Free Greenery

I'm trying to come up with a fun, encouraging way to put this, but saying it plainly is the easiest: Buying a real Christmas tree is WAY BETTER than a fake one.  

For the past three years, John and I have gone to Lowe's (which is a little less romantic than going to a Christmas tree farm, but also a heck of a lot cheaper) and bought our tree.  It's great.  The smell, the feel, the look of a real Christmas tree is incredible.  Our old, fake Christmas tree has been banned from our house, because it was, well, old and fake.

Here's what happens: we pick one out, John takes it to the front, an employee cuts off a few of the bottom limbs, saws off a new edge, and wraps it in netting.  Here's what is great about it:

First, it's like Christmas cheer threw up all over us and we are skipping to the car, hand in hand singing at the top of our lungs.  Since John isn't a fan of Christmas carols, he sings his favorite: Shot Through the Heart by Bon Jovi.  No thank you-not at Christmas!  I respond with a very feisty rendition of Aretha Franklin's R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and once again, we find ourselves in a very public dance off.

Second, all those bottom branches they cut off, you know what happens to them?  They go in a free bin for the taking.  For free.  There is no sign that they are free, but when I asked if I could have some, the employee said, "Sure, take as much as you like!"
  

Here's how I found out about the free trimmings: the first year that we bought our tree, I saw a lady customer literally scrambling up and down the isles picking up every little stray branch.  My fight or flight instincts set in and I started grabbing some too.  I didn't know what I was going to do with them, but I wanted to get as much as I could.  True story.  (Not like the dance off story, that was made up.  But, well worth making up because I know that some of you are going to be picturing that for a while.  You're welcome.)

Fast forward to year 3 of real trees and here's what I've done.  I've put those trimmings in every room of the house.  Twine, scissors and burlap strips were all very helpful.  I love it.  

In my book, nothing says Merry Christmas like chopping down a little Mother Nature to create some forest like ambiance!