Time for a quiz….. A holiday Christmas poll. As I get ready to put up my artificial flocked Christmas Tree, I figured I would post about the decorating details of this holiday. I am going greener and minimalist this year. I purchased, to the tune of $70-$100 per year, a freshly cut Christmas Tree for years, but over the past five years, have gone with artificial. I had a white tree for three years, and then bought a flocked tree last year. I use ornaments from years of collecting, sort of a tradition my mother started when we were growing up. I buy five ornaments every year to add into the mix, so my tree has a different look every year. Sometimes just blue lights, other years white lights. I haven’t used multi-colored lights in a long time. So, here goes….. 1. The tree. Fresh or artificial? Green or white? 
2. How about ornaments? Do you go with a theme, or use a mix of eclectic baubles? 
3. How about the presents. Do you go maximum pageantry or go minimal? Ribbons, bows?
4. How about indoor decorating? Is every room decorated to the hilt? Is it tacky and overdone, or smart chic.
And finally….. 5. How about the outdoors? I am not decorating outside at all. Do you go simple or go all Clark Griswold?
Running Wild 
Beautiful trees and lights! Oh my!
Christmas decorations? It’s a walk down memory lane, I love to get out all the things that my children made as little ones. Some are looking a bit tatty but the memories they bring are worth hanging them up each year. They might not be worth a lot of $ but they mean the world to me 🙂
It’s all about the memories. I agree.
Tree – artificial. I am on my second one. The first lasted ten years. Both green and pre-lit, multi-colored.
Ornaments – a mismatched mess of all kinds of things. I have always wanted to do a theme tree in the kitchen but never get to it.
Gifts – I’m lucky they get wrapped. I seldom have ribbons or bows. I do keep gift bags and recycle.
Indoor decorating – There is something in every room but not a lot. If I get it all out, I have to put it all away later. 🙂
Outside decorations – Nope. Electricity in NYS is expensive. I gave up putting up lights outside about 12 years ago.
Hard to squeeze in Christmas inbetween runs, right?
Great post!
– Tree: we did real until the reality of the impact on the severe tree allergies of my wife and younger son was too much. We had our first tree for 9 years until it died and we just bought a new one. Green, white pre-lit.
– Ornaments: we bought family ornaments, kids got them as gifts, we got them as gifts, kids made them, stuff from our childhood, etc. Very few generic.
– Gifts: all wrapped, I like to do more green and minimal, wife likes more ornate. We settled on ‘nicely wrapped’ years ago and that works (looks good, less stress and cost and landfill)
– Decorations: every room has stuff, but very low-key.
– Outdoor decorations – same, some lights and wreaths, but pretty minimal. Also agree with Nikki – NYSEG is a greedy evil overlord! 🙂
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