It's the weekend after Thanksgiving; let the holiday decorating begin! We brought down all the plastic tubs from the attic. Everything went smoothly, due to some careful planning when we packed up the holiday decorations last January. However, when we tried to put together the prelit artificial tree we use in the living room, things didn't go so smoothly. The lights were no longer working, and the branches, once permanently attached, were hanging off the trunk by the wires attached to the lights. We quickly came to the conclusion that it was time to replace the tree.
After careful consideration, we figured now wasn't the best time to buy a new artificial tree, right before the holidays. We wanted a good quality tree, and experience has taught us that prices are much better on items like that after the holidays. Our solution was to cut down a fresh tree this year and look for clearance sales on good artificial trees after the holidays are over.
When our children were little, we always cut down a fresh tree every Christmas. I have fond memories of those times and remember how excited they used to get doing it. However, somewhere along the line, for the sake of convenience, we went with an artificial prelit tree.
Yesterday, we visited Normandy Farms in Foxboro, MA, the same tree farm we used to go to years ago. It had been 12 years since we had been there. To our pleasant surprise, the price of the trees was still $40, the same as it had been the last time we were there.
There were many families with small children picking out trees. It was fun to see all the excited little faces.
It was a brisk day, and the cold weather was exhilarating as we walked the paths searching for the perfect tree to grace our living room.
I knew when I spotted this tree, it was the one. With his saw in hand and the assistance of our daughter, my husband began the task.
Ah, the sweet smell of success!
It was a challenge to get the tree strapped to the car without getting pine sap or scratches on the car (When we used to do this years ago, we had a pickup truck, which made it much easier.) However, with the help of a tarp and careful manipulation of the tree, it was ready to roll.
A trip to Normandy Farms on a cold day just wouldn't be complete without some hot spiced cider from the ice house.
As usual, it was nice and warm inside, due to the heat from the old wood stove.
Once we were home, my husband cut the end off the tree trunk and drilled a hole into the bottom of it. We then positioned the tree in the stand and gave it plenty of water.
Once the branches settled a bit in the warm house, my husband helped me string the LED lights, garland and ribbon on the tree. I decorated it using a Tuscan color theme, which coordinates with the colors in the living room. The tree was too tall to use our traditional angel on top, so I made a large two-toned bow to use as the tree topper.
I love the harlequin ribbon I found at Michael's. I bought all the ribbon I used on sale there for 50% off.
Now that the tree is up and decorated, I can focus on decorating the rest of the house. I'll post pictures of everything when I am done, as I'll be joining Susan's Deck the Halls Linky Party over at Between Naps on the Porch on Monday, December 6.
Thanks for stopping by!
Whether we host holiday dinners at our home or travel to be with family or friends, this is one side dish that is always requested. 
