Have you put up an Xmas tree?

[Gardenarian]

I set up our Xmas tree last night - early, as I have to get everything done before surgery on Thursday.
Looks real pretty though!
And I have a big red velvet ribbon on the door, and mistletoe and ivy hanging.
That will be it for the decorations this year.

[Kestrel]

Not yet ... will this weekend. Our trees are always very simple in that we don't have fancy store-bought ornaments. Oh yeah, a few colored balls (old) and lights for color. But mostly natural things, like pine cones, etc. plus ornaments we and the kids made many years ago (they're both in their 40s now). Some are so hokey they're almost embarrassing, but it wouldn't be Christmas without them. Our trees can't compare to the absolutely beautiful trees some of our friends have, but that's OK with us. We're boring, I guess.

[razz]

Will put it up tomorrow after vacuuming the living room. It is a porch-size, prelit tree that works well and handles the decorations that have accumulated over the years.

[Float On]

I still need to go buy a tree which is always hard to do because I was raised on a Christmas tree farm and there are no local cut your own places within an hours drive.

[nswef]

I put up my little 3 ft. tall pre lit tree. I keep it in the attic and just need to put an angel on top. Probably no ornaments again this year...I hate to put them away. I put red bows on the porch rails and that's it for me and some candles.

[lmerullo]

The only decor I will have this year is the tree - no outdoor stuff, no lights on the house, no kitchy towel sets in the bathroom, no centerpieces or knick knacks. I wanted simple, and that's what I have....I have my Christmas tree up and decorated. It is an artificial one, so when I saw one of those scented room freshener things with spruce scent I had to have it... yummy!

[Selah]

Er...no! :)

[Blackdog Lin]

Got the stuff out of the attic yesterday evening, but that's as far as I've gotten. Maybe tomorrow.....

[Teacher Terry]

I always put up my decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving. When my kids were small I used to decorate the whole house-even the bathroom. Now that we are emptynesters I have a 4 ft tree and do a few other decorations. The rest I gave to the thrift store. Also after decades of using the same things I bought a few new items this year. I love the way it makes the house feel once it is done.

[fidgiegirl]

We also have a four foot tree. I like it because it isn't huge, but it's big enough to be pretty. We just clear off a site table and set it up. We resisted an offer from a family member for a bigger fake tree this year that they were trading out for a prelit tree (which, since my MiL left the lights on from last year, was essentially what this tree was that they were getting rid of . . . but whatevs). DH enjoys decorating more than I do but it's fun.

[catherine]

Put up the outside decorations.. actually DH got the TACKIEST blow-up snowman and elf last year. I grudgingly let him put them up. This year he went to get them out of the garage again, and I was like, Oh No!!

Our Chinese neighbors across the street saw him and brought over some of their old lawn decorations--an equally tacky lighted candy cane, Santa, and reindeer.
But just the fact that they gave them to us removed the tacky factor completely.

Now I love my little lighting display.

So, I've started decorating indoors, and will put up the tree this weekend. My DIL bought an ornament for Grandson-To-Be ALREADY with 2013 on it.. kind of strange, but she is naming the baby after DH and DS, so she wanted a special way to tell DH. So we'll make a special event out of hanging that ornament.

[Teacher Terry]

When my kids were little we had a big tree because they all loved to decorate. It was a very big deal to put the tree up & decorate the house. My youngest always wanted a small tree in his room-one that would sit on his dresser. We also always made some homemade cookies & candy (about the only baking I did all year). We would spend days at it & make a huge mess. We also would take the kids shopping individually so they learned the fun of buying gifts for others & not just be concerned with what Santa was bringing. That is such a fun time of life!

[ToomuchStuff]

Years back, our local football team, broke the Christmas tree at work, by demoing a play that didn't go so well during a game. (the one that broke it in half did offer to buy another). I didn't use the one I inherited and took it in to replace works. Can't believe how many people made fun of that five foot tree.
I always liked and wanted one of those old Aluminum tree's, that my grandmother had. My brother bought me a two foot one and I used it once, then got rid of it. Enough bad Christmas memories, I just don't get in the spirit and see decorating as a chore and expense.

[Spartana]

Put up the outside decorations.. actually DH got the TACKIEST blow-up snowman and elf last year. I grudgingly let him put them up. This year he went to get them out of the garage again, and I was like, Oh No!!

Our Chinese neighbors across the street saw him and brought over some of their old lawn decorations--an equally tacky lighted candy cane, Santa, and reindeer.
But just the fact that they gave them to us removed the tacky factor completely.
My across the street neighbor has a huge blow-up Santa driving a NASCAR car :-)! Totally tacky and I love it. He is one of those "Millionaire Next Door" guys. Got a $6 million settlement for lung cancer caused by asbestos yet still lives the same he always has in our working class 'hood (although his house IS the nicest one) driving his mid-sized sedan that's 5 years old. Of course he has a snazzy new red corvette in the garage and Santa in his blow up NASCAR!

I have the tree up but unlit and undecorated. Plan to do that this Friday I think. No outside decorations (and who can compete with NASCAR Santa anyways?) and not too many people in my Vietnamese 'hood put outside decorations up either. But I have a few christmasy knick knacks around the house. Sis and I will both be gone over Chtristmas anyways - she to Belize and me??? unknown as yet but probably skiing with friends and family in Tahoe.

[goldensmom]

Christmas tree 'assembled' and decorated as is the rest of the house. I decorate very slowly and simply over several days while my husband is at work. No outdoor decorations, we live so far back from the road no one would see it but I enjoy going in town and seeing all the pretty lights and decorations.....tacky to tasteful I like it all.

[CathyA]

Our artificial tree is up and lights on, but not decorated yet.
The tree has about 50 different branches to put on. It looks great, but I'm getting tired of all the work involved, so I think I might look for a table-top one next year. I've seen those artificial "half trees".......which look nice, but I don't have a blank wall to put it in front of. Wish I could store this tree assembled in a small closet near the living room, but there is no such room. Its always nice to have.....once you get through the work of "assembling" it. :)

[Florence]

I stopped putting up a tree years ago and gave the ornaments to my daughter who uses them on her tree. I decorate our mantle, the dining room and put electric candles in the windows. That's it. It takes about an hour to put it out and on New Years Day about an hour to put it back in the plastic bins and back in the closet.

[rodeosweetheart]

Have not bought tree yet but keep meaning to, and then it will sit in backyard until around the 21st, but not decorated til my son and daughter in law arrive on the 24th. He asked that we wait--very, very sweet--that used to be what we did with the kids after my divorce, invite their friends over the decorate the tree.

So will be nice.

I start putting up my IKEA candleholders (now if I can just find them) right about now, and put up my blue lights around the front window. Tree will go there. Realized years ago a tree in front of window was about all I could do towards external lighting.

Very tempted by a around the tree train this year, Chicago Northwestern, but tres bucks, so we shall see. Did buy one train car for it, a Vermont car in solidarity with my school years and my discovery that my ancestors came from Pownal and Bennington--spent years there and did not know they founded Pownal, lol

[Blackdog Lin]

The tree is up!.....and I'm finding I am continuing to simplify my life, in this case the holiday decorating.

Got rid of 2/3 of the holiday decorating "carp" (hee hee) several years ago, down to 2 totes and 2 boxes of C'mas stuff in the attic (well, it helps that we are empty nesters w/no grandkids - I know that makes a difference). Got everything down this week, got the tree put up (a skinny 4-ft. "Charlie Brown" tree that is perfect for us), decorated outside and inside the house as much as I felt was necessary.....and I have one tote and one box unopened! I will keep them on hand in the garage through C'mas, but if I don't find a need to dig for something else "Christmassy", well, out that stuff shall go.

It feels good to let go of more stuff.....

[JillyF90]

Got my tree up as well! I love the smell of it throughout the house. We are going to hopefully be getting lights up this weekend! I will be sure to post a picture when I get them up!

[Float On]

Progress. There is a tree on my front porch. Hopefully it will make it inside tomorrow.

[artist]

Ours is up. We have a simple 30 inch table top tree that we put up each year. It's pre-lit with white lights and a wooden base (looks like a trees stump). The tree is decorated simply with red and silver bells and small white signs that have words that represent our faith (hope, joy, grace, peace, love etc...) with a related scripture indicated in the right hand corner of each sign. The "Jesus" sign is placed near the top of the tree.