Since I'm an empty nester I decided to put my tree up now so I could enjoy it longer. I took my time and I have to say it might be the prettiest tree I've decorated so far. Maybe everyone does this but I put icicle lights on it this year. It's easier, faster and gives more light then single strings. It was fun. I just wanted to see if anyone else uses icicle lights.

I haven't put ours up yet. We used to always get a cut tree about two weeks before Christmas. Last year tho we moved into an old house that has 12' ceilings and my cousin had a artificial tree she had bought a few years ago on clearance really cheap, BUT it is 10' and doesn't work in her house. She didn't realize how tall 10' is when your house has regular size rooms.
So she gave it to us to use last year and we will probably use it this year again.
Since this is our first experience using an artificial tree I'm not sure when we will put it up. Last year we moved on December 20th so we put it up right away. Not sure this year. Maybe Thanksgiving weekend. Not sure I want to work around it for that long tho!
I have never used icicle lights on a tree. I bet yours is very pretty!

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Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking

I wish ours was up!
We will help our daughter and family get their's up Saturday after Thanksgiving because we will be there for the weekend. We have never done this before so it should be fun. I will be giving her the tree skirt, matching pillows and family room curtains that I am making her then too. She doesn't know about them so all in all, it sould be a fun day! Our tree will go up the next week.

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Square dancing is friendship set to music!

I bet the icicle lights are pretty! We will put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving. Since there are just me and DD here, we are going out for Thanksgiving dinner with my ex. We will do the tree as a family also. I am looking forward to putting up the tree!

wont have one up til maybe dec 13th, if we have one, and it'd be down by jan 2nd. Christmas is ok but not for 2 months. I quit listening to some of my normal radio stations about this time of the year cause nov 1st they started with Christmas music. guess it's suppose to get people into the mood to shop but for me it's the whole other way around

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Good for you I wish my husband would let me put mine up now lol. I have to wait until the day after Thanksgiving.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I've always put it up Thanksgiving weekend too but it's different this year since I'm alone. It's so cheery and I love Christmas and the lights, etc... so what the heck!

Well Kathy I am jealous lol!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I wish I could find a nice cheap fake tree after Christmas. That way I could keep it up longer. We usually get ours the first week of December but by Christmas they are so dry we take it down right away.

I love my fake tree for that very reason. No needles or fire hazard. I always get my trees at either 50 or 75% off. I think lots of stores sell them at 50% off before Christmas too.

We get a real tree, usually two weeks before Christmas, and it comes down a few days after Christmas. I do put some of my other decorations around the house right after Thanksgiving, but our tree would not last until Christmas with the dry heat from our Pellet stove!

DH is on his way home with some of our Christmas stuff - including the tree. We have so much that we have to keep it in a storage building at our lakehouse! I think we will put it up tonight. If not, we will have to wait until after Thanksgiving because either DH or DS will not be here together until after Thanksgiving.

I love Christmas!!! Our house looks like the Griswold's...

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Kim

Maybe when you are done you can post a picture! I love the holidays!

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-Kristi

I was just going to ask the same thing!

I definitely will when we get it all set up! One of the "feet" (for lack of better word) had apparently fallen out of the Christmas tree box last night, so we didn't get to set it up. I am hoping it is still in the storage building. We'll pick it up this weekend.

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Kim

Our family thanksgiving plans fell through over night, so we are heading to tahoe on turkey day to spend the night at a casino and then off to the forest to choose and cut a wild tree (with permit of course) We want to get the biggest one ever and just plunk it in the middle of the familyroom...should be interesting...we rescued a 2 wk old kitten in June and she is the perfect age for destruction.

We put ours up last night! I love to look at the lights in the evening!

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Jami
*Mommy to three beautiful children and a Pug. Lovehammers Fan!*

Onethen2, if your kitten is of any size that you think she could possibly knock the tree over, secure it to the wall, ceiling or floor.

Put a small cup hook in the ceiling or wall and tie fishing line to the tree and then to the hook. It will provide enough stability to keep the tree from going over while you fish kitty out of it.

If you have carpeting with a regular, not-so-nice looking supfloor underneath it, drive a couple skinny nails down thru the tree stand and thru the carpet into the floor. DO NOT do this if you have nice hardwood floors underneath your carpet or if you don't know what type of floor is under there. My dad this several times but he knew it was just plain plywood underneath and 1 or 2 small nailholes wouldn't make a bit of difference. Saved the tree a couple of times.

My family has always had pets so we had to come up with ways to keep the tree safe over the years.

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This reminded me of the year we had 4 kittens about 3 months old at Christmas time.
We had this great idea of making sugar cookies ,you know those cut out ones decorated, and using them as ornaments on the tree.
The kids did a great job on the cookies. The tree looked so pretty. Until the kittens realized there was FOOD on the tree. The learned to climb up the trunk and walk down the branch and knock the cookies off then climb down and eat them. We usually would get our tree 2 weeks before Christmas. By Christmas Eve our tree looked sooo pitiful.

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Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking

Thanks for the heads up Targetgirl, hubby just completed making a cradle to support the tree to existing hooks in the familyroom beams. I never even thought about the tree tumbling down. I was concerned that our ornaments would disappear. The little one is a thief. She will take pens, pencils, utensils, dusters and little toys, all of which can be found under the girls bed. She also likes to crumple up paper and cardboard. Imagine telling your teacher you did your homework but your cat ate it! LOL We have had dogs and cats forever, but never like this one. She is a character.

Afurrything, what a story. I can just imagine our little one doing the same thing. When we first found her we nicknamed her 'garbage can kitty' because she would eat anything and everything!!! My girls took care of her round the clock until she got stronger and now the rest is history...she is making a life time of memories for my girls.

Have a great week.

Kts I am so happy to hear that your christmas tree brings you so much joy enjoy and blessings always... Peace. Catherine