How to Pick the Right Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving is over and while it’s sad to send family back on their journey home, there are a lot fun traditions in store for us this season. The Saturday after Turkey Day is our time to go Christmas tree shopping. We headed to a local family-owned tree farm a couple of miles down the road to find our perfect tree.

One tip for finding the right size tree is measuring the height of the ceiling and subtracting the length of your tree topper ornament plus six inches. You want a little space so that your topper isn’t touching the ceiling, which makes things look a little cramped. This is especially true if you’re buying an artificial tree that can’t be cut for adjustments. And although you can always cut a real tree, there’s no sense in paying for a seven foot tree if all you need is a five footer. It doesn’t hurt to bring a tape measure with you. I noticed a lot of the trees were not the same size as the tag read. 

At our local spot, we only had a choice of two different trees which makes things easy. We went for a beautiful six foot balsam tree. Make sure you get a good look at the tree while it’s standing nice and straight. Some trees look a little lopsided when standing. We have the space for a nice fat tree, so I kept that in mind too. If you’ve designated a tight corner for your tree, you may want something skinnier.

Be sure to cut the base of your tree right before you place it in water. We had this done at the shop which saved us the hassle.

While it may be exciting to cut the mesh from your tree as soon as you're home, it’s a lot easier to get it secured in the stand while it’s still wrapped. Once unwrapped, turn the tree until it looks just right. The fuller part of our tree is front and center, while the flatter backside is facing the window.

Make sure you water the tree right away and keep the basin filled. You’ll need to check the water level daily.

I couldn’t be happier with our beautiful tree! It fills out our designated tree nook perfectly and fills the house with the fragrance of the season.