Real or fake?

[liamsaunt]

Thanks!

We had a lot of fun, but I feel like I need a vacation to recuperate from the trip! Time to start planning another St. John visit...

[martini girl]

Fake for us. We used to have a real tree, but one year, right after New Year's we had one, if not two, praying mantis nests hatch in our living room. OMG. There were a kajillion praying mantis babies all over our living room. My head itched for days after that. That was the end of the real tree.

[LMG]

Thanks!

We had a lot of fun, but I feel like I need a vacation to recuperate from the trip! Time to start planning another St. John visit...

This was WDW, right? Do we get a trip report?

Welcome back!

[mbw1024]

here's our tree

[flip-flop]

And ours...

[cptnkirk]

Fake here. Have been putting the same tree up for 25 years. Grandad gave it to us when the wife and I first got together still looks great. She wants to get rid of it and get a prelit tree. The kids and I have held her off for the last five years. I tell her it's a family hierloom we can't get rid of it. Probably give it to my son when he moves out so I don't have to go threw the new tree discussion every year.I don't think I can hold her off much longer she always gets what she wants in the end.

[jmq]

What happens on those pre-lit trees when the lights start failing?
If those lights are anything like your common strings of lights, that would not be a lot of longevity for the $.
Seems like every year I am replacing strings of lights. This year I had like 3-4 sets where half the lights on a string were out.

[flip-flop]

No answer for you JMQ on the pre-lit trees but I have a solution to the strands of dead lights. After Christmas I hit CVS and get 4 or 5 new packs of lights. They are usually at least 50% off.

This year we kept the old lights just in case we needed them but started with the new lights on the tree. The hassle and headache saved was worth every penny. My husband is pretty thrifty and even he said that it was a GREAT idea.

Love the real tree...HATE putting on the lights!

[Jerseyboy]

Seems like every year I am replacing strings of lights. This year I had like 3-4 sets where half the lights on a string were out.

How about getting LED lights (last forever) or the new Philips lights that stay lit even if one bulb is missing or broken. Got these at Target for around $10 (strand of 100?). I got fed up with finding and replacing the bad bulb(s).

[liamsaunt]

Very pretty trees, flip flop and Mary Beth! I'm still decorating mine but will post a picture of it when I finally get all the ornaments on.

[California Girl]

We got the LED lights this year and think they're great! I especially like the fact that they don't get hot... particularly since we got a real tree this year. And they seem so much brighter!

[California Girl]

Here's my little 3 foot tree in the window seat with it's LED lights

[liamsaunt]

We finally dragged all the ornaments out last night and got them on the tree. The boxes are still all over the room, but at least the tree is decorated. The holidays are coming too fast this year! I have not even started shopping! Anyway, here is a picture:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/2107935947/" title="tree2 by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2413/210 ... e9ce09.jpg" width="344" height="500" alt="tree2"></a>

[mbw1024]

it looks nice! I love your shutters

[designbyroe]

I always loved 'real trees' and the smell of pine.
When I moved on island, harder to get so got a native tree....forget the name.
I will say y'all have the most beautifully decorated 'fake trees'. I would not even know they were not real........