Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (mommytoNash) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:10:10 PST

Oh my gosh Jerri, that is something to brag about. That takes dedication! We're pretty small, and a very young church (5 years) and we try to increase by 10 boxes every year. But, even so, we're only up to about 50-60. We use the plastic shoe boxes and decorate them with pretty ribbons, etc. That way they have a storage box. I like the pretty boxes you're talking about.

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (angelsissy) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:53:37 PST

Cindy - we do the Operation Christmas Child boxes at our church, too. We do them basically all year, so by November we have a lot filled. Our church, St. Mark's Episcopal, is quite small. We only have about 50 active members including kids. And we sent 162 shoeboxes this year! If this sounds like a brag, it is. The lady who is in charge of the boxes is a friend of mine. She is awfully pround of this project. We don't even use real shoe boxes anymore. Doris goes to Flower Factory or somewhere like that and buys those heavy cardboard file boxes that are a little bigger than shoeboxes. They come with all kinds of pretty patterns on them, so the box itself becomes a present, too.

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (mommytoNash) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:48:40 PST

Okay, that is kind of what I remember now......But, it was the part about boxing up leftover food for the workers (from Christmas day) and less fortunate people.

Of course, we do the Christmas Shoebox at our church for the kids in other countries......but, we do them the first week in November, otherwise they'd never make it to the kids by Christmas.

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Brandy mom) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:39:32 PST

So you got me thinking about Boxing day and I had to look it up. Wait until I get a hold of my mom all these years she has been pulling my leg and making me work. But I will admit it is nice to have a clean house on New Years Eve. Here is the link were I found the most inforamation. It sound sad to me and I think I like my mom idea better.
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/CUSTOMS/Xmas/boxingday.html

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (winsmom) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:31:59 PST

After years of skipping on a tree all together (mostly work and time issues) my hubby and I decided it was time for a tree again...and it will be a real one. The prices seem pretty good this year

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (mzizgayle) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:37:19 PST

We kept the live ones in the container they were in until spring time, kept it out on the patio and they did very well once in the ground. We were in Mass. so the ground was pretty froze at the time

My little tree has fiber optic lights, but they are encased in a round bulb like to look like a light. I had a neighbor who had an artificial tree, had it decorated just so, she spent hours to get it just right, no same color decorations next to each other etc (did I say she was strange lol) and when Christmas was over, she slid the tree into her spare bedroom, threw a sheet over it after she placed it in a corner and then the following years all she had to do was bring it out and plug it in ROFL

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (mommytoNash) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:52:18 PST

Oh brother.....I used to know what it meant. Hubby is full blooded Irish, born and raised. Has kids living in England. But, I think Jody is right, it has to do with 'Sales' and the retailers boxing things up.

I keep my Christmas stuff up till about the first week in January. First off it takes me over a week to get everything up (big house and a lot of stuff) and I'll be darned if I'm not going to enjoy it. Plus, there is never enough time to entertain everybody by Christmas, and I have family and friends who always want to come to see my decorations (lol). I got voted to have Christmas again this year (actually, it's become it's own tradition in that everyone likes my place for Christmas). So, if all goes well, I'll have everything up by about the 6......which then only leaves 3 weeks till Christmas.

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Jody921) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:08:36 PST

Dawn - your mom was pulling your leg!

The Day after Christmas

Boxing Day is December 26, the day after Christmas, and is celebrated in Great Britain and in most areas settled by the English (the U.S. is the major exception), including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Get the part about the U.S. - we are the exception! You don't need to worry about it! LOL

It has to do with sales - not actual boxing your stuff up.

I can see why people who put their christmas things up so early - want them down the day after Christmas.

We don't start to early and we don't do the take down until New Years Day.

Maybe Jac and Carolyn know something different about this - I just remember some of my cousins talking about this day. They are in Canada too.

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Brandy mom) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:36:39 PST

Is that one of the fiber optic tree?? I hate them they don't look like a christmas tree. Sorry.

Will you all tell me the truth. Am I the only one who like to put the tree up? It take me several days to get it all done. I can work for hours. I have one of those rotating tree stands. So I just sit in front or stand on the ladder and move stuff around. But the tree has to be put away before New years. Do you all know what boxing day is? The day after christmas for boxing stuff up. LOL I am not kidding. I not sure if was just my mum family. In England they have a custom if you house is a mess on New Years it will stay a mess all year. So I work harder the week after christmas getting stuff put away. I wonder if it was just my mum way of getting us kids to clean. LOL I wouldn't know I never cleaned anything until I got married. I didn't even know how to work a vacumn or washing machine. Poor mum had to come and show me how. I would sit down and she would say OH...

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (mommytoNash) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:03:22 PST

Are you going to 'order' a tree Johanna?

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Johanna13) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:51:23 PST

How about one of these ???

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (mommytoNash) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:14:43 PST

That's just it Jerri, she HATES putting the lights on the tree. Me too Johanna, and you don't EVEN want to know how many lights I put on a 13 ft tree, lol!!!

Seriously, I don't do the trunk thing, I did what I was taught by a pro years ago. I start at the inside (closest to the trunk) with the lights, and run the lights out to the tip of the branch, wrapping them a bit as I go. Kind of like a zipzag. Problem is I end up with tons of scratches on my arms and hands. So, now I wear gloves and long sleeved shirt tucked in.

Johanna, get one of your girls to put the lights on!! My niece did about 1/2 my tree last year, thank goodness. It takes me 1/2 day to just get the tree up and decorated.

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (angelsissy) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:12:13 PST

Johanna - go back to my post closer to the top and read how the pros do lights to get the trees to look so elegent. Now when I go back to the Christmas store, I always look inside the trees to see if they really do it that way. Yep -they do!

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Johanna13) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:44:06 PST

Cindy
I have to share this one with you.... Talk about getting lazy !!!
Last year I put about 800 lights on the tree... Did I mention I HATE PUTTING ON THE LIGHTS !!!!!!!!!!!
So.... I had Th drag this tree up to the storage room with all the lights on it !!!
I have no idea if it held up or not... I never went back in there to look at it...
So if its still in one piece and working... Bravo Ill plug in that baby and call it a day !!!
If not... Ill get a new tree !!!

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (mommytoNash) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:07:12 PST

Start looking now Johanna, otherwise you'll never find one!

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Johanna13) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:37:24 PST

Yes I could add some lights I guess , But they do it so much nicer then I can.... I really hate doing the lights..
Did I say that ?

I need a new tree too.. I guess I should start looking ...

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Jody921) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:07:04 PST

Our last one had lots of lights, I thought. We shall see about this new one. I think it said 550 lights on a 7.6 ft tree. You can always add a strand or two, I guess! Once it's decorated - it will look just fine!

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Johanna13) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:49:00 PST

All you with trees with the lights on them:::
Dont you think there is not enough lights???
I hate doing the lights !! hate it , hate it . !!
But the trees I have seen don't have enough lights on them for me....
I usually use 3 sets of 200... so It lights up the room.....
If I can find a tree with a minimum of 600 lights... Ill buy it !

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Jody921) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:04:29 PST

I found a tree today - at a hardware store. Colored lights that when one goes out - the whole strand does NOT! I checked alot of trees in my quest this weekend. Ha - alot of trees are partially lit now. The one I found came with a guarantee too - ha! I'm keeping this receipt and so help me it had better stay lit for a long time to come. We just got spoiled with the last tree - talk about easy. Set it up, plug in the sets, and walla -you have a lit tree. Start the ornaments. I've lost a certain gusto for Christmas - I guess since the kids grew up. Our daughter is 20 and she loves Christmas and all the Holidays for that matter. So out comes the stuff and we go to work. All the girls do the decorating. We even do the outside. There is no getting mad - we have a system and work well together. I have this big star that we used to put up. It has sat in the basement for a few years - I am looking and figuring out how and where to put that thing up. Where...

Re: Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (mommytoNash) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:17:25 PST

I love Christmas too!! I decorate every room in my house. My guest rooms both have their own trees, and I have a large enough house to have a lot of decorations without it looking gawdy.

I love putting it all out, but hate putting it away!! I'll have to take some pictures......if I ever get my digital fixed. Actually, I might have some pictures on the desktop from previous years.

I think I mentioned this before. I've collected ornaments for years, since I was in my middle teens. Thankfully I have a tall tree so I can use all of them. And usually hubby buys me one new one every year (and I buy 6, haha)

I get to start decorating this weekend yeah!!!

Artificial or Real - which one do you have or like?

feeds@kickapps.com (Jody921) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:26:12 PST

Of course I am talking about CHRISTMAS TREES!

We are looking at the artificial ones on sale right now. You want to talk about 'cheap & ugly' - they all look this way, and they want $200 for them. We are looking at the ones with the lights already on them. We had a beautiful one for about 5 years and last year half the tree went out and we couldn't locate the problem - so in my frustration, I gave it to the trashman. I couldn't be bothered trying to find the one light that was out.

We went to Home Depot, Michaels, Kmart, Target, and Walmart. They all look like doo-doo! At least they now have them set up so that if one light goes out - then the strand still works. That would be nice!