![]() ![]() To reduce risk, look for a pre-lit tree with a safety symbol from UL, a nonprofit safety organization that evaluates the safety of artificial Christmas trees, among other products.Ī metal tree is another artificial option. “If you are in the market for a second-hand tree, we recommend keeping safety and energy savings in mind as there have been some innovations, in lighting, especially,” Warner says. Just remember that a used Christmas tree can come with certain risks. If you have your heart set on an artificial tree this holiday season, consider buying one secondhand, such as at a local thrift store, Facebook Marketplace, or eBay. Put it in a shadier corner of the room, away from windows, to keep the needles green and bright. The same goes for sunlight, which can warm up and dry out the tree. Keeping the room cool will help ensure that your tree doesn’t dry out, so turn off any nearby radiators or close the grates on neighboring heating vents. O’Connor recommends waiting until right around Thanksgiving to buy a real tree. Real trees can last for several weeks when properly cared for. “A tree will use a lot of water the first week, so it is critical to keep the water level above the trunk end 100 percent of the time.” If you let the tree go too long without water, the bottom will seal with sap and will no longer take any water unless you cut another inch off the bottom, he says. “Do not let it go dry,” says Tim O’Connor, the executive director of the Real Christmas Tree Association, a trade organization that represents farms and businesses that sell real Christmas trees. If more than 6 hours pass between the time a tree was felled and when you’ll be setting it up, cut a half-inch off the bottom so that the tree can drink as much water as possible when you put it in the stand. If it snaps easily, or if the needles fall off easily when you run a hand through them, move on to another tree.Īsk when the tree was cut down. When shopping for a Christmas tree in person, snap a branch. Real trees require a bit more care than artificial ones. To soften the financial blow, Chee recommends buying early, when prices tend to be lower. “We expect to raise prices for artificial Christmas trees by around 15 percent,” due to increased shipping costs, says Brian Chee, the director of portfolio business at Treetopia, a Christmas tree retailer. Some retailers project modest, but still sizable, increases. The average artificial Christmas tree cost $104 in 2019, according to the association this year, that same tree could cost about $131. Prices for artificial Christmas trees could be as much as 26 percent higher than last year in some markets, according to Jami Warner, the executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association, a trade group that represents the artificial Christmas tree industry. We wanted to make sure we checked all the boxes: educational, durable, and most importantly, toys that will provide hours (or even years) of fun for your little one.It might seem like a holiday flora faux-pas to buy a Christmas tree before we’ve even picked out our Halloween pumpkins-because how many months of Christmas can a person handle, really? But if you’re planning to buy an artificial tree for this Christmas, you might want to get a head start: Experts say that pandemic-related supply chain disruptions will send prices for artificial trees soaring, making an already expensive holiday even pricier. (And who amongst us doesn’t want to give them all the gifts?!)ĭon’t worry: We’ve compiled a list of the best gifts for 1-year-olds, from throwback winners to award-winning contemporary favorites. Seriously, if we’re lucky, they’ve got about a five-word vocabulary at this point, so it’s not on them, but it’s still a problem for those of us who want to shower them with gifts. ![]() ![]() ![]() One thing they’re not so good at – and won’t be for a while – is telling us what gifts they want. Yes, they’re still babies by basically any definition, but every time we turn around, they’ve learned something new… which is cute when they learn to say “mama” and less cute when they learn to climb out of their crib. It’s nothing short of amazing to watch a 1-year-old’s unique personality and quirks shine with each passing day. ![]()
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