Because Some Things Are Worth a Splurge

"The Star Won't Fit, and One of the Branches is Broken"

Why I'll Never Let My Husband Talk Me Into Spending Less $$ Again 

"All of the needles keep falling off my tree."

Let's begin here, shall we? Below you can see this journal entry, dictated by my 4-year old daughter to her preschool teacher during her "Weekend Journal" assignment last year (the day after we cut down our Christmas tree). Oh the poor girl. And the worst thing is, I didn't even see this until the journal came home last summer! But you know what, she's pretty darn accurate...

Fast forward one month later:

Oh yeah. She wasn't exaggerating. Needles were everywhere. The most unexpected places. They impaled my feet for months and months after Christmas. It was not a good tree.

I know what you're thinking... "You didn't water your tree enough." But no, that wasn't it. This tree had water, and plenty of it. You see, this tree was doomed from the start... It really didn't stand a chance.

Trees of Christmases Past

Even before we had kids, my husband and I would cut down our own Christmas tree. And every year I look forward to it. In the weeks leading up to it, I entertain vivid fantasies of us frolicking through fields of perfectly-shaped trees, the smell of balsam and evergreen heavy in the air. Together we look at each other and smile as we simultaneously spot the perfect tree to symbolize our jolly holiday season. Ben takes his saw, effortlessly cuts the down tree, and we carry it to our car, laughing all the way.

Then reality hits me... because here's what really happens: It's time to get our tree. And it's freezing. Like, really, really, bitterly cold. And as we walk through the fields, we realize that there are no good trees left. All of the good ones have been taken. And we spend the next 45 minutes arguing over bad tree to worse tree, before we finally settle on the one that has a big hole on one side (which we decide we can hide) and a crooked trunk. But we don't care. Because we just want to go home and get warm. So Ben takes out his saw and lays on the ground and begins to cut into the trunk. And he keeps cutting. And cutting. And cutting.

I ask: "Do you need help?"
His curt reply: "No."
Me: "It's taking a really long time."
Ben: "Yeah, and this saw they gave me is almost completely dull."
Me: "Do you want me to go get help?"
Ben (another curt reply): "No."

And so I sit in frozen silence until the tree comes to an unnaturally slow, snappy fall. Me: "Great. Let's go pay." And we look ahead, remembering we walked a LONG way to get here. And we walked DOWNHILL to get here. And, not surprisingly, the ensuing trek uphill in the bitter cold, carrying the prickliest of all the Christmas trees, does nothing to warm either of our spirits. I don't smell evergreen or balsam. And we're certainly not "laughing all the way." And I remember that we've yet to have that perfect Christmas tree cutting experience.

Christmas Tree Shopping 2009: B2 was born only a few days later!

It's Always Worth the Experience, But Some Years Are Better Than Others!

So last year (being our first in a new area), I did some research and found a great place to cut down a Christmas tree. It advertised hay rides, hot cocoa, and family fun. I was excited. We loaded everyone in the car and began the 20 mile drive to the neighboring town. I didn't give Ben much info... just that all the trees were a flat rate of $60. I ignored his responsive eyebrow raise and turned up the Xmas jams on the radio.

About 15 minutes into the journey, Ben noticed a sign that read, "All Christmas Trees: $40."

He asked: "Is that where we're going?" 

I answered: "No." 

He said: "But this place is $20 cheaper, and it's closer." 

I replied, "But the place I found has hay rides." 

Ben: "Hay rides? It's just a Christmas tree. Why do we need a hay ride? We just did one when we went apple picking. And it's freezing out. The kids aren't going to want to be outside that long." 

Me: "Well... they have bathrooms there, too...." 

Ben: "Bathrooms? Kristen, we're getting a Chrismas tree. Why do we need bathrooms?" 

And that was the turning point. He convinced me. And off we went to the cheapest tree farm on the block.

Oh, he was right about one thing. It was freezing. I noticed that when I got out of the car and scanned the EMPTY parking lot. But whatever. The kids were out of the car now. We were committed. And so we began to venture through the field to find our tree. As we looked, I thought I noticed a yellowish tint on a lot of the trees. Convincing myself it must just be a feature of this particular tree variety, I continued on the search. And just like those times in the past, we had a hard time deciding on our tree, and we hopefully compared tree after tree until finally...

B2: "I have to go potty!"
Me: "Can you wait just a little bit?"
B2 (shifting her weight in a panic from side to side): "I really have to go!"

And I shoot a look at Ben, whose downtrodden eyes told me he had most certainly answered his own question, "Why do we need bathrooms?" And I look back towards the dilapidated barn and hope that somewhere there's a bathroom that we can use... and there was, but that's a disturbing story for yet another day. 

And so, somehow, we get a tree. And we bring it home. And those pics at the start of the post pretty much fill you in on the rest.

Christmas Tree 2012: I can't believe I'm actually smiling after that bathroom experience!

So This Year...

I wasn't having any bargain-shopping. I wanted the full experience, and we had it. We visited Maple Row Tree Farm and had the best Christmas Tree experience to date. This place was the Cadillac of Christmas Tree Farms. They had hayrides (as previously mentioned), warming stations, an abundant selection of sharp saws, and tree drop-off sections placed strategically around the characteristically-New-England, rock-wall-lined farm. The staff was great about recommending trees and pointing us in the right direction through the whole process. And the parking lots (yes, that's PLURAL) were FULL! In fact, people were tailgating! It was like nothing we'd ever seen before. And when we were done with our hay ride, tree chopping, and snack eating, we pulled up the car to the main entrance and simply picked up the tree that we'd chosen and dropped off just 15 minutes earlier. Their system is perfected! Tied the tree to the roof, drove off, and paid the attendant our $65 (plus tax) on the way out. And we were on our happy way. And even Ben admitted it was the better choice. :) You know I just give him a hard time on my blog, don't you? He really is a trooper and a sweetheart.

Look, EVERYONE is happy!!

But Don't Fret; I Know How to Save Some Money Here, Too!

Because I just can't resist a bargain... here's how you can save a little money getting your tree at Maple Row. Notice the sign below? You can save $6 by buying a tree during the week instead of going on a weekend. AND, when you pay, your receipt acts as a $5 coupon for the next year. So who knows, maybe next year we'll save another $11 on our tree?! Not local? Check the tree farms around you and see if they offer a similar deal. Also, the place we used to visit in Dutchess County sends coupons out to people on their mailing list at the start of the season, so give them your info if they ask, and it may pay off the next year.

Visiting The Christmas Tree Farm Will Always Be One of My Favorite Traditions

Because that's the thing about traditions. The experiences may be good or they may be bad, but we remember them either way. And I'll take them all. The dying tree, the tree with the holes that we have to turn to hide, the tree with the trunk too big for the tree stand, and even the tree with the crookedest trunk that makes it impossible to stand without anchoring it to a nearby doorknob (yea, we've had a lot of tree disasters). No tree is perfect, but life's not perfect! And I like it even better that way :) And this year we even got a bonus: a new favorite place to continue our tradition for years to come.

What about you? What are your best (and worst!) Christmas tree memories? Share! Share!

But before you go, I'd LOVE it if you would follow me on Facebook and Pinterest! I'll follow back! :)

Happy Holidays!