Worth It or Not Worth It: Real Christmas Trees

For those who celebrate Christmas, 'tis the season to decide if you should get a tree (unless you, like my mom, already did this the Friday after Thanksgiving, in which case you get a gold star). A real Christmas ​tree is an icon, a seasonal air freshener, a place to hang blinking lights and ornaments (including DIY garlands), a spot to stash gifts, and a backdrop for super cute photographs of your pets—or just another thing for them to be very confused by.

But sometimes, a real Christmas tree is not all it's cracked up to be: you have to remember to water it (otherwise it'll dry out and be a sad, very un-festive shell of its former self), it ultimately has to be disposed of (a​lso, when? when it gets ugly? the day after Christmas? January 1st? Three Kings Day? eight days after that? eight days after eight days after that?), and, most frustratingly, it leaves pine needles everywhere.

Now that we've listed the pros and the cons, let's consider a few alternatives, and ultimately decide: Is getting a real Christmas tree worth it?

Artificial Tree

An artificial tree is standard for lots of families. You can also DIY (like I did, above) by painting some branches, sticking them in a vase, hanging your precious ornaments off them and hoping it doesn't topple over. I'd light Thymes Frasier Fir candles periodically to give the olfactory illusion of the real deal.

If you want to take the artificial​ route, you can go minimal with AREAWARE's Infinite Tree, hack tiny artificial trees, or even find a ​non-tree object to trim to get your home in the Christmas spirit.

Wreaths

This year, I got us a Frasier fir wreath. I figure it's the ultimate compromise: It doesn't take up the space of a tree and won't account for as many dropped needles, but it will still fill my house with the beautiful green of a true pine—the smell, oh, the smell!

You can make a wreath yourself with greenery or dried flowers, or pick one up—Creekside Farms has some beautiful, fragrant options that will keep your home merry and bright!

The Verdict

Although it may be a pain and litter your floor with tiny needles, there is nothing as wonderful as a true Christmas tree. So worth it!

Where do you stand on real Christmas trees? Do you think they're worth it? We want to know!