Christmas tree disaster

[coffeerevelsrock]

How bad does it look? I feel so deflated and frustrated and I know I need to get a grip but I just can't at the moment.

Getting the tree is one of my favourite aspects of Christmas and I have really loved doing it with my two boys since divorcing 7 years ago. As they are 12 and 14 now I don't expect them to be gleeful about it but need their help, Today we got our usual 6 footer and it just won't sit straight. It's fallen twice and I just feel defeated. we have the usual foot-operated stand we've had for 3 or 4 years and ds1 is usually the expert, but this year it's just not happening. I have no illusions that it will stay up and I'm just waiting for it to fall again and obviously it's massively wonky and I daren't put the star on the top.

We've all fallen out with each other and I just feel like a failure. We also have to go on a fucking Christmas walk with lights that I've paid £60 for that I just can't be arsed with, especially as it's wet. Kids wanted to go at the time but I know they'd rather not tonight now.

To make it all worse, there's a fucking fly in here in December - how!?

Can anyone cheer me up, tell me to get a grip or something? Please.

[Justilou1]

First pic did look a bit like the Fat Controller. Seems like you’ve got it sorted now @coffeerevelsrock… 👍👍👍

[goose1964]

DH ties the top of ours to a couple of heavy ornaments. You can see it hear

[spiderlight]

We had a wonky tree a few years back. We christened it Eileen and grew to love it so much that we planted it in the garden afterwards and managed to keep it alive until Easter. I was stressed about it at first but its lean became part of its charm as we got it decorated.

[UnLunDun]

@IamEarthymama I loved your post. Hope you and your DW are feeling better today. And the Tiramisu sounds intriguing lol.
OP, you have a gorgeous tree and sounds like lovely sons too, I hope the walk went well.

[NovemberNovemberDarkNights]

@TheChosenTwo

Oh *@NovemberNovemberDarkNights* if you were my neighbour or friend I’d come and help you! (I’m not particularly old and I'm not pregnant) Hope you sort it out, just ask someone - don’t try getting up In the loft yourself with a recovering shoulder.

@TheChosenTwo

That's so kind of you!

I've had to go into the loft a few times. It's not easy (especially as I have dodgy knees too🙄🙄) but fortunately the other things I needed were light or able to be thrown from the hatch to the floor!

I'll give it a go one day soon & have a think about who I can bother if I can't do it! Or just bring a couple of bits down & make do!!

Wish you were a neighbour!! 🥂

[Blossom64265]

And now you all have a story to tell about the year the Christmas tree fell over. It doesn’t feel like a good memory now, but next year or the year after that, it very well might. Sometimes the mishaps help make the holidays shine a little brighter.

[DillDanding]

We have 2 of those Krinner stands. Game changer.

[DillDanding]

It’s really not that bad.

Enjoy its bonkerness and take photos. It will make you laugh in years to come.

[LBOCS2]

@LindyLou2020

Please can someone enlighten me as to what is a "foot operated stand"?

I imagine it's one of these. They're the nuts, they genuinely are - heavy base, hold water, and you use your foot to ratchet tighten the cable so you're not trying to screw anything in or crawling around under the tree getting pine needles and spiders in your hair.

[TheChosenTwo]

Oh @NovemberNovemberDarkNights if you were my neighbour or friend I’d come and help you! (I’m not particularly old and I'm not pregnant) Hope you sort it out, just ask someone - don’t try getting up In the loft yourself with a recovering shoulder.

[shade78]

Hi about the walk I think children that age are quite unmotivated by walks. Can you bring a flask of hot chocolate and some biscuits to dip? I find catering to their sweet tooth help. I also curse at the price of these things- we feel we have to do them but £60 is not a few quid! I think your tree looks lovely fingers crossed it finds some inner balance

[TheLightSideOfTheMoon]

That’s the best tree I’ve ever seen. It actually fills me with joy.

The world leans. So does your tree. Everything is as it should be.

[TatianaBis]

Very pretty tree OP, all’s well that ends well.

First rule of Christmas tho - get the tree straight before you start the decs.

[beautifullymad]

@campion

Get some garden string, or even string(!), tie it round the trunk about half way up and attach the string firmly to the wall. You just need a small nail or tack hammered in and the tiny hole doesn't show afterwards.
That'll stop it falling over.

Otherwise it looks perfectly OK. I might have another go with the lights and make them a bit more symmetrical, also push them in the tree a bit more but, honestly it's fine.

Christmas trees are meant to cause angst from choosing to worrying that they're going to die too soon. Or is that just me?! We've yet to get ours so I've got all this to look forward to. Again

This is what I do! Partly to make sure it's straight and won't fall over and partly because my cats would have the thing over when I'm out. They did it once before and I lost most of my glass ornaments in a huge heap of glass shards.

[BlueMongoose]

When things were not perfect at work, we'd say 'make it a feature'.

Tell anyone who remarks on it's just that that the tree has had a few jars to get into the Christmas spirit.

[poolblue]

We bought our tree yesterday and with our receipt we got a printed note saying "as the weather is very mild don't bring your tree indoors until you need to decorate it and water it well". It's up in the warm sitting room, fully decorated. Me thinks it won't last til Xmas

[Iamkmackered1979]

Ifs fine op, I remember my mum sister and I in the garage trying to lop bits off the bottom of ours to get it in the stand, we were all covered in needles and sore by the time we got the stupid thing in and couldn’t be bothered decorating it that night. I think it fell on my mum too, shouldn’t laugh but we had fun in a way. Ours always look crap as I have loads of kids decorations from years gone by so it’s a hodgepodge but whilst my kids are young that’s how it is. I’ll have a lovely coordinated tree one day maybe

[Icewiththat]

This reminds me of our tree last year that DH and DC came home with- they’d chosen it. It was like a big ball of needles. Far too big for the room and looked ridiculous. It grew on me though .yours looks lovely, I’m sure it’ll grow on you too. Go pour yourself an egg nog and forget about it.

[YouDoIDo]

I love it 🥰 it looks like a proper family Christmas tree like you’ve all done it together. Hope you enjoy your walk x

[caringcarer]

OP you are do organised to have got your tree up at all and to have planned ahead for Xmas lights walk too. I am on awe of you. I have not got Xmas tree yet, only about 5 gifts, no activities organised. I feel really bad because other years I have been.far more organized. I will try harder next week.

[DysmalRadius]

My husband once has to call me at a charity event I was hosting (fortunately, only around the corner) with two children (one only months old!) to come home and rescue him from underneath the tree! It had started falling on him, but the lights were already plugged in and he couldn't get it back up or let it fall without me untangling him and it! In contrast, this appears to be a near-professional job of tree management and should all be proud of yourselves!

[SmallProvincial]

Don't you worry OP, my tree is has more.of a lean than the tower of Pisa and is only staying upright as it's propped with a cookbook under the stand.

I need to invest in one of these foot powered stands. I'd never heard of them before.

It's not just you... I thought it was just me!

[SwtPeasOnEarth]

@coffeerevelsrock
BTW, your tree looks lovely! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[SwtPeasOnEarth]

This will be the tree that is talked about and laughed about for years to come...perfect trees are easily forgotten.
How was The walkabout, OP? Sounds like a great idea

[AdventStar]

It looks lovely, OP! Hope you've all made up now and are enjoying yourselves.