Buying the Tree

I mentioned here that we are a real Christmas tree family.

We both hurried home from work on Monday to go and get our tree.
We went to a lot near our house.

Tips when purchasing a real Christmas tree:
1. Decide ahead of time and measure how tall of a tree you want
while you are at home because you lose perspective once you get to the lot.
2. Decide on a price you'd like to stay under before you get to the lot. 
We always shoot for under $40
3. Look at all the trees the lot has to offer.
4. Ask if there are any deals or specials.
5. Wander around the lot for a while
just to make sure you have selected the right tree.
6. Test the branches to see if they will hold
a 12lb and 18lb cat that are sure to be climbing the tree.
7. Bring a blanket to lay down in your car or trunk to catch all the needles.
8. Take home the bottom of the trunk that the cut off at the lot
and any limbs that they trim off.
9. Bring your tree stand to the lot with you to ensure that the trunk
of your newly selected tree will fit down in it. 
(We did not do this and just assumed it would fit like last year. 
We  ended up having to buy a small hatchet & saw,
trim the tree for a while to finally get ours to fit once we got home.)
10. Enjoy that FRESH pine smell in the car on your drive home.