I think it's time to get an artificial christmas tree. shudder

It goes against every instinct and tradition that's ingrained in my head. Christmas is supposed to be about going to get a tree, picking it out, cutting it down. But the fun ends there...

The moment the tree is at home, it becomes a major pain in the butt. Cutting the bottom is not a big deal, but squeezing it into the house marks the beginning of needles everywhere.

We're not great about keeping it watered. Inevitably, we'll forget to water it, allowing the base to seal up, strangling the tree of it's full ability to drink more water. The dreaded day where the tree stops absorbing water seems to happen earlier and earlier.

Then the needles really start to fall.

One particularly warm year we cut our own tree. Apparently it hadn't got cold enough that year to kill the bugs, and we spent that entire December vacuuming up bugs every morning. Thankfully they didn't infest the house.

And I dread the takedown and removal the most. Needles everywhere.

It doesn't stop being a pain in the butt after it's down in January. I've got a few old trees out in the woods behind the house with the other yard waste. They don't go away. And my town doesn't to tree pickup.

Of course we all put up with those things for tradition and the smell of a fresh-cut tree every year. The big reason we're thinking of going artificial this year is our new son Alex. He's 9 months old and he's all over the place. He's a maniac and he'll be like a moth to a flame with a christmas tree in the living room. An artificial tree won't stop that, but at least he won't be eating needles.

So, artificial tree, here we come. Having worked for years with Hammacher Schlemmer as a client, I know that they have some incredible artificial trees, what they call the "The World's Best Prelit Christmas Tree".

Hammacher Schlemmer also has a lifetime guarantee on it's products, similar to L.L.Bean. So I feel like I can't go wrong with this one.

I'll be picking one up this year. I'll post info on the setup after we get it.