Perhaps a tree with lights already on it. That is what I got after my husband died. He had always put the lights on.

the fiber optical trees are really nice and so easy.

Do yourself a favor and get a pull-up tree. They are already decorated, the lights are on, and it takes less than 5 minutes from opening the box to the finished tree! We have two 6' ones and love them.

Santa's Own is the only tree for us. Quality and beauty in a permanent tree.

Don't know if it is too late for this year, but the thrift store had all sorts of trees reasonably priced a few weeks ago.

Thanks everyone. I was very frustrated last night. I do still like my old tree better and if I hadn't got rid of it years ago, it would be up. The new tree is pretty and cost a fortune. It is a very good fake tree. I guess what I miss the most are the old lights. The bulbs on the old lights were 12 to 15 inches apart, which meant you could get them to the branch you wanted. I like my lights on the branch I want and hooked so they point straight up. The new lights get closer together each year and won't reach to the next branch. They don't last and it is not the bulb or the fuse.

I have thought of a prelite tree, but they seem to quit also. I have thought of a real tree and would like it (I have had one), but the 11 year old cat has decided to eat every houseplant. He has never touched them before, so I can see the vet visit coming.

I like what I call a memory tree. It is a collection of everything. Ornaments I bought, Mom and Dad's old stuff. things the kids (now in their 40's) made, gifts, and whatever.

I finally gave up and got the lights I bought for outside and threw them on the tree. It doesn't look half bad and I am going put the ornaments on tomorrow. (I gave up on icicles years ago)(curly ribbon and icicles= cat vet bill). I'll post a picture tomorrow.

Once you have the ornaments on it.....it will be marvelous!

I have heard so many who have gotten the pre-lighted trees and after the first year or so, part of the lights do not work..wonder why.

Yeah, I go through this every year for the last 10 to 15 years.

The lights are close together because they are meant to wrap around the limb from the tree base and back again then on to the next limb. On a standard width tree that would average 100 lights per foot of tree. It easy to do if you only put down one row of limbs at the time. I can do a nine foot tree in less than three hours.

I don't like the prelit trees because most of the trees are too full to decorate so I usually remove one limb per row. Is there a way to remove limbs on the prelits?

Raye, I don't use the miniature lights. I like the bigger ones. My original ones were the C7's and were 12 inches apart. Then the ones I bought with the tree were C5 and 8 inches apart and that worked well, but they quit in two years.

If you are getting ready to get a new one, for the last year, have the old one flocked. It's beautiful and a fun change before the new one next year.

I second the Light Keeper Pro, we love ours.

I haven't see the big old lights on a tree in over 40 years so I forgot about them. I seem to remember that they had a clip of the bottom to attach each one to the tree.

I bought one of those light keepers. Didn't fix the lights! Raye, yeah 40 years would be about right!. I took care of it this year. I just threw the little outdoor lights at the tree. They aren't the miniatures or the regular ones. Different, but okay.

It’s a beautiful tree. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Natesg! Here is this years version.