Are You Putting Your Christmas Tree up Already?

[jrstephens]

I normally do it Thanksgiving Day but have been thinking about going ahead and putting it up. I do a lot of work on my tree and would love to enjoy it longer.

I was wondering what you all are doing?

 

[pamperedlinda]

Not until after Thanksgiving. I don't like to mix holidays.

 

[thecougchef]

i normally would vote december 1st but im having a big graduation party at my house on the 5th & i dont want it to seem christmas-ey by already having all of my christmas decorations up yet. on the other hand - it would be nice for someone other than me, the bf & our puppy to enjoy the decorations.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Thanksgiving IS Christmas here. My kids come here for Thanksgiving and we have our Christmas at the same time. The tree is actually up but not decorated and everything is everywhere! In the mess but not the mood yet.


When my kids were little I NEVER decorated at all until we celebrated my oldest son's birthday (Dec. 2) and always had it down before the January birthdays (DH & mine).

 

[chefsteph07]

I put mine up the week before Christmas and take it down on N Year Day.
I cannot stand all the Christmas stuff out right now...I really can't...I will be sick to death of it by the time it's here.

 

[pamperedpals]

We will be cutting our tree down on the 29th. My house will be completely decorated that weekend, except for the tree. When oldest DS comes home on Tuesday, we will decorate the tree.

I have a HUGE host appreciation party on the 6th and want the house to be decorated.

 

[ChefJoyJ]

We're putting ours up the weekend before Thanksgiving, and spending that week getting all our decorating done. Normally we don't even pull the tree or decorations out until the weekend or week after Thanksgiving, but this year is different.

I'm due Dec. 15, but the I begin my 37th week the Monday on the week of Thanksgiving. I delivered early with Emily (37w 6d) and my doctors think I will deliver early again. We don't have the time to pull out everything yet, but we want to go ahead and get it started that week (and hopefully get it done before the baby is born).

 

[pampermejolene]

My parents recently got some new furniture and my Mom has been walking around the house the last couple days trying to figure out how to move things around so she can start setting up her tree. She usually waits till the day after Thanksgiving but this year wants it up early.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

started Nov 1,
just have my Coca Cola/ Santa tree upstairs in the gameroom to finish, Santas to put on my stairs and the dining room I hope to finish by Thursday.
We put up 7 trees each with a different theme. Love the holidays

 

[christinaspc]

I keep putting mine up earlier and earlier every year I am going to put mine up this week or next week the latest.

 

[ShanaSmith]

I think we should probably take down our Halloween decorations before we put the tree up! But then again they are from the Nightmare Before Christmas...... I won't be doing much this year either since my baby is due next month also.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Well we usually wait until Thanksgiving night to do our tree, but since my husband is off (between jobs) for the next two weeks we will be doing it next week along with all of the decorations. He will start his new job the week of Thanksgiving so we want to be able to relax Thanksgiving weekend. It's a lot of work to do all of the decorations! I usually got help from my oldest Daughter, but w/college and a new job she is hardly ever home. My two other kids don't like to help.

I really don't like having the Christmas decorations up for Thanksgiving - especially since we are having it here at my house - but relaxing Thanksgiving weekend is more important to me this year!

 

[sklay723]

We always wait til the weekend after Thanksgiving, which works out great since DH will be off work that weekend. He's working Thanksgiving day from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., so we'll wait until late Friday or Saturday afternoon to get the tree out...and then it takes us a couple of days to get motivated to finish getting all the decorations on it. Of course, this year the kids are older and will appreciate it more. So who knows? Maybe that will be our motivation. I don't think there's anything wrong with having it up before Thanksgiving, it's just not something we do as a habit. I guess I'm so overwhelmed by the fact that some stores had Christmas decorations up in September this year. It's crazy...

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Put it up? You mean, I was supposed to take it down?

 

[chefjeanine]

I don't put up a Christmas tree anymore. Just seems like too much effort to put up, decorate and then take down. I do have a few decorations I put around. My Christmas tree is a little table-top ceramic tree that belonged to my Grandma. It has a bulb in it and little multi-color lights that fit into holes all over the tree. I'll put that up after Thanksgiving. Also, I have a Nativity set I display.

 

[wadesgirl]

We don't put one up either. We enjoy everyone else's. The first two years we lived together, I put up a small artificial tree. It was just a pain to find a place to put it, put it up, take it down just for us. I couldn't imagine what our new kitten would do to it this year! When we have kids, we'll have a tree then.

 

[raebates]

I picked Thanksgiving, but it's actually the Saturday after that we decorate, including the tree. Thanksgiving is usually spent with The Furry Guy's extended family. (His aunt isn't feeling well this year, so we'll be at his parents' house. Not as much fun, but we'll make the best of it.) Friday is shopping. (Yes, I'm one of those.) Saturday is decorating. We spend all day and have Christmas movies playing in the background.I do have a friend whose tree has been up for over a week. Yet, she freaked out when I told her how many days were left until Christmas. Go figure.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/funny-pictures-christmas-tree-cat.jpg

 

[stefani2]

DH says 'not until Dec 1' - if I had my way - it would be up mid-Nov.


I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Holidays!

 

[dianevill]

My house is completely decorated, Christmas presents are all bought AND wrapped, lights are up outside (but we don't turn them on until Thanksgiving), and we've been listening to Christmas carols since November 1st. We are ready to go!

 

[Fluffy215]

Yes my tree is up already. Normally I wait until the day after Thanksgiving and take it down New Years Day. However, due to the Pre-Holiday Party thanks to Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Houseparty.com I have everything up and ready to go And yes the radio has been playing nothing but Christmas music on a few stations here. And while I am doing housework I have the comcast digital music station for Holiday music put on

 

[Bren706]

Now is way too early for us! We usually put ours up the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I may wait an additional week this year. I love the holidays, but now that we are 4 to 13 hours away from family, it is hard for me to get in the mood.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

Brenda,
I understand, we have always been 13-14 hours away from family, I guess that's one reason I've established our family traditions early and made the holidays a happy time even though we were far apart.
Seeing my grandmother's ornaments she made over the years, the wallhangings and Christmas quilts and throws my mom has made, and my santa music box from 1968 for my first Christmas and my grandparent's nativity set.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

That's...just...wrong.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

My house is completely decorated, Christmas presents are all bought AND wrapped, lights are up outside (but we don't turn them on until Thanksgiving), and we've been listening to Christmas carols since November 1st. We are ready to go!

That's...just...wrong.

 

[murkey]

normally I do it after thanksgiving but this year I am "jonesing" for the extended joy of the Christmas season. So we are likely doing it this weekend! Yeah!

 

[candiejayne]

I hate decorating for christmas, maybe this year i will get into the mood since there are kids in the house, but i doubt it. the tree will go up sometime in december, no lights outside, and I might get out my partylite snow globe, thats about as far as my household will take it. LOL who knows though, by the first of december after the xmas music starts on the radio, I just might be in the mood to go all out.

PS I still haven't taken down the halloween decorations that I put up for my PC party a month ago!

 

[pcchefjane]

WOW! You can come down here to TN, Diane and help us figure it out. We still haven't quite figured out where we are putting it with my taking over the den and the living room is a little crowded. We may put up my smaller tree since the space is smaller to put it in. My grandson is 2 this year so maybe it will be easier to keep him out of the tree...HOPEFULLY! Last year, he would go up and take down the ornaments and bring them to us and say, "Thank you" when he handed them to us! Now how can you tell that sweet little boy "NO!" LOL! We just put all the non-breakable ornaments in his reach! Last year we put up my tree when I moved Nov 20th, but I am not sure exactly when we will work it in this year!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

You people must all have fake trees!

We put ours up the first weekend in December. But, there is much tradition that goes along with it. We drive to the Tree Farm, and take a hayride back to the trees, and then traipse through acres and acres looking for "THE" tree.

Once it's found, and all of the pictures are taken, we cut it down, and catch another hayride back up to the barn, where we have hot cider.

Then, we load up the tree, and drive to Arnies for French Onion Soup and Burgers.

Then, it's back home...where we spend a couple hours arguing (mildly) over how to place the lights....and then, we decorate. Most of the decorations will be on one side, within arms reach of our 4 year old. We will declare it the most beautiful tree in the world, and then watch a christmas movie and have hot chocolate and cookies.

There! That is our family tradition, and I love every minute of it!

 

[JAE]

Where do you go, Becky? We always get sort of fresh trees. We usually don't cut them ourselves, but I'd like to do that because I figure it will last longer.

 

[dianevill]

That's...just...wrong.

Normally, I'd completely agree - we generally put our tree up over Thanksgiving (fake). We had a free weekend, though, and my 6 yo DS really wanted to put everything up, so I figured why not. I'm traveling so much over the next month that I didn't know when I'd get it all done anyway. We put on the Christmas music, ordered in pizza and decorated away!

As for the shopping, the family's getting a WII, so I picked that up early, and then I bought just a few small things for the kids over the last few months. Our washer broke two weeks ago, so guess what DH and I bought each other? For the rest of the (extended) family we exchange gift cards; we have SCRIP through school and church so I've been buying gift cards the last few months, small things to include with them.

Now...baking cookies is another story. My neighbor and I have a tradition of spending a day together baking, and we can't coordinate a date. I've been stressing about that!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Speaking of Wii...there's an article in the Yahoo gamers' area today that reports if any of you wish to get a Wii for Christmas, or a Wii Fit, get 'em now. There aren't many in captivity and they sell out of stores as quickly as they arrive, especially the Wii Fit.Also, if you're interested in the Guitar Hero World Tour complete band kit - good luck. Most stores are sold out and there may not be many more before Christmas. There are a bazillion Guitar Hero guitar kits, some with the game software bundled, but the complete band kits are Gone With The Wind.

 

[dianevill]

I was able to get the Wii and Wii Fit first try. I walked into Best Buy (near you, KG) and asked, and the Wii's had literally just arrived. Now THAT was luck! We weren't planning to get them this year, but thanks to a nice little bonus check courtesy of The Pampered Chef, I'm able to treat the family .

 

[raebates]

You people must all have fake trees!

I think cut trees are great. Since we like to put our tree up early, we go with artificial.

That said, several years ago my good fried was very excited because they had their first cut tree after years of artificial ones. She was giving everyone a good-natured rough time. That's when she came to me.

Her: Do you have a real tree?

Me: Yes. We tried an imaginary one for a while, but the ornaments wouldn't stay on.

Her: Ha. Ha. We have a live tree this year.

Me: That's wonderful. Have you decided where you'll plant it after the holidays? Is the root ball really big?

Her: Oh, it's not one of those. It's one we got at one of those Christmas tree lots.

Me: Oh, a tree carcass. You've got a tree carcass in your living room. That's an interesting choice. It's not one I'd made, but, hey, it's your home.



Again, I have nothing against cut trees. And, Becky, it sounds like you have a wonderful family tradition.

My friend and I still joke about the year of the tree carcass.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Where do you go, Becky? We always get sort of fresh trees. We usually don't cut them ourselves, but I'd like to do that because I figure it will last longer.

Hart Family Tree Farm, go east out of Rockford and follow the signs. Then we go to Arnies in the Old Mill in Rockford.

 

[AnnieBee]

Mmmm, Arnies!

We do "tree carcass" but DH would love a fake one for the convenience. Once the kids are a bit older I'd love to do the choose and cut your own tree thing! Sounds like a wonderful tradition.

On another note, growing up, the tree was put up only a couple of days before Christmas. So when we decorated we were all so excited about Christmas! We would go out and get holly and put it on the mantelpiece and over the pictures, and all over my parents kitchen.

In the UK people would think you were crazy if you put a tree up in November! It's not even the right month!! I don't think many people would do it more than 2 weeks before Christmas, but of course things may have changed in the last 10 years! I know my mum wouldn't do it more than about a week before unless she was having a big "do".

I've become alot more used to doing it early, but it drives me crazy seeing all the Christmas stuff on the dtores so early (before Halloween even!).

 

[BethCooks4U]

Growing up my parents got the tree about a week before Christmas and kept it in the garage in a bucket of water and then Santa would put it up in the house and decorate it after we went to bed on Christmas eve. It was always down by New Years. When we all got older they got an artificial and would put it up a week or so before Christmas.

I changed to artificial several years ago (used to do the tree farm thing - it WAS such fun) because I would get awful rashes from hugging the tree to string those lights. I love Christmas and the lights so putting them up early is fine with me! I'm always sad to put them away in January but then I am tired of it all after nearly two months and things seem all fresh after that. I also feel like it's a shame to put all those memories out for such a short time every year.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

I don't think I will put mine up this year. Its just me (and the cat) this year.

 

[MissChef]

I put mine up the week before Christmas and take it down on N Year Day.
I cannot stand all the Christmas stuff out right now...I really can't...I will be sick to death of it by the time it's here.

You spoke my mind!!! We do it exactly like this! My hubby's mom use to take it down the day of Christmas! Now that is too much like a scrooge to me! The kids would not be happy if I did that!!

 

[stacywhitlow]

I will be putting ours up early this year due to DH traveling & I am having my Christmas party on the 21st. We have an artificial tree because of asthma & allergies but noone can tell (except it doesn't smell...which is fine because I can't handle it). I love to decorate for Christmas! I am working on stocking up. I don't have too much.

 

[chefshawna]

Put it up?

You mean, I was supposed to take it down?

That's what my DH says about lights!! He just got around to taking them down a couple of months ago and now they have to go back up, he said this year he'll just leave them up!! So, we'll be THAT house that people drive by and make fun of! LOL Well, we probably are already!! LOL

 

[BethCooks4U]

I will be putting ours up early this year due to DH traveling & I am having my Christmas party on the 21st. We have an artificial tree because of asthma & allergies but noone can tell (except it doesn't smell...which is fine because I can't handle it). I love to decorate for Christmas! I am working on stocking up. I don't have too much.

I'm scaling down. I have too much! So far I have 2 boxes of decorations (large boxes) that my kids can go through when they get here and the rest goes to either a local consignment shop or the goodwill - probably goodwill so I don't have to deal with it anymore. I'll still have too much even after that but at least it's a start.

 

[chefshawna]

You people must all have fake trees!

We put ours up the first weekend in December. But, there is much tradition that goes along with it. We drive to the Tree Farm, and take a hayride back to the trees, and then traipse through acres and acres looking for "THE" tree.

Once it's found, and all of the pictures are taken, we cut it down, and catch another hayride back up to the barn, where we have hot cider.

Then, we load up the tree, and drive to Arnies for French Onion Soup and Burgers.

Then, it's back home...where we spend a couple hours arguing (mildly) over how to place the lights....and then, we decorate. Most of the decorations will be on one side, within arms reach of our 4 year old. We will declare it the most beautiful tree in the world, and then watch a christmas movie and have hot chocolate and cookies.

There! That is our family tradition, and I love every minute of it!

Wow! It sounds like you all have a great time! I grew up with real trees, my parents own a farm and had grown and sold pine trees for a while, but my DH says he allergic to them! I don't really believe him and have threatened many times to take him to a lot and see if his eyes swell shut! I figure as long as he can still see, what's the problem! LOL

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Get some of those LEDs that change colors. You can do multi-color for Christmas, red for Valentine's Day, Green for St. Paddy's, purple for Easter, Red white and Blue for Memorial, Independence and Labor day, orange for Halloween and back to Christmas.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Get some of those LEDs that change colors. You can do multi-color for Christmas, red for Valentine's Day, Green for St. Paddy's, purple for Easter, Red white and Blue for Memorial, Independence and Labor day, orange for Halloween and back to Christmas.

Now THERE'S an idea!

 

[lacychef]

Wow, you guys are good! It's usually the weekend after turkey day here...but it'll be hard this year because we have late turkey get-togethers & I have 2 shows that weekend, plus our town's Christmas parade is that Sat....we'll see! I do like to do one holiday at a time though.

Diane---you're good!

 

[JAE]

Wow, you guys are good! It's usually the weekend after turkey day here...but it'll be hard this year because we have late turkey get-togethers & I have 2 shows that weekend, plus our town's Christmas parade is that Sat....we'll see! I do like to do one holiday at a time though.

Diane---you're good!

I don't really decorate for any other holiday, so I decided to slowly start getting out Christmas stuff extra early this year because of my show here on Thursday. I want everyone to feel the Christmas and buy lots of presents for people and themselves. Then it's not so overwhelming getting everything out for only a few weeks of decoration. I don't have any family gatherings at my house, so we skip fall decor because I'm too lazy to go down in the basement and get it out then put it all back so I can put Christmas decor out. I do have a couple pumpkins outside and three large mums. I may leave those out and keep Christmas to the inside until after Thanksgiving. I haven't decided.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

<snip>My friend and I still joke about the year of the tree carcass.

I like to think of them more as unprocessed toilet paper.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

sometimes we paint our gourds and pumpkins silver, gold and copper and use them as part of my Christmas decorations outside

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I like to think of them more as unprocessed toilet paper.

LOL!


Actually, after Christmas, usually New Years Day, we take the tree down, and DH carries it outside and ties it up to the bird feeder. We put little edible ornaments on it for the birds and the squirrels, and leave it there for them until Spring.

 

[nathan81]

I will start putting up all of my trees next week. I have one in every room., so it takes a while. I am having my annual OH on dec 6th and want everything to be perfect, plus that is also part of the draw for my customer. They expect me to have the house decorated over the top plus I love to do it!