Saturday, November 30

My Favorite Realistic Christmas Tree (and why it matters)

Last Christmas I talked about simplifying Christmas decor while maximizing its impact (and making your life easier - you can read all about it here). If you remember, I mentioned why it's important to choose quality over quantity (cliche, maybe, but can actually save you money!), and why you need to evaluate what's actually missing before you overcompensate in all the wrong ways.

Really, you should check out that original post because it goes into way more detail than I will here, but today I just wanted to share one Christmas splurge that made all the difference in my own Christmas decor:

A realistic Christmas tree!

Not a real tree, mind you. Not a tree that will be a crispy fire hazard if I leave it up until February (which I just might). But a tree that will wait oh-so-patiently in the basement all summer and then give off real-tree vibes when the snow falls. I want the feel of real greenery without all the sweeping.

Now, is it a perfect replica of a real tree? Obviously not. It still has fluffy filler branches and no one looking too closely would be fooled. But does it totally change the feel of our Christmas decor? Yes. YES IT DOES. The more natural shape. The space between some of the branches (the ornaments hang so nicely!). The scraggly top. It's a dream!

Why it Matters

Here's what I've found over the years - if something doesn't quite feel right with our Christmas decor, our default tends to be to buy more to fix whatever problem we're sensing. But if we haven't evaluated what the problem actually is, we're just wasting money and adding clutter and we'll be doing the same thing again next year. Once I really stopped to evaluate, I realized I just really disliked our tree. Our fat, boxy, lump of a tree. It certainly was better than no tree, but when I thought about how much I had spent on new garlands and other decorations trying to make things feel right, I realized I probably could have just bought a better tree in the first place. Ouch.

All this to say: sometimes investing in one really good thing is better than frittering away money on a bunch of cheaper things (they really add up!). Especially when it's something you will use and love year after year.

And if the thing you're missing is a more realistic tree, this is the one I love on Wayfair:

7.5ft. Norwegian Spruce Tree Unlit by The Holiday Aisle

It looks great bare. It looks great with lights. It looks great loaded with ornaments and gifts. Please enjoy these regular, meaningful ornaments we actually love instead of perfectly curated ribbons and orange slices.