“When you open the box of Christmas tree lights to discover they are tangled and the decorations a little tired – smile, stop, breathe, try and enjoy the delight of Christmas… you’ll be amazed at the magic that happens when you get into the spirit.”
Deborah Bibby – Editorial-in-chief, Real Living Magazine
You are all going to have a field day with the fact that someone who writes about Keeping It Real and shares stories of the negative effects plastic is having on our environment, has a fake Christmas tree. One which takes pride of place in the lounge room each and every year!
Please, let me explain…
Several years ago, while pregnant with our Little Man, I dragged my ever patient Husband to the Boxing Day sales and bought the biggest, bushiest, real-looking-fake-tree available in anticipation for our first Family Christmas the following year. Every year, as close to 1 December as possible, this tree is lovingly reused and is the key feature which brings our lounge room to life with the Spirit Of Christmas.
My Sister-in-Law, however, orders a real Christmas tree and their lounge room is filled with that amazing fresh pine smell only nature can provide. Christmas at her house reminds me there is nothing quite like sitting around a real tree during the Festive Season, hence the inspiration for this post.
Where To Order A Real Christmas Tree
The Company she orders from is Christmas Trees Direct which service the areas of the Central Coast, Newcastle, Hunter Valley, Nelson Bay and Lemon Tree Passage. It is their tree which is the ‘feature photo’ for this post.
Each of the Christmas Trees Direct conifer trees are grown and shaped specifically for Christmas and as you can see, they are incredibly bushy. My Sister-in-Law purchased a stand from the local hardware store, puts down a mat to catch the falling leaves and then all the maintenance it requires is watering.
In my childhood experience, real trees cut from out the back of the family farm each year never quite develop to be as full as these ones – they really are quite something!
As for the environmental impact of cutting down trees, the Christmas Trees Direct website states:
Each of the trees that are cut from our carefully selected farms are replaced to reduce the impact on the environment. In addition to this the trees that we use are absorbing carbon dioxide laden air and are sending out healthy oxygenated air back into the environment.
Decorating Your Christmas Tree
So once you have your tree sorted, all that is left to do is decorate. Do your decorations take you for a trip down memory lane each year when you open the storage box?
Years ago while living overseas a tradition was born within our family. Any member who was away over the Christmas period would send home a decoration for the tree, as a gift which represented the country they were visiting. Like all new ideas, this one has evolved over the years and now, each time family or friends are away, they return home to Australia with a little something for our tree.
Along with the international theme there is a growing number of handmade decorations from our Little Man, annual decorations from their O’ma, as well as each year the kids personally choose something new which they excitedly place on the tree (and I try not to tell them to make sure it’s placed in a balanced position).
Slowly but surely our collection is growing and each year there is a reflective pause before the decorations are positioned on the tree. It really is lovely remembering the story behind each particular one and sharing the tales with any visitors who are interested in listening.
No, it isn’t a quick job putting up the tree at our house each year and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Real Versus Fake Christmas Tree Debate
So the debate continues, around which tree is the most environmentally friendly of the two. Discussions seem to move between these thoughts:
- Do you use the resources to grow, cut down, transport, collect and dispose of a real tree?
- Do you buy a fake, reusable and yes plastic tree, in a world which is suffocating in disposable plastics?
- Do you get creative a make one yourself?
At this point, since we have invested in our fake tree, it gets to stay. It is coming up to turning 12 years old and still looks as grand as the day we bought it.
During my sustainable living journey, I have learnt that the very best thing you can do for the good of our environment is to use what you have and make it last. So until our fake tree begins to fall apart it will continue to have the pride of place in our lounge room each Christmas.
As for my fix of that ever comforting smell of the real tree, I for one will look forward to visiting my Sister-in-laws home for our annual fix. I will also, quite possibly, once again, find myself lusting after the creative #DIY Christmas trees dominating Pinterest as well and continue to repeat “one day I will make one of those…”
Pin For Later
Keen to delve further into the Christmas Tree debate?
Here is a 2017 update with a related post from the team @ The Ethicalist as they take a look at the most ethical ways of getting a Christmas tree and put forward some interesting facts in the discussion of Fir, Faux or Forget? The Green Christmas Tree Dilemma.
So what is your preference when it comes to Christmas tress – real or fake? There are so many traditions in households around this time of year, love to hear any special annual rituals you and your family enjoy?
Now, if you’ll excuse me, it is time to get started on the finishing touches of our tree – and the Christmas tree box needs rescuing. Naturally, our Little Man is pushing it all around the house with his Little Sister in it now it is empty.
As regular readers already know Cardboard Boxes are a favourite ‘toy’ around here, however, this box needs to survive a few more years yet so our ‘reusable’, ginormous, completely over the top sized pine tree can be conveniently stored.
*** Help Needed ***
As promised CWMS will never recommend any Business, Product or Company which hasn’t been personally used, or at the very least recommended, by a reliable source (my Sister-in-Law is extremly reliable!). Since it is not physically possible to personally visit all the Christmas Tree Suppliers around the world I need your help to begin a directory.
If you have a particular reputable real Christmas Tree Company you are happy to recommend can you please let us know and yes, feel free to share this post if you know someone else who does – the more information we can gather and share the merrier!
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…:-)
XShea
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