Which Christmas Tree?

Here is a great article about choosing the right Christmas tree by Sainsbury's:

Which Christmas Tree?

Christmas is less than a week away which is exciting if you happen to be a big Christmas fan like me. Most people I know have started Christmas shopping but my first concern is what to do about a tree? My sister has a snazzy fiber optic ensemble but I would prefer something a bit more traditional.

The tree is the focal point of the house during Christmas so it is important to choose the right size and shape for the space you have. This applies to fake trees, not just real ones; there are a variety of sizes on sale in the shops. A small 3ft tree is perfect for a small corner or to pop on top of a table but if you want something that will command attention, then I recommend a 6ft statuesque effort.

I know this is the right tree for me, although one that is slim or has flexible branches I can arrange myself would be best. I don’t have the room for a wide tree, especially as it’s going to be jostling for space next to the television.

Decorating the tree for me is one of the enjoyable parts of preparing for Christmas and I like to invite people round and have a sort of tree-decorating party. Generally there will be mulled wine and mince pies, and The Now Christmas album as a soundtrack.

There is a rule about color co-coordinating your Christmas tree. Too few decorations and it looks like you haven’t bothered but just as bad is the tree that is overloaded with garlands and baubles of every color and is frankly painful to look at.

How do you strike a balance? It all depends on whether you are using multicolored lights or not. You can have bright colors together if your lights are all one color, this complements your decorations well and stops the tree looking overdone. If you like colorful or flashing lights you are best to keep the colors on your tree more muted or at least not too bold so the lights and the decorations don’t appear to be fighting each other for attention.

Once your tree is up and looking pretty in all its finery, it’s time to start wrapping the presents to go underneath. For those of you who are super organized and have already bought your presents, you can start wrapping right away. For us lesser mortals we might need to shop around for Christmas gift ideas; this is where online shopping really comes into its own.

It’s a good idea to buy for people outside of your immediate family first; for example your friends, work colleagues or neighbors. That way when they pop round you can surprise them with a gift. They also look lovely all nicely wrapped beneath the tree so they can double as decorations.

It’s a good system for keeping yourself organized too; you can tick presents off your list as soon as they are wrapped up and placed under the tree.

As this is such a sociable time of year it is a good idea to have some Christmas food and drink handy; this way you can be sure to share some Christmas cheer with people you might not get to see at Christmas. It’s also a great time to be neighborly, you would be surprised at how many people appreciate being asked round for a mince pie or two.

If you like to have your own unique style of celebrating this year, there are plenty of Christmas ideas to be found online, in shops and magazines; or you could watch some classic Christmas films for a touch of festive inspiration.