The drawback of a real tree is the way it dries up so quickly even though you keep watering it and put up a sign telling the dog to drink toilet water instead of tree water or it would end up like the tree in Christmas Vacation. I know the other night on Mythbusters they ‘proved’ it is very difficult to set a real tree on fire, but sometimes you just don’t want to rely on Mythbusters, even though it is my favorite show.
There is one other problem with a real tree. It is sappy. You get the stuff in your clothes, on your hands, and in your hair. When the needles start falling off they require daily removal. When you remove the tree from your house - well, just think of Hansel and Gretel. I swear with that last tree I was still finding dead needles on the Fourth of July!
My sister wouldn’t be caught dead using an artificial tree. Frankly my dear…you know the rest. I would just as soon use an artificial as a real one. You can put it up when you want and take it down when you want and not water it. The needles don’t fall off and somehow end up in the soup tureen on top of the china hutch. So it has no odor. Three words: Pine Scented Potpourri. There are even candles that smell like Christmas tree.
Pause
I forgot I had a pine scented Yankee Candle, so I blew out my Beanpod (soy) lemon scented and lit the Christmas tree scent. FYI – Yankee Candles are excellent, but I have decided I like the soy candles by Beanpod. The scent is much more intense. For my Christmas Eve party I will light the Christmas Tree and then light an “Ocean” Beanpod, along with “Day at the Beach” (that has a slight coconut scent) and a lime flavor. If I can find an orange blossom I’ll also light that one. My condo will then smell like Christmas should (in South Florida).
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Artificial trees get a bad rap. Okay, it’s very easy for the cats to climb them and pull the branches out the way my parent’s poorly behaved cats do. This year all she is doing is plugging the pre-lit tree in and letting the cats have at it. I’ve threatened to toss some catnip into it just for a little excitement. (Oh, her cats are so bad. The night she brought the bag of kitty Christmas presents in from the car, the seven cats all crowded into the guest room where she stores her Christmas things and pounced the bag, dragging everything out and running with it. I’m serious.)
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