<p>Some of the artificial trees have “softer” needles than others. Try to get one like that, because some are scratchy just like real trees. The one I have now has softer needles that are sort of two-tone green, which helps the tree look less fake.</p>
<p>We bought our artificial tree when I was pregnant with our oldest (she is now 17). The tree is still beautiful…it has a real trunk and hinged branches so it opens up and no branches to put on. We wired it with lights back then and most are still working (we added more). People who see our tree think it is real.</p>
<p>I suggest an artificial tree with a real trunk and hinged branches, otherwise you are putting each branch on every time you set it up.</p>
<p>One year, we bought a small Canaan balled fir and put that in the kitchen (the “fake” one was in the living room). We decorated it with all the homemade ornaments, popcorn and cranberries. It was charming, but I have pine allergy so it was hard on me the whole season. We dug our hole for planting when we got the tree in early December, because the ground freezes in late December, early January. After the holiday, we planted it and the tree did really great. We are no longer in that house, but when we go back there, we see our “Christmas tree” thriving in the yard.</p>
<p>I LOVE my beautiful artificial tree…that has the lights already on it. I can set it up myself…three pieces that hook together…plug the pieces together and plug it into the wall. Put a Christmas tree skirt around the bottom and ornaments on it, and it looks real enough to me…AND it does not shed pine needles or pine tar and it does not need to be watered. Now…if I could just convince my husband that we don’t ALSO need a real tree!!!</p>
<p>Artificial here as well. Not at first though. After spending years of cleaning up the cats’ throw-up from eating all the needles and the dogs drinking all the tree water I finally gave in and bought an artificial clear lights pre-lit one. It does have the added option of a rotating base so the tree slowly rotates in either direction. By the time we are done with all the ornaments you can’t see the green on the tree.</p>
<p>The kiddos complained how much they really enjoyed the fresh-cut ones but admitted how much the disliked stepping in old, wet, cat barf with crunchy needles. So, we have a twinkly, ornament laden spinning tree. Cats won’t get near it while it spins and the dogs stay away from the ornaments. </p>
<p>I do hang up a fresh wreath near the tree on a wall, too high for the cats, and a shelf to catch all the needles right below it, although usually it sheds very few needles. The smell is very strong so we still have the pine smell.</p>
<p>So no cat yuck, no needles, no dogs drinking gross water and a pine smell. Done.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>goaliedad made a very good point!!! Christmas tree farms offer some important habitat (of course not as good as “natural” habitat) in areas where otherwise there could be subdivisions or more intensive farms. So, do not feel guilty about cutting down a live tree.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I can relate to any mom or dad who is sort of burned out on the whole thing. </p>
<p>For cryin’ out loud, we STILL truck out to some far-away tree farm that is often solid mud (instead of the nice snowy scenerio you might imagine) and argue over which tree to cut (my eldest wants the BIGGEST one). Then we bicker (good naturedly of course 
) over who has to actually get down there and do the sawing (not me - ever) and then spend of the rest of the day struggling to get it in the stand, moving it around etc. It’s a one and a half day production. </p>
<p>I always have visions of just hauling up a pre-decorated tree, with a dusty/moldy sheet over it, from the basement.</p>
<p>Sigh. We can cut our own natural tree from our small farm or across the street to the xmas tree farm getting it cheap, any tree, any variety; but then my wife goes out a buys an artificial tree in January.</p>