I've been Team Real Tree for a long time now. When we lived in Arizona and Texas, I thought I was allergic to the trees, because I'd get sick every year when we brought the tree in. But when we moved back to the northwest, where all those Arizona and Texas trees came from, I had no problems. I chalk it up to preservatives sprayed on the trees so they'd last for that long journey.
Heading out to the tree farm is one of my favorite holiday time traditions. It can be fun to scout out the perfect tree, that either has a flatish side when we put it against the wall, or looks good all around when we put it in front of the window. (This year is a wall year, and I'm not ashamed to admit that one of my reasons for doing so was to avoid blocking out my main source of indoor natural light.)
But this year, I began to see the appeal of the fake tree. It took us a really long time to find a tree we liked. We wanted a noble fir with strong branches, not too sparse, flat side ok. We hiked all over that tree farm in see-your-breath cold weather. We finally found one, Hubs cut it down, and then spent thirty minutes tying it to the car. When we got home, we realized we could have brought the trailer and just nestled the tree in it. Sigh.
Then came all the wrestling with light strands. I plopped down and said, “Wouldn't a full, pre-lit fake tree with strong branches all around be fabulous right about now?”
But you know, I still love the real tree. No two are alike. It has personality, character. Charm. I think I'll stick to Team Real Tree for another few years, at least.
What about you? Are you Team Real Tree or Team Tree in a Box?
