Oh Christmas Tree...

On Sunday we made the trek to Cowtown for the yummiest pancakes in the world at our favorite restaurant! Then we headed to a local farm to cut down our Christmas tree...it's a fun tradition we started once we got our little green nest. Although it was pretty cold and extremely windy, it was a whole lot of fun! We started another tradition by loading up on vegan cupcakes and brownies at Spiral before leaving so we had treats on the way home! :) Next year, we need to bring along hot cocoa or spiced apple cider to wash it all down though...

It seems that more and more people are doing cut trees instead of artificial ones, no? I have always enjoyed real trees so much more. Mainly the smell and the natural beauty of them, but they also have many wonderful environmental qualities that make them perfect for green nests. Artificial trees are made from PVC which you really want to steer clear of because PVC is typically stabilized with lead, amongst its other eco and health negatives. So something to think about...

Our first year we found a small organic tree farm which was so cute, but unfortunately they are no longer in business. Last year, we ran into a problem when we went to another tree farm and found every single one of their trees had been spray painted and looked so un-natural...we left right away and ended up cutting down a Eastern Red Cedar from our family's lakehouse :). This year we tried another farm and their Leyland's were NOT sprayed thank goodness even though their other kinds were...so we went with the Leyland, which we really love. Here's Lovebug and I in front of our tree before my Love cut it down.


As always, it's always best to support your local farmer, rather than the lot down the street that is supplied by large-scale out-of-state farms whose trees have been hauled cross-country and released a good deal of CO2 along the way. After everyone buys their trees and the holiday season is over, the tree farm will plant more trees in their place. As the trees grow, they will provide habitats for birds and other animals as well as turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. I know it's not always an option dependent upon where you live, but seriously, you might be surprised by what is right around you...Go to Pick Your Own Christmas Tree to find a farm near you!

If you go with a real tree, what are you going to do with it after the holidays are over? Most cities offer a recycling progam where they turn them into mulch...or you can compost it yourself, which is what we do. If you have a pond, you can put it in there for structure and habitat for the aquatic life. Depending upon what kind of tree it is, you could plant it in your yard, but this isn't typically an option with most kinds. Anyway, if we do cut trees, we need to make sure we properly take care of them after the decorations come down!

Well things are busy around here getting ready for Lovebug's 1st birthday party this weekend...More of that to come later :)! Gosh, I can't believe it's already Wednesday - this week is flying by! Alright, gotta run...Have a good one.