Anyone else besides myself and Melissa have their tree up yet? Or is that just a California tradition to put it up the day after Thanksgiving? When do you usually put your tree up?

This is Alli's first year that she has really gotten to decorate the tree. This is the first year since we left Okinawa that I have put up a tree. We never put one up in 29 Palms because we weren't going to be home and figured it was a waste of effort. Until a few min. ago poor Alli thought that only Grandma's had Christmas trees . I had fun explaining where all of our ornaments came from and what they meant. She had a blast hanging the ornaments.

By Karen~moderator on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 06:32 pm:

I used to always put mine up Thanksgiving weekend, but the last few years, we've been out of town shortly afterwards, so mine doesn't go up until the middle of December anymore.

Enjoy these years when putting up the tree excites the kids!

By Breann on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 06:51 pm:

We actually put ours up last weekend. This is a busy weekend for us, and we never have time to do it!
We've put it up the weekend before Thanksgiving for the last 3 or 4 years!

By Beth on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 07:07 pm:

We did ours yesterday and there is already something wrong with the brand new light sets! Dh figured out is one set. He wants to buy more. They are the bubble lights and he really wanted them last year. I am just mad we are going to have to pay full price to replace them. Maybe they will tak them back. I am a little afraid of them now. though. Seems weird they would go dead like that.

By Yjja123 on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 07:12 pm:

We put ours up the day after Halloween. It was decorated with cranberry & popcorn garlands and cinnamon pinecones. Now we will add ornaments to it--probably this weekend.

By Reds9298 on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 07:29 pm:

We started decorating Wed.night. Normally we put everything up the weekend before Thanksgiving just because it's more convenient, but it worked out better this way this year.

By Nicki on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 07:32 pm:

Anyone put up a small tree just for the kids? I put one up for Lara last weekend, in her play room, and she has been making ornaments, since. First time I did this with her and she is enjoying it so much! And just about anything that hangs has been added, lol. I found a couple of my earrings on it today as well as a large rubber band carefully placed on one of the branches.

By Vicki on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 07:49 pm:

I am sure we will get to it this weekend sometime. Dd is off school Monday too, so that is even a option. I was to warn out today for much of anything except scrubbing my kitchen floor and laundry. We ended up with 23 people here yesterday and while I loved every minute of it, it was allot of prep work and clean up!! Dd is having a friend spend the night tonight and I THOUGHT about doing it and having them help, but then I thought of something else... LOL

By Vicki on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 07:51 pm:

Oh, Nicki, we do put a smaller tree (I think it is 5ft) up in dd's bedroom. We have done this since she was about 3 and she loves it. I let her have at that one. She can decorate it and take everything off and do it again till her hearts content. I think that is one reason that she has never bothered the big "family room" tree!!

By Yjja123 on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 08:03 pm:

We have a 4' tree for the kids. It is the "elf tree" completely decorated with a collection of elves.

By Pamt on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 08:23 pm:

I'll start the Christmas decorating this next week, but we usually don't put up the tree until about 2 weeks before Christmas. We get a real tree and it is just a mess by Christmas Day if we put it up this early. We let it enjoy being rooted and outside until the last possible minute.

By Kate on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 08:30 pm:

The tree always goes up today, the day after Thanksgiving, as well as all the other decorations. One thing I HAVEN'T done yet is remove the cornstalks and scarecrow and over 50 gourds from the front yard yet!! Whoops!

Each daughter has her own tree in her bedroom but they are only about two or three feet high and remain fully decorated all year round, but down in the basement during the off season. I decorated each one when they were babies, so they've never gotten to decorate it themselves. I also have a small one on my upstairs landing and I now need one in my computer room.

By Imamommyx4 on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 08:58 pm:

If it is an artificial tree year, the day after Thanksgiving. But dh wanted to go see Harry Potter after I got home from shopping and now I'm way past tired.

If it is a real tree, usually about 2 weeks before Christmas.

By Bobbie~moderatr on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 09:16 pm:

I put mine up Wednesday. Looks so pretty in here.. Love all the lights.

By Kernkate on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 09:18 pm:

Mine will go up this weekend along with my outdoor lights, if its warm enough. I just love the look of all the lights and feeling of Christmas.My favorite time of the year.
I love watching my kids decorate the tree, it just seems like their eyes just gleem, even my DS who is 19 still loves it!

By Dawnk777 on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 11:06 pm:

The kids have little trees in their bedrooms. They are already up. We get a real tree, for the living room and will probably wait until December to get one, since it's a lot of work to keep it watered and stuff.

By Colette on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 11:06 pm:

I always buy a real tree and it goes up about 2 weeks before Christmas.

By Kay on Saturday, November 26, 2005 - 08:53 pm:

We usually put our tree and decorations up right after Thanksgiving, but put it off a little because I gave a 50th birthday party for my husband last night, and it was enough just getting the house cleaned, food ready, etc. that I didn't want to rush getting the decorations up as well.

By Bellajoe on Saturday, November 26, 2005 - 11:17 pm:

We put our tree up today. We usually chop down a real tree but this year we bought an arificial one. It looks so pretty and already has the lights on it so no more stringing the lights on the tree! yeay!

My kids were so excited to put the tree up.