For many of us, one of the funniest parts of the Holiday Season is picking out, and decorating the family Christmas Tree. As Charlie Brown has shown us, any Christmas tree once decorated with love looks and is beautiful. That said, there are some things you can do starting with picking out your tree to make sure it is fresh, beautiful and lush for the entire season. So before you bundle up the family, jump in the car with that thermos of hot chocolate and a CD of Christmas Classics, here are some suggestions for your tree.1. Where did your tree come from. Of course, if you cut your own, you know the answer to this one, but if you are going to a tree lot, ASK! The further the distance your tree travel, the longer it has been dying, which means needles dropping faster than ice in a hail storm. Just as important as where your tree was cut, is the important WHEN!
2. Check for the freshness of the tree...is it lush and green looking, healthy and proud with a wonderfully woodsy fragrance. Are the needles moist to the touch, limbs flexible, few scars on the trunk's bark? Just remember, like home baked cookies, the fresher the better when it comes to your tree. Shake and bounce it, and if it drops needles walk away.
3. Weigh your tree...HEAVIER IS BETTER, as it means the tree has a much higher water content, and that means a fresher tree.
4. Locally grown means a fresher, healthier tree that is good for our environment...think slow foods. The less the tree has traveled to get to you, the less of a environmental footprint it has. Want to buy close to home, visit the "Find My Tree" website and enter your zip code. Lets keep our money local by shopping local tree farmers.
5. Super fresh tree...cut your own from a approved, legal location. Now it would be nice to think those doing this would take an axe or hand saw out into the woods for environmental reasons, but chances are those cutting their own will really on their handy dandy chain saws...do yourselves a favor, as well as the environment, and cut the tree by hand with HAND TOOLS. Finding that PERFECT tree, and cutting it down yourselves will make your tree one of the prettiest you have ever had.
6. Treat your tree like a member of the family and show it lots of TLC (Tender Loving Care) once inside the house. Leave it outside for a day in a large bucket of water, and once inside make sure to water your tree EVERY DAY.
Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season, and be sure to check back here often as I start sharing some of my FAVORITE Holiday COOKIE Recipes. Hungarian Butterhorns anyone...they are my FAVORITE, just like my Mom used to make.
