First Tree!

I've been thinking about getting a Christmas Tree for the last while. This is our first Christmas in our house together, and I've really wanted to start some tradition . Drew and I are each others family now, and tradition is important in family.

I have an environmental conscience and for that reason I've been debating between a real tree and a fake tree. I've heard good and bad reports of both. And they did nothing but confuse my decision.

False tree:
Good Reports: It saves another tree being cut down that helps to filter green house gases , costs less money in the long run, and you can use that money to help the environment
Bad Reports: It just eventually ends up in a landfill, mostly plastic, never decomposes,

Real Tree:
Good reports: When it is tossed out in tree collection, it is chipped up and can decompose, Less environmental waste. Hey they were probably grown on a tree farm anyway right? Fills the house with a Christmasy aroma.
Bad reports: It's supporting a farming industry with pesticides, there was lots of water wasted on the growing of the tree, and it's Fumes and residue can be harmful for the house. Often people are allergic.

Are you wondering what we decided to buy?

Well it was neither.

We opted for "Reduce, Reuse Recycle "

Thanks to Freecycle ( www.freecycle.org ) we were connected with someone who was throwing out their perfectly nice false tree. Probably because they bought one of those new fandangled pre-lit trees. We were able to save a curbside tree left for garbage and give it a new home. We diverted a false tree from a landfill, give it a new life, and didn't have to pay a cent to do it.( other than the cost of gas in the car to curbside tree-nap) This was a great way to save my conscience.

Now we have it all set up and lit. It's beautiful. We have maybe all of 6 decorations on it, and it doesn't have anything on the top yet. ( We have some fun Ideas though )

I'm thinking of having a Pre-Christmas Tree warming party , invite friends down , ask them to bring an ornament of some sort.To hang on our tree. I would love to include our friends in our Christmas traditions to come by hanging the ornaments they give us on our tree in Christmas's to come.

I would have to serve cider, and egg nog, hot chocolate and tea ( of course not to forget the baileys and rum). Bake up some cookies. How about some Pumpkin and Apple Pie?

Maybe feature the "Grinch Who Stole Christmas" ( Retro cartoon of course) And really try to set a mood to get everyone hyped up about Christmas.

I'm Already excited to have our First Tree.

My Christmas season, has officially started. ( Even if it is still a little early)