Yesterday, we finally got our tree. We held out for snow as long as we possible could, but it just didn’t happen.
Old tyme Christmas tree
The tree is small but nice, it’s a Frazier fir… It cost $54 (ouch)… The hot chocolate and cookied cost another $5.50. So after all was said and done, it almost cost me $60 for our Christmas Tradition this year.
Yes, $60 is expesive for a tree, especially considering we have an artificial tree down in the basement. But it makes the kids (and me) happy.
I was proud of my son! I injured my back a week ago so my son ended up pulling my daughter around in the plastic sled while looking for the perfect tree. He did a great job! And he even tried to cut down the tree (he only got half way through before I took over). Next year, I told him I’d let him cut down the tree all by himself.
This year was different than past years, the area on the tree farm we normally go for trees was mostly depleted, so they were taking groups over to a different part of the farm in a hayride wagons pulled by tractors. It was fun, but cold.
After we cut down our tree, and rode the hayride wagon back to the main farm, I tied down the tree on the car rack. My family went in and bought hot chocolate and cookies. Next, they sat in rocking chairs by the cast iron stove, listened to the christmas music, and finished off the cookies and hot chocolate.
Next, we all went back to the car, turned on the Christmas music and drove home.
Another thing different this year was that the kids played their Nintendo DSs all the way home. I think next year, the DSs will have to stay at home. We might take our dog next year too.
Overall, it was another great experience, even if there wasn’t any snow…
Christmas was always a special time for me as a kid!
Christmas Tree
It was my grandmother use to make it a very special time of the year. She went all out, she had a large Santa that stood in a sleigh decoration with individual reindeer that she would put on the top of her organ. Beneath the Santa decoration, she had a sheet of white foamy material that looked like snow.
The Christmas tree was put up with silver garland, special fancy homemade ornaments, silver tinsel hanging perfectly straight, and about 3 strings of lights (my grandfather hated to get them working every year). She also put decoration throughout the house, it was magical when I was a small boy. On one special gift for each person that she bought a gift for, she would wrap it so that it would create a wintry or Christmas scene (this was a lot of work).
Most years, my grandfather would go and buy a real fir-tree when I was younger, so the room that the tree was in would have a faint pine tree smell. My grandmother use to play Christmas songs (O Christmas Tree, Here comes Santa Clause, Silent Night, Rudolph, Frosty the snowman, etc) on her organ and we would sing some of the songs together. I was a great time! So, now that I have kids, this is a hard act to follow, but I wanted to do something.
So I decided to start a new family tradition.
On a whim, when my son was 1 and 1/2, we decided to buy a real Christmas tree instead of using an artificial one like I’ve had since I became an adult. Close to where we live is a large family owned tree farm. So I decided to give it a try…, and to my surprise, I was very impressed!
While we could buy a cut Christmas tree there, they also gave you the option of taking a saw and sled and cutting down your own Christmas tree. And this is exactly what I did that first year. Then when we went in to pay for it, we encountered another great surprise. They had Christmas music playing, and had a bunch of chair around an open hearth stove. They then sell popcorn, cookies and hot chocolate. So that is what we did! And to top off everything, they usually have 2 real reindeer in a fenced in area just to add a bit of extra Christmas flavor. It’s truly a great experience!
Since that first year, we have been doing it that way ever since. Now, my son and daughter alternate picking the tree every year making it that much more fun. This year, we are going to take our dog too. We usually wait for it to snow before going to pick out the tree (this is tough sometimes, because we don’t always get snow in December).
Now, you are probably wondering how much my newly created “family tradition” cost… Well since we usually go with the more expense fir trees, so in total, it costs me about $60.00. It’s one of the few times during the year that I’m a spendthrift 🙂
It’s worth it though… Oh, I forgot to mention that on the way to the tree farm, we play Christmas music in the car with the kids singing the songs… It’s a very Norman Rockwell-like experience. Using this activity, I’ve been able to recapture some of the Christmas spirit I encountered as a small child, and hopefully made it magically the same way for my kids.
Well, it’s Thanksgiving Day in the United States! Instead of listing the history, I thought I’d detail my family’s Thanksgiving Day routine.
Thanksgivings Day feast
After waking up, we watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on TV. This parade is in New York, and we don’t live close enough to see it in person.
While still watching the parades, we drift downstairs to get a light breakfast. Since we are going to have a big meal at noon, we’ll typically just eat a bowl of cereal.
We all get ready to leave. After showers, the kids get dresses up nicely, my daughter puts on a fancy dress.
Next, we hit the road to my in-law’s house. Once there we’ll have our Thanksgiving Day feast consisting of: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, stuffing, vegetables (broccoli, corn, green beans, cauliflower), noodles and rolls. For dessert, we have cake, pies (pumpkin and chocolate), brownies and ice cream.
I’ll try to watch some American football (maybe I should call this United States football), but this isn’t so popular at my wife’s parent’s house. I have to sneak the channel change… Later, we’ll try to watch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” on TV or video (my little girl gets a kick out of it).
After the feast, we just socialize for a few hours, then pack it up and drive home.
Here’s the kicker, the next day, we have another Thanksgiving feast at my parent’s house. We do it that way because my sister goes to her husband’s house on Thanksgiving day and they live over 3 hours away from my parent’s house. Before my sister was married, we’d celebrate thanksgivings day meals twice on Thanksgiving day. Once at my parents, then later at my wife’s house.
Overall, it’s a fun but hectic day.
I’m not sure if we are going to try to go out to the “Black Friday” or not. If you go out and do “Black Friday” with friends, it be a bit more enjoyable. This is a very frugal day to go shopping.
I’d like to say “Good Luck” to all the frugal bloggers out there that will participate in this event!
