A regular un-flocked tree? You bet! I don't even mind bits of tinsel here and there. Plus a small branch, cut from the tree and dried ... discourages critters from digging around newly planted seedbeds or seedlings. Just drape a few of those prickly branches across the area to be protected and even raccoons don't go digging.

Ha!! ... I can back you up on that Keeks (very addicting)..but fun!! Been a CTS member since 1976..when I was just a young thing. We went to Cape Cod when I first discovered them.. We would go there for vacation every year. As I told kathleen, I would go from one to the other all over the Cape. They usually have pretty much all the same stock..but every so often I would find something different that one of the others didn't have. I got friends addicted, when they would come up to visit at the Cape.. I remember when RI opend their first out of the Cape..A friend called me to say she was in a Hotel and it was right across the street from her!! Then they Moved to Manchester, CT. We lived in NY and would drive 2 1/2 hrs from NY to go..As time went on...more and more. Now BB&BY have bought them out, and they are really popping up. So now kathleen and I have another 'Partner In Crime' to swap stories...Sorry Ladies..but I'm sure they will be coming soon near you..be patient... Also, as kathleen said they are NOT as good as they used to be since new ownership..but still worth going.. jane

First step - tradition - bundling up as kids, taking axes & saws, and tromping thru snow to find that perfect tree to cut down, and somehow getting it home. Always placed in the corner, so perfect it had to be tied to the two adjoining window sills with rope to keep it standing. Ah, that fresh pine smell. Ah, a week later, needles everywhere! So what, we had a tree. It was adorned with those big lights, bubble lights, an array of fabulous ornaments, and the tinsel. Always looking every day in case a new wrapped gift appeared under the tree. I never have, and never will, shake, peek, or question the giver. A gift should be a surprise. The gift pile would magically increase overnite after Santa's Christmas Eve visit, and the cookie plate would be empty. Early risng was necessary on Christmas morning to see the bounty, and siblings would wake siblings first. Old parents can wait. Breakfast was on the fly, if at all. It was a full morning of PJ's and paper and toys (and boring socks!) Everyone had their pile of goodies before the wrappings were discarded. We had to be dressed before the big meal, usually 1:00. The dining room table was fully extended, and the fine china place settings carefully placed. The best meal was duck, roasted to crispy perfection with all the trimmings. Gobble gobble, and back to the toys. Christmas Day was for our family to enjoy Christmas, not running all over the place. Friends/relatives could visit the next day, or whenever. New Years Day, the holiday was over, so take down the tree. Ornaments were carefully packed away. And a final vacuum of those needles. The tree was chopped into small pieces and shoved into the coal furnace. Roast Pine! Bye bye Christmas for another year. The picture shows one box of some of the tree ornaments, which I still have. There are also some of the huge, round, hand painted ones. Fa La La, and Merry Christmas to all.

It has been a while since we have had a fresh tree -- we had a cat who sprayed them. When we did have them, we would wash them -- spray them down with water outside when also making the fresh cut on the trunk and putting it in a bucket of water before moving it indoors. It helps, but it may not be enough. Since the tree is already lit, moving it outdoors would be the only real option -- and the sooner the better. I think a lit tree outdoors would be charming -- and some bird feeding ornaments a perfect touch. Need some ideas? pinecones coated with peanut butter and seed are a classic branches with holes drilled and filled with a suet mixture Fruit -- sliced oranges and berries Roasted but unsalted peanuts in the shell with a yarn or twine tied around the middle -- you can do several in a chain -- bluejays seem to really like these popcorn strands These ornaments - https://www.southernliving.com/how-to/home/how-to-make-birdseed-ornaments-video https://www.audubon.org/news/make-your-own-suet?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-x-20181104_suet-diy_medium&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20181104_suet-diy&utm_content=medium https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bird-Seed-Ornaments https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/homemade-suet-cakes https://baltimorebirdclub.org/by/suetrecs.html Didn't find the suet recipe I was looking for and have to run DS to the ortho but there are some similar ones there.