Similar to a earlier thread, we are traveling from Dec. 12 -18. We always get a real tree but this year, I am thinking it makes more sense to get a fake one because surely our real tree will die with no one to water it for a week. My husband is so sad at the prospect of a fake tree but I’m don’t know what our options are? We could wait to put our tree up until we get back from vacation but that seems so late....I like to enjoy my tree for as long as possible. What would you do?
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Would you be open to hiring a house sitter to come once or twice to water it (I don’t know how often real trees need water)? A pet sitter would probably do it too. It would definitely be cheaper than investing in a decent fake one, especially if you plan to go back to real in future years.
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We used to leave our real tree for 10 days and it was ok! Someone in the other thread said they stop taking on water after a while and that was our experience too, it never took all the water from the stand.
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We switched to a faux tree about 7 years ago and every year we comment on what a good decision that was. No mess, perfect shape and beautifully prelit. Plus it saves so much money.
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I thought I would die before I had a fake tree in my house...and then I had a baby. Our first Christmas season as a little family, the first thing I did was pop out and buy a nice fake tree, and I don't regret it one bit. Now it goes up the day after Thanksgiving and stays up until Epiphany (or, you know, when i get DH to take it down) and I absolutely love it. No pine needle mess, no worries about it drying out, and I get to enjoy it for a huge chunk of time. Best decision ever!
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A real tree soaks up the most water within the first couple weeks. After that if you just fill it up as much as possible I think it'll be fine... so long as your tree base can hold some water.
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Get a real tree! Just make sure it’s super full of water before you leave, and get whoever is checking on your house to top it up (for insurance purposes most companies require you have someone check your house every 48 hours anyways). I made the mistake of buying a fake tree for the years we travelled. It was put up for that purpose once and then I sold that sad plastic tree. It never really felt like Christmas to me without the real tree!
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@erinbaderin: I would, but my go to house sitter is away that week also.
I have no issue with a fake tree - we always had one but similar to the poster above, my husband doesn’t think it “feels” like Christmas. I think we’ve decided to spring for a nice artificial tree this year and then in the years to come that will be our 2nd tree in our upstairs playroom and we will resume getting a real tree as our main tree. Thanks all!
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Fake trees are THE BEST. I love that we can put ours up every year with no advance planning or worrying about how much of December we will or won't be in town. It just goes up in a few minutes every year! I hear people talking about how they just skip the tree if they're going out of town for Christmas and that seems so sad to me. Fake tree! You end up saving a ton of money over the years too.
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Did you know real trees are safer? Fake trees are at risk of electrical shorts. https://www.novascotiachristmastrees.ca/real_trees/
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Fake trees are gorgeous and that's all that matters to me
oh yeah and they're easy and economical.
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I am all about that fake tree life
Growing up we always had a fake tree. We did real tree for 2 Christmas before kids, and while it was nice, I don't plan to do that again till the kids are a little older.
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we're just going to get our tree when we get back..
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I was a totally devoted member of team real tree...until I found out how allergic I am to pine! (No wonder I was always sick by Christmas...)
Then I realized if you don't buy the cheapest fake trees, they really look quite real! And they're cleaner and less prickly...and omg. The ease of being pre-lit!
I still don't look forward to the "fluffing" that fake trees require when you put them up, but I'm happy with our tree! And happy that I don't have to clean up behind it or remember to water it (especially being pregnant this year...even as a kid I hated trying to lay on the floor and get water in the base of the tree without getting water on any of the presents around it)
oh yeah and they're easy and economical.
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