Christmas shopping season is almost upon us. I love Christmas, but some of the waste generated is just ridiculous. Over the years, we've done different things to minimize the environmental impact of our Christmas celebrations. Using energy efficient LED Christmas lights, using an artificial tree, recycling gift bags and avoiding products with excess packaging are all things we've done to help our family have a green Christmas.
One of my favorite things we've done is buy a live Christmas tree. One year, we went and got live hemlock tree and brought it into the house-root ball and all. We had a special container to keep it in while it served as our Christmas tree. Like every other tree before it, it was decorated with our wide variety of ornaments and LED String lighting .
Previous to getting the tree, we'd picked a spot in the yard and dug a suitable hole to plant the tree in. We prepped the soil and purchased some hay. On New Years day we "undecorated" the tree and placed it into its hole. The hay was stuffed all around the root ball as it nestled in its new home. Once spring rolled around, we gave the tree a proper planting. It's in the same spot to this day and every Christmas it gets decorated with Outdoor LED Christmas lights.
It is a daily reminder of the joys of Christmas and the benefits of having a "green" Christmas.
A REAL Green Christmas
Is there anything you can't buy online? How about an Aluminum Christmas tree-or a REAL one!
Christmas seems to be the theme tonight! So I'll continue to expound on how much I despise shopping. There are certain things you have to go shopping for though. Food is one. I know you can buy food online, and I have, but you still need to go to the super market.
But I like to buy online whenever I can, especially if it's a good value.
Halloween is coming so we'll run out for a pumpkin. I don't know if you can get one of them online or not, but buying a pumpkin is fun. We go to a local farm, revel in the outdoors and bring home the pumpkin.
We go through the same routine for a Christmas tree. Except it's colder and when it's cold, it's harder to revel. Plus, we never tie our pumpkin to the roof. So I got to thinking and I said to myself, "Self, can you buy a Christmas tree online?"
I'm not talking about an Aluminum Christmas tree, but the real deal. I don't have anything against Aluminum Christmas trees, although this one is kind of neat:
The idea is that floor space isn't gobbled up by the wide bottom of the tree-that means you can fit more presents under (?) it. I kind of like the idea of that!
I definitely wouldn't want a tacky Aluminum Christmas tree like this one:
Good lord, is that ugly!
A tastefully done Aluminum Christmas tree like this one wouldn't be bad.
Out of the three trees, I'd go for this one. The tacky one would leave me shell shocked Christmas morning and I'd be afraid I'd knock the upside down tree over (possibly more than once). This last one looks like a real tree. I kind of like the idea of not chopping down trees and conservation and all too. But still, there's nothing like a real tree.
And yes, you can buy a real fresh cut Fraser fir Christmas tree online! They cost about the same as a tree you'd buy at the side of the road too. Leave it to Hammacher Schlemmer!
