When does your TREE go up?

[MissBinky]

Well, I absolutely love Christmas and I was going through withdrawals since last year's was absolutely horrible. I hadn't a single decoration in the house :?That was pathetic So, needless to say,I was absolutely dying to get my stuff up this year, much to Mario's chagrin. On November 25th, we got our first snow. Oh it didn't matter to me that we got just an inch - if even that. What mattered was the fact that it stayed and it was the 25th. Ha! That's it! The stuff was coming out. Mario and his mother just stared at me while I dragged out box after box. I remember saying "Try and stop me."

Anyway, I started by decorating the window. Then Igot the tree assembledand my mother-in-law even helped. I put the lights in the tree quickly because my back simply couldn't take anymore and that was that until yesterday when I finally got to finish the tree and the village and some other decorations. I still have a few things lying about but most of it is done. :biggrin2:

Pics coming soon...

 

[FallingStar]

We just put ours up last night!

 

[kherrmann3]

We wound up putting our Christmas tree up on Nov. 30th because it was the weekend and Will works during the week. We also put up some decorations:

Christmas Tree:
Regular lights, fake poinsettias and winky-blinky obnoxious lights. Oh, and ornaments, of course!

Wreaths:
One fake poinsettia one that goes around a gigantic vanilla candle, and a fake pine one with lights and more fake poinsettias.

Poinsettias:
This year, I made a fake arrangement of them for safety reasons. Now, I don't have to buy the stupid things every year and worry about Toby eating it!

Window Clings:
I love these things! You know, those little gel ones? I'm addicted to them! We have like four packs of snowflakes, two of poinsettias, and Will got a stupid-looking reindeer one *eye roll*

Lights:
We have yet to put up our icicle lights on our patio. They might wind up being put-up inside because we can't figure out how to get electricity out on the patio without leaving the doors open...

Hanukkah:
I have a menorah! Being that I don't really have a religious affiliation, I celebrate both holidays It's hard to find Hanukkah decorations

That's all that we have so far. Oh! Stockings, we have two stockings up for St. Nick's day (get goodies in your stockings). I think it's tomorrow night

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Our tree goes up as soon as I find a place for it and hubby goes to get it!

:huh Seems we've added to our clutter a bit too much! I need a room to store stuff so I can fit the tree in the familyroom LOL!

 

[mouse_chalk]

Our tree is FINALLY UP!!!!! :biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2:


It's a little wonky lol.... But I guess that's what you get for having a real tree!

The lights are blinking lights.... We're thinking that we might get a set of regular ones as well to be on whilst the other ones blink....

YAY!!!

I'll take pictures when I've recovered from that palava lol....

I've managed to plug the lights in behind Mouse and Chalk's cage, yet completely block it off from their reach. And the tree is on a little table and the wire held up high so that they can't reach it

NOW, it's properly Christmas

 

[MissBinky]

I got some pics... Sorry about the lighting though :?

This is Mario's miniature tree. I got it from the dollar store and got some stuff to redecorate it. Lol. I think it turned out cute. I got the train for 5$ on special at the pharmacy one year. I found it too cute!:biggrin2:

Here are some pics of the village:

left corner:

middle:

right corner (lmao - the blue is supposed to represent water OKAY?! ):

a view from slightly further:

the wreath that hangs over the village:

The tree... It's hard to see the lights because of the lighting and the cats have been playing with the tree skirt so it has been more of a magic carpet than anything else really but this is what it looks like:

The window:

The stockings (some are missing):

And my favorite ornament:

I'm sad to say that I have officially turned Houdina into the Christmas grinch... Houdina loves to sit in the window but now she cannot because of the lights. She tries to go but it's quite hilarious to watch her tiptoe around the lights. Then, to make matters worse, her favorite spot to snooze is on top of the TV, right where I put the village... Poor girl. You should see her trying to tiptoe about the village people. She's sooooooooooooooooooooo careful about not touching them but the snow sticks to her paws and then she hears me coming and she panics so she runs off, pulling everything with her. LOL. I can't even get mad at her, poor girl can't get a break :?It's only for a few weeks... Baloo on the other hand will lie on his back and play with the balls on the tree or ninja kick the tree, etc. Luckily I had enough plastic ornaments for the bottom lol. Annabel just wants to break stuff, but that's just her way of having fun. Lol

 

[mouse_chalk]

Sophie, your decorations are great! I love the village...... something like that wouldn't last 5 minutes in our house lol!! And the tree is great



We have SNOW under our tree! :biggrin2:

Pic with the lights off....

I want something else for the walls etc, but I don't like tinsel.... have to think of something!

 

[kherrmann3]

Jen, if you don't like tinsel for the walls, get a "pine" garland! They make those fake plastic ones and you can put lights and junk in them. My parents did that all the time (mostly to line shelves).

I shall have to get some pictures of our schtuff

 

[Sabine]

What a fabulous tree, Jen, haven't seen the likes of it here or maybe we usually get ours too late and end up with straggly ones

 

[mouse_chalk]

Sabine wrote:

What a fabulous tree, Jen, haven't seen the likes of it here or maybe we usually get ours too late and end up with straggly ones

Aww, thanks! It's a bit lopsided lol... I had to twist it round lots to make it look less wonky!

We have to have a real tree..... It doesn't feel like Christmas to me unless you can smell a Christmas tree in your living room! This is also the first year we've gone with gold in our colour scheme. Previously it's always been red and silver, but we found these really nice gold baubles and decided to change it all

I have decided that I do not like the blinking lights though lol it's annoying because half the time you look at it, it's all pretty and lit up, but that's only for a second or so while it 'blinks'. I guess that's what we get for buying cheap lights lol! Going to fix that tomorrow

 

[kherrmann3]

When I still lived with my parents, I used to look forward to the post-Christmas tree burning I know it sounds odd, but if you throw your tree outside for a month or two (no watering) and burn it in an outdoor fire pit, it just lights up! WOOSH! And it's pretty much over! lol

I'm a pyromaniac :lookaround hehe!

 

[pinksalamander]

mouse_chalk wrote:

I want something else for the walls etc, but I don't like tinsel.... have to think of something!

We bought these really nice star garlands from Sainsburys. They are like red card and you open them out and they hang all these little paper stars. I can't stand tinsel or stuff like that. Really tacky. Reminds me of my Grandparents at Christmas time and their decorations are so dated, I swear they have had the same decorations for the past 17 years....

Fran :hearts :brownbunny

 

[Sabine]

I prefer plain white lights too. I usually start off decorating the tree with silver and red(very tasteful) and then the kids add their own ornaments Well it's their Xmas too.... I'll miss the tree indoors this year but at least I can see it through the window and the kids added loads of cheap silver plastic baubles to it (hopefullt storm proof)

 

[mouse_chalk]

pinksalamander wrote:

mouse_chalk wrote:

I want something else for the walls etc, but I don't like tinsel.... have to think of something!

We bought these really nice star garlands from Sainsburys. They are like red card and you open them out and they hang all these little paper stars. I can't stand tinsel or stuff like that. Really tacky. Reminds me of my Grandparents at Christmas time and their decorations are so dated, I swear they have had the same decorations for the past 17 years....

Fran :hearts :brownbunny

Sainsbury's you say? I'll have to go and have a look!

Kelly, I had been thinking of the sort of green garlands, I like them, and they seem a lot less.... dated than tinsel is. Steve refused to have tinsel in the house lol!

 

[MissBinky]

kherrmann3 wrote:

When I still lived with my parents, I used to look forward to the post-Christmas tree burning I know it sounds odd, but if you throw your tree outside for a month or two (no watering) and burn it in an outdoor fire pit, it just lights up! WOOSH! And it's pretty much over! lol

I'm a pyromaniac :lookaround hehe!

LMAO. That made me laugh so much! Btw, Jen, I also love the tree. I love the color. Ha. Y'all should have seen me unfolding mine. Lmao. My mil asked me if I was gonna put ornaments in it or bananas... I was making it all wrong... :?That's the absolute worst part for me Lol. Of course, right after we bought this one, my mother went out and got one of those easy-assemble-type trees :grumpy:3 pieces, not 30. :grumpy:Bah.

 

[mouse_chalk]

Oh! I should also say, that if you look at my tree very carefully, you will also see....

WILLOW BALLS!! and WILLOW RINGS!!

Lol.... they were really cheap in B&Q, and we thought that they'd be bunny friendly if we put them near the bottom, and also they would sort of fit in with the red and gold theme..... So we essentially have a tree part-decorated with bunny toys lol.....

 

[kherrmann3]

Our tree HAD a bunch of candy canes hanging on it. We only put them up on Nov. 30th and they are already gone... :whistling

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

Sophie i love the ornament!!!!!!!!!!



I need to know for those who get real trees this early , how do you keep them alive till after christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am afraid that it will be all brittle and falling apart by christmas time.



WE are hopefully going to go out this sat to get ours, we are cutting it down so it will be freshly cut so i am hoping that it will keep longer since we are getting it fresh.

 

[Luv-bunniz]

Luvmyzoocrew wrote:

I need to know for those who get real trees this early , how do you keep them alive till after christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am afraid that it will be all brittle and falling apart by christmas time.

LEMONADE! no kidding, it really works! Not the diet stuff, just buy shop brand cheap full fat/sugar lemonade and make it up with 25% water, put it in the base and mist the whole tree with it before putting the lights and stuff on and then every week mist the tree trunk. Choose one that is quite heavy aswell, it shows more moisture and if you can get a "Norman Spruce", the tend to last longer.

PS. We are going to get the tree tonight :biggrin2: we will be going in about 20 minutes, go to the shops get some shopping, go pick the tree (there is usually 100's to choose from this early ), spend a while tieing it to the top of the car lol, then home, decorate it and sit on the sofa watching a DVD together then go to bed.

 

[MissBinky]

Luvmyzoocrew,

Hehe the ornament is cute huh? I got it at Hallmark I believe. They always have some really cute ones. I usually find at least one bunny a year.

About the tree, I've heard that 7up/Sprtie works great. I've never had once myself as I'm too allergic to the real trees :?Well at least I was afew years ago... I love the smell though :biggrin2: