[mumofone]

When DH and I were first married, we rented an apartment, and we were not allowed a real tree for fire safety reasons. I swore that when we bought our first home, we would always have a real tree.

We bought our first home, and for the past 16 years we have had a real tree. But, now I am seriously considering an artificial for purely selfish reasons. lol

With 4 children, and the youngest being only 18 months and into everything, I am thinking the artificial might be easier with less mess.

So what do you all think?

[binkybear]

Growing up we always had an atrifcial tree. Our first year in our house we did "real" and without hesitation I bought our first artificial before the season ended!!
Dogs and cats and live trees just don't mix well in my home (lol). Cats go in the tree, dogs try to drink the water (no matter how many cute things you do to hide it, cover it, contain it...they WILL get THAT water. Even if their water dish is right next to the darn tree...they want THAT special tree water

Even with all the watering (for the tree and the dogs) the needles dropped off like crazy. I swear I was finding needles weeks after the tree landed at the curb. I love me an artificial tree from good old Martha and Kmart. I do the tree and seperate lights rather than prelit..that way I can change the colors if I want to.

[SamIAm2]

Amen to Martha, her artificial (pre-lit) trees, and Kmart

[melissa_bear003]

Artificial here. Real trees are danged expensive, and can get an artificial for the same price around here.

Plus, my dh has a Charlie Brown attitude about real trees. Having to anchor a tree to the ceiling with twine so it wouldn't fall over from the weight of tinsel ensured that he would never again be permitted to bring a real tree home

[fisbaby]

Real tree, wouldn't have it any other way! It was always our family tradition to go out and pick out a tree at the Christmas tree farm, drink hot chocolate, etc. So... now it's going to be our family tradition! I've been going with my mom the last few years but I told DH this year he gets to start going along, like it or not!

[devildogwife]

Always artificial. Cameron has way too many respiratory issues for a real one.

[sheababy]

I always had an artificial tree due to allergies. One year, I got a real one-What a Mess! I have an 18 month old as well and I am already dreading trying to keep her out of the ornaments, I would hate to worry about her poking herself in the eye with dried needles. Of course there is always the fire danger.

Artificial trees look so good now and are easy to put together-we love ours. Even though it is artificial, it does not keep our cat from climbing it

[aclee]

We do real. We cut a fresh variety at a local farm that is very soft and airy looking and when you break the needles, they smell like citrus. The farm isn't planting any more, and then ones left are getting VERY bushy, so every year the tree takes over a little more of the living room. We're thinking about paying ahead for some of the ones he has left because we're afraid he's going to run out.

We had 15 foot Christmas trees as kids, and used step ladders. We picked it out and cut it down and hauled it and all that. I want that for Ty too. Every year my brother in laws father and step father say we can go to their tree lots and cut down whatever we want, but I'm so hooked on the citrus trees. Maybe we'll do with my sister and her family this year so he can be with his cousins...

I'm afraid if I didn't have a real tree I would never find the motivation tp take it down. The only reason I get the real one down is to make the last town pick up day. I think it would rapidly become a valentine's day tree, an easter tree, a 4th of July tree etc...

The dogs do drink the water, and it's SO annoying while you are trying to watch TV and the three of them have belly crawled under the tree and are slurping away. We'll have something around the the tree this year so Ty can't get it and I imagine that will keep them out too though.

[HappyHopefulMommy]

I was such a real tree person. We had a real tree for the first 10 years of our marriage. Then 2 years ago bought an articifial one because my sister had one and it was so pretty and easy. Now I LOVE our artificial one.

[Saya]

Real tree, definitely. I'm definitely a purist when it comes to X-mas trees!

[loveajax]

real for me too....i love the smell and I love decorating! we have a huge fir (?) in our front yard and I promised dd we would decorate that as well this year!

[MamaS]

Artificial definitely. Saves the life of a tree and doesn't pose a risk to guests and family members with allergies and asthma.
Plus, less chance of a fire from hot lights and dry branches. And remember those urban legends about real Christmas trees that come with squirrels, snakes, and lots of baby spiders hatching? Why take a chance?

[maricela]

We had a real tree for the last 15 years but 2 years ago bought a real nice artificial tree and I LOVE it!! I have the tree smell too because I buy real garland or wreaths. I love that there is no mess and it stays nice all season & we don't have to worry as much about the tree drying up!! In fact, I have two artificial trees. One for my living room; that's my tree and one in my den which is the kid tree.

[EZ2Luv]

Christmas tree, my brother says I am obsessed with them lol

I love real trees and we had both types at one time or another while growing up. I remember my Sweet Momma buying a silver tree with the rotating light and as children we really did not like it so after that it was an artificial green tree then a real one. In 1987 when I moved out on my own I got a gorgeous artifical green tree in Kmart so I went out and bought Momma the same tree. Even though my dad don't put a big tree up anymore he still has that one.

When I got married the cat knocked my tree over and cracked the stand, so I went to Kmart and bout a new artifical tree that was ALOT bigger I realized when I got home and put it together(It didn't look that huge in the store lol)

Since I have been looing my Sweet Momma one braincell at a time I get so sad and nostalgic reflecting on our happy homelife. I ended up getting a vintage silver artifical tree complete with revolving stand and light. It is so beautiful that my Dad teared up when he saw it saying how Momma would have love this tree.

This year that almost 9 foot tree is being donated to the nursing home where my Momma is at. It is just the right size for the main lobby.


EZ

[One_Happy_Momma]

I love the real ones, but I have an artificial one in the garage, and I'm gonna put if up for the girls to decorate.

I'll only put the lights on, then let them hang whatever they want from it......I can already see them hanging their toys from it.