Upsides to the Down Economy/Undeck Those Halls

Time to start (or finish) undecking the Halls. I have a time-sensitive motivator because the girl's grandmother is coming to watch them and is staying in my son's room (where all the Christmas stuff is stored) so I have to get it put away NOW. I usually dread it, but last night, as my husband undid the lights, we started a fire, put on music (NOT CHRISTMAS) and roasted marshmallows with the kids. Now what do you do with your tree after it's use, as an ornament, garland, tinsel holder, light twinkler, is done? Many cities have recycling options available, but you may have to haul it there yourself. The Boy Scouts also offer this service (for a fee). My son's friends gather all the Christmas trees in the neighborhood and have a New Year's Eve bonfire, which sounds like a good idea but might actually be illegal is some states. As I was researching this, I found some other options that never occurred to me if you don't want to haul it away or leave it curbside. Put it outside in your garden for the birds to find refuge in. You can decorate it with pine cones covered in peanut butter and then rolled in birdseed to attract the birds (or just scatter birdseed around the base). Want to help our aquatic friends? If you live near a pond or lake, you can throw it in there to provide shelter and nutrients for the fish. If you have a garden, you can strip the needles and use it as mulch for acid-loving plants. Whatever you do, don't leave your Christmas tree up too long. Besides being a fire hazard, it's bad feng shui. Dead plants sap energy and are downers. Also, most recycling programs for trees only last through January. While we're cleaning house, review your decorations and discard those that don't work or are broken. Chipped dishes and cups are bad feng shui as well (plus you can cut your lip on them) so my little Frosty mug is going to have to go, along with ornaments that are broken and can't be fixed. Time to toss those gingerbread houses in the garbage as well. I know it's sometimes hard to let go of things that have memories, so take a photo. As for me, I have found my solution to my Christmas tree puzzler. I am going to have my husband chop it up and use it as firewood. Since we paid more than $100 for it, it makes since to get as much use out of it as we can and it's a way for us to enjoy our Christmas tree well into the New Year. Our Tannenbaum will keep us warm on those chilly nights!