Earlier this evening, my husband caught me looking at artificial Christmas trees online. I know this stresses him out. He doesn’t even want to think about having to buy a Christmas tree just a few days after Halloween. “I’m just doing research,” I say. Because of past experience, I know that now is precisely the time to look.
I’m getting tired of the clean up from our Christmas tree. The shedding is a getting a bit ridiculous. It might surprise you to know that the tree in question is an artificial one, and yea it sheds. Pushing 20 years old, it’s bristles resemble those found on a toilet brush, a albeit a toilet brush with alopecia.
Last year, we came pretty close to buying a new tree. We even had one picked out. My husband appreciated the fact that it was pre-lit and he would never have to string the lights ever again. I appreciated that I would never wind up in a heap on the floor with a balding tree on my head while taking down the lights. But still, it took a lot of convincing.
“Honey, just think,” I said, “You’ll never have to take the vacuum cleaner apart again!” The snowfall of needles relentlessly clogs it each December. “Just use the broom to sweep up the needles instead.” So you know how hard it is to sweep carpet?
As I mentioned, we did sort of decide to buy a new tree. And then we sort of decided not to. And then we wanted to wait until they went on sale. But they never did. And then we figured we would get a good deal on the after Christmas clearance deals. But all of the trees were sold out by then. So we agreed that our tree could make it another year or two.
Now this year, the trees are still as costly as I remember. Ah, but there is always Black Friday, right? And our tree isn’t such a bad little tree after all.
Christmas Shopping at Five Below
Countdown to the Holidays: Getting the Household in Order