Nice People Thread No. 14, all Nice and Proper

Nikkster

Bought a tree yesterday, then ran out of botheredness to dress it so it's sat in the middle of the living room with a token couple of baubles on it. Tried to put the star on the top but I think it needs a trim first as the top brand is too long so the star was at a rather jaunty angle.
I've managed to tinsel-up the bannister though.

silvercar

I have a conifer tree in the garden that needs 6 foot lopping off it. would make an ideal "live" but rootless tree - if there is a demand for such a thing.

A bit like michaels laurel cutting ventures - free to anyone who wants to cut it.

Spirit_2

There is a treebuying ritual goes on here, DD and OH go out togeher to choose the tree. They usually start at the nursery at the top of the road, choose one there but decide to look lsewhere . They then travel round a selection of nurseries looking at more trees before going back to the original nursery and selecting the first one they chose.

I think there may be a stop somewhere for hot chocolate, the whole episode usually takes half a day.

This year we need to buy and dress our tree next weekend aswe are hosting a big family lunch the following week so need to be ready in time for that. dd and her bf are celebrating their one year anniversary with a weekend in Bath, so at the age of almost 28 the ritual is to be broken. DD is outraged.

She will be back monday night so I may save tree dressing until then. our tree is dressed in a collection of baubles we have gathered over our 32 years of marrage and honed down to the ones with a story to them, so no theme but a lot of variety . We have new ones each year as we buy them as souvenirs of trips we have enjoyed . This year we have a flat tableau of the holy family a china lemon and a glaas robin, all from sicily, a felt reindeer from Edinburgh and three gold cut out coins from Denmark.
Some of our baubles are a bit tacky others fragile and pretty but they all have value to us,it takes ages to put them on as we chat about how we came by each of them. There is a large plastic dressed santa that hides in the branches. He is especially naff but he is as old as I am and came from my parents tree.

Micheals our tree is usually about £40-£50.

A village friend has started a very eco friendly charity christmas tree business. He has about half an acre given over to growing trees. You go and choose your tree and dig it up. You have a rooted tree to pot up over christmas.After christmas you take it back and he labels it, then you go with him as he replants it. The following year he sells you your tree again. Our neighbours have one, perhaps we should follow suit now.

DD and OH have both bought bags of cheap and cheerful tree chocolates. Last year it was left a bit late and we had very pretty but eye wateringly expensive chocs from the local chocolate shop.

This year I have bought children's crackers for the lunch we are hosting very mse as only £5 a box, needed 4 boxes. Christmas day we have these.https://www.fortnumandmason.com/products/new-fortnum-s-mini-christmas-brilliance-crackers-set-of-six?taxon_id=694

Do NP have crackers and do you have a silly game to play at the table? I have bought a game that involves singing this year. It could bomb if no one fancies making a fool of themselves.

Spirit_2

Tomorrow I am cooking this http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2539637/gamekeepers-pie

OH has done the pheasnts he shot at the weekend and I bought venison sausages and partridge on Sunday so by luck I have all I need. the root veg for the topping will have to be mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips and swede. I have pheasant/ partridge stock that I made this evening.

Had wildboar and apple sausages this evening . They were delicious.

zagubov

PasturesNew wrote: »

Mine's been up, lit, fully operational, since last weekend, so over a week. I had chocolate coins ..... they were scoffed.

I reckon if all coins were chocolate, that would have a deflationary effect. Maybe :think:

SingleSue

I want to go and get the tree but there are a couple of problems...one is that Josh and James are not home yet and two (and the biggest), I can't get the tree stand or decorations for it out of the loft until James is home!

Youngest is smaller than me and would struggle to reach for the ladder and then actually get into the loft....plus he is scared, the wuss.

Generali

michaels wrote: »

Ours not done, was supposed to be this weeked but kids were told it wouldn't happen till they cleared up junk and did homework...so it hasn't happened.

Did want to get a 9 foot tree this year but the 300+ price tag was a bit off-putting for an artificial, I do like real ones but am a bit allergic and it seems pretty un-eviromental.

I'd imagine it's pretty good from an environmental POV if it's grown locally. There's going to be plenty of carbon locked up inside a fast-growing tree. Little if any pesticide or herbicide use. Provides a habitat for animals/birds (maybe too closely planted???).

ivyleaf

My children used to love decorating the tree Both DDs have their own to put up these days! and though DS lives with us he's usually too busy.
A few years ago I bought a small pre-decorated one as I realised I was dreading the work of putting the tree up and decorating it. The small tree may be artificial but is very pretty, and I add a set of small baubles and some fabric decs given to me as my Christmas present by DD1 a few years ago

Generali

Chez Generali (actually au Voiture Generali) we play a game:

1. At this time of year we shout 'Christmas House!' If we pass a house that is obviously coated in Christmas decorations.
2. After March 1st we shout, 'Crack House!' If we pass a house still covered in Christmas decorations.

Wednesday2000

Doozergirl wrote: »

Who has their tree up?

We bought one on Saturday - it is still naked. I bought some lights earlier but CBA to put them on.

I'm too busy looking at brussel sprout baubles online

I have my tree up, I got a small fake one this year but it looks quite nice.:A I would love to have a big real tree but my home is too small for one.:D