to ditch the expensive fake tree I bought last Christmas and buy a real one instead?

[Vallhala]

Up until last year I have never had anything but a 6ft plus real tree. I HATE fake ones with a passion. But, what with having cats and dogs and difficulty of getting a real tree home, together with trying to be mature and take a sensible long-term financial decision, I succumbed. Tbh the fake one cost a small fortune and is pretty realistic, you COULD be fooled, but....

...but it's NOT real is it? No smell of pine, no glorious texture to the touch, though no pine needles in yer bum either!

So what do I do? Leave the fake one in the attic and spend £40+ on a HOOOOGE real tree and smile inanely until the cats climb up it and the dogs sends pine-needles flying with wagging tails, or glower at the realistic but not REAL one after a 2 hour long struggle to construct it whilst secretly planning what I'll spend the saved money on?

[MitchyInge]

get a real one

give the fake one to a refuge or something?

(not saying they don't deserve a nice tree but it might be appreciated)

[RockBird]

Go for the real one if it's what you really hanker after. I live in a tiny house and a fake slimline tree is the only available option but if I had the room I'd have a mahoooosive real tree

[QandA]

YANBU

Buy a real one. The non drop ones really are good now and they look so much better than fake trees.

[Vallhala]

I'm liking these real-tree supporters... keep encouraging me!

[piratecat]

I did this. Bought a fake tree, very nice it was 2 yrs ago.

Come last xmas I just knew i wanted a real one, so I put it in the paper and a lovely lady form the village hall comittee bought it for the village hall.

I used the dosh towards a real one. Me and dd went to a place where you can actually cut it down.

Saying that I did feel a bit guilty, and have thougth about a pot grown one, but they are about £30 for a 2 ft one!!

[piratecat]

oh, sorry, meant to say NOTHINg beats that pine smell when you go into the living room in the morning.!

[MitchyInge]

you could put a small real tree on a side table or something? doesn't have to be 6' (my ceilings are not even that high here)

we bought a fake tree one year, never again, soulless enterprise it was

[Vallhala]

Ah, butMitchy,thats my problem. It does have to be a big tree.... don't ask me why cos I haven't really the foggiest, only knowing that I will be even less happy with a small real tree on a table than a huge fake one. Space isn't the issue in this house luckily, but practicality and money is, like everyone.

I was wondering if I was BU to hanker after a real tree despite the fairly convincing and expensive alternative or whether I'm not the only big kid around here!

[MrsBadger]

yanbu

do not ditch the fake though, either sell it or put it in the loft for another year

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Sell, and buy a real one.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

BUY A REAL TREE

I succumbed to a fake tree last year and I hated it. Spent the whole christmas period giving it dirty looks. The excuse was we had new kittens and DP thought they would end up climbing the thing.

The fake Christmas tree was so not Christmassy. We are having a real one this year, the cats can climb it if they want, I don't care.

[Vallhala]

Hmmmm.... I COULD keep it in the attic til when I eventually move and am again in a position to foster pound dogs over Christmas....I'd need a fake tree then I suppose, but I don't really need onenow, do I? I need a real one now, don't I?

[StealthPolarBear]

be prepared for the twice daily hoovering...
Would love a real tree but not practical, so will burn 'pine' oil round the fake one (with real pine cones, I'll have you know)

[Vallhala]

SPB, twice daily hoovering is normal - I own a Lab and a German Shepherd as well as 3 cats and 2 messy kids!

Nope, you can't put me off that easily!

[StealthPolarBear]

[Purplebuns]

Vote for real tree here! My mums has 7 cats and two dogs, still going to be getting another huge tree!

I am not having any tree this year as I have no room for real, and WILL NOT have a fake. So will be spending more time at my mums lol

Even though I have an allergy to all her creatures!

[MitchyInge]

but you don't have a dog and vacuum up crumbs yourself, surely?

and you NEED clumps of dog hair in corners of rooms for the cats to play with

I do not believe anyone actually does that twice a day!

[BelleDameSansTurkey]

I'm thinking of getting a real one because I can't be arsed to put the fake one up!

Mine also must be huuuuuuuuuge.

Dilemma, dilemma...

[emsyj]

Real one real one real one...

I LOVE ours. Last 5 Christmasses we've had a 3 foot tall fibre optic one (super-tacky) but always promised ourselves that once we had a proper grown-up house we'd get a big fat real Christmas tree - and at last, this year we have! I LOVE the smell, it's fabulous - a real tree and a bag of tangerines and it's really Christmas. I also got a huge tub of baubles from Tesco for £2 and they look pretty nice, am v. happy

[Pikelit]

Get a real one. We are about to buy another splendidly tacky fibre optic tree (2 sitting rooms, lots of windows) but when the dcs were little we went for the real thing. Along with a new hoover every other year.

For some reason I can tolerate an entirely unreal tree but not those fake trees that pretend to be the genuine article. It's not unreasonable to keep your fake tree in the loft (it might come in useful one day) while enjoying a real tree. Also if you get a real tree with roots (and somehow manage to stop the dogs pissing on it) it might live till next Christmas too.

[Pannacotta]

I agree with the suggestion to sell the fake one (advertise in local paper/Netmums etc) and use the cash towards a real one.
Even better, rent a real tree here
www.christmastreeman.co.uk/Content/default.asp

[purpleturtle]

Pannacotta, I love the idea of renting a tree, but the price!

Will be supporting the local greengrocer instead, I think.

[emsyj]

Fortunately our living room is parquet, so we can just sweep up any dropped needles without getting the hoover out. Marvellous. I have finally seen a benefit to DH ripping up the carpet and spending 2 weeks living in the kitchen whilst he sanded the floor (almost down to the concrete, it seemed like judging by the dust and sheer amount of time he spent in there).

[Pannacotta]

They are pricey yes but are re-used every year and the price includes delivery. I think the cheapest is prob not hugely more expensive than buying a large tree that size but suppose it depends where you shop...
Think I'm going to bite the bullet and hire one as I find it really hard to justify buying a tree which is used for 3 weeks max and then disposed of...

[mummygirl]

I prefer real ones for the living room but can't stand the idea of killing something just for decorative purposes, especially when it's only for about a month a year, EVERY year.

Renting seems to be a good option. I have one in my garden which I put in a pot and into my living room for christmas and then back in the garden in january. I've done this for five years now, but I think this will be the last year, as it's huge now, barely fits in the house, they do grow fast!

I suppose what I'm saying is that I think YABU ourely from an ethical point of view. You're right though about it not being as christmassy