in their camouflage suits and carried gigantic telescopic lenses.
Meanwhile, we were dressed in normal non-camouflage attire and all we had was a cheap pair of mini-binoculars that the bank gives you for opening up a new checking account.
Even though we were unprepared, we could still see the eagles. They were everywhere!
Here is the picture that I took with my trusty crappy Kodak Easy Share camera:
There had to have been at least 50 of them flying all around. It was pretty amazing to see so many of them in one place
After about fifteen minutes of freezing our butts off, we decided to leave to go to the Christmas tree farm to find our tree.
We were originally thinking that we might cut one down but we’ve been there, done that before and it really isn’t as fun as I had thought it would be. It’s actually kind of depressing, really.
To me, cutting down the tree is almost like going to a farm to pick out the turkey for Thanksgiving and it is up to you to have to snap its neck. Not to sound like a tree-hugging hippy, but I’d much rather just let someone else do the killing part.
Thankfully, the farm we went to had the trees already cut down and ready to buy.
I have to say that I couldn’t help but feel a little “Christmas Magic” at this place. As soon as we parked and got out of the car it started to snow. I don’t know about you but there is nothing better than picking out a tree in the snow. It was just a few flurries, but it still added to the experience.
It was such a quaint place. They had a guy dressed up as Santa helping to tie the trees to people’s cars and cute yellow Labs trotting around the property with bells and antlers (we later found out they were called the “reindogs”).
It was such a festive atmosphere that I was actually starting to really rethink my Christmas grumpiness.
Just when I thought my heart was about to explode from all the Christmas joy, I was brought back to reality when I looked at the price tags of the trees.
$75
$150
$275 (I’m not kidding. Who pays that much for a Christmas tree?!!)
I gave my husband “the look”. The look that meant we needed to leave and we needed to leave right now because there was no way in hell that I was spending that much for a damn Christmas tree.
Before we could make our escape, Santa came up to us and started “Ho, ho, ho-ing” and asking us in his jolliest voice if he could help us find our tree. I didn’t want to let Santa and his rein-dogs down but I also knew that we just couldn’t spend that much.
We told him that we were afraid that the trees were a bit over our price range, so he showed us a few that were not as expensive. Unfortunately they looked almost like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
I was about to give up hope when we found one that wasn’t marked and I think Santa cut us a bit of a deal on it. It was still waaayyyy more than I had planned on spending but it was better than some of the other outrageous tree prices.
In the end, it was a good compromise. I felt like I was supporting a local business that was trying to go out of their way to make it such a nice experience.
After posing for a picture with us, Santa told us told us to go inside the little barn and get some homemade cidar and cookies. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
We got it decorated today and I’ll post some pictures of it in all its over-priced glory later this week.
I must say that I am really starting to seriously consider investing in a fake (pre-lit) tree.
So, what kind of tree do you have? Real or fake? If real, do you cut it down? And just out of curiousity, which one do you think is better for the environment?
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20 Responses to “Oh Christmas Tree”
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I have a very very small space so I have a three foot fake tree. But it makes me happy.
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lol! Too funny!! I love it! Glad you got a reasonably priced one after-all. We always go the real route, but I honestly couldn’t tell you how much they cost!
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We’ve had all sorts of trees: cut fresh from the forest with a permit (to lump in a trip to the snow at the same time), cut fresh from a tree farm (we are surrounded by them), bought from the boy scouts in the grocery store parking lot, and artificial.
Just last year, we went for the gusto and spent quite a large sum of money (according to MY budget) on a really nice pre-lit artificial tree. I was tired of forgetting to water a tree – and cleaning up the mess – and dealing with allergies and pitch on the floor and – well, the ARGUING over which tree on the lot was best, and whether the dang thing was straight or not in the tree stand. Forget it! Let me tell you, having an artificial tree (a really NICE one – that LOOKS real) is the best thing for MY environment!!
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I’d love to have a real tree, but they’re too expensive! We’ve had our artificial one for 8 years now, and we bought it half-price after Christmas one year anyway, so I think we’ve got our money’s worth!
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Wow! Those prices are horrendous! It about killed me to pay $20 for the artificial 6 footer I bought this weekend, but I like it.
I saw in Walgreens ad this week, they have a Charlie Brown Christmas tree…too funny
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I may sound scroogey but I just can’t imagine paying out the wazoo for a dead tree or soon to be dead tree. I also feel so guilty about the whole cutting down the tree thing. I’m not a tree hugger either.
I don’t think my boys could care less about whether the tree is real or not or anyone else that sees the tree for that matter. I could see the Hallmark tradition of cutting down a tree and getting it trimmed and put in the stand..which we’ve done before but it always never fails that I end up doing all the “work”,
I like my $40 tree that I’ve had for 4 years now. In my opinion it really shouldn’t be about the “tree”.
Man I didn’t mean to get on a soap box.
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A lovely fake tree that I think we spent $200 on 10 years ago and it still looks great. Wanna see? Visit my blog today.
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We just did our tree last night – it’s on the blahg.
Artificial pre-lit for us, what with the kids, the pets, the vacuuming, omg. And I think it’s better for the environment.
Now I’m hungry and I want some homemade cider and cookies.
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We have a teeny tiny fake tree, pre-lit with fiber optic lights and a star permanently attatched – I don’t love it but I do love not stringing lights and that it’s light enough to easily put up myself. And you know it fits in my tiny apartment.
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What a cute picture Jen – I love it! You guys are adorable
Last year we cut our own tree down. It was over-rated. This year we went to a local tree farm and bought one pre-cut. For THIRTY bucks. Maybe you might want to consider moving to Ottawa, the home of cheaper trees
??? We are pretty traditional so I really do love to go out and get our tree as a family, bring it home on the roof of the car, decorate it together, blah, blah, blah.
Can’t wait to see the pics of your tree all decorated!
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Sounds like a great day, albeit a tad more expensive than what you’d intended. I don’t know if we have places like that around here as we are the “fake” tree type. Maybe in a few years I’ll go for a fresh tree, but right now, it would trip my last nerve to have to deal with pine needles! *lol*
Looking forward to pics of your tree, all decked out!
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Oh, we go artificial all the way… Two reasons, really. First it means you can put it up at Thanksgiving and not worry it’ll die in two weeks, and second it’s reliable. I inherited a pre-lit from my parents last year and it’s the best. It’s easy enough to put up that I can actually spend time on decorating with garland and stuff. Usually by the time I’m done stringing the lights I just want to quit.
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We go to Lowe’s every year and get out $30 tree and make a family night out of it. But you know, because you read my blog!!!!
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We bought a fake pre lit one this year for $75 regularily $120 . I have to say I really like it! I was sorta against the whole fake tree thing but I really hate watering them and we had a craptastic tree stand and I was feeling all eco friendly and felt bad about cutting a tree down (much like how you felt) My husband was all for the fake tree…he is as lazy as I am when it comes to things. It looks really nice and not fake…i got some christmas scented oils that I burn and cinnamon scented pinecones so the house smells are Christmasy…which is another reason I wasn’t sure about a fake tree..no pine yummy smell.
I really don’t know why I always feel the need to write novels on your blog. haha
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I have a fake one and I love it! My kids go with their aunts to go cut one down every year so I feel like they get the best of both worlds!
I can’t wait to see pics of your pricey tree!
I bought a wreath the other day at a road side stand and it was THIRTY BUCKS!
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I’m still trying to get past $275. For a Christmas tree?!?!? Did it come lit and decorated? It does sound like he had a nice setup though. And the reindogs are pretty darn cute. So, if you had to pay a little more for atmosphere, I guess you could just say you were investing in Christmas memories.
We put up an artificial tree. It actually is one of the more realistic looking artificial trees that I’ve seen, but it tears my hands up each year when I have to “fluff” the branches out. My palms and fingers are sore for about a week after putting it up.
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We got a new fake/pre lit tree last year and I love it. It’s so easy. I do miss having a real tree sometimes (like when I was kid) but I just buy a real everygreen wreath or swag and hang it in my living room so I still have the smell. YUM!
Glad you got a tree you like!
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[...] the infamous over-priced Christmas tree (looking a bit droopy because I may have forgotten to water [...]
Its a great post and useful also because today everybody want to buy shopping goods online.:)
Thanks for such an helpful post.
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After the tree that sapped and dropped millions of tiny spiders all over our gifts, we switched to a fake tree and love it. We can put it up as early as we like, take it down as late as we like and each year the cost to us is 0…the best part. You can get a really good deal now after the holidays….good luck.
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