Setting up the Christmas tree is one of the activities that is infamously peppered with stories of unwrapping favorite ornaments, bobbled and broken heirlooms, and parent bickering over whether or not the tree is straight, the lights look right, and what should crown the tree.
For us, this year, a couple of bulbs on our tree lights strings spontaneously exploded as we were wrapping them around the tree.
Luckily they were equal opportunity explosions: Jason and I each had one.
Mine went first and I was super annoyed at the way the bulb shards went everywhere. We had one of those, “Nobody move!” moments a la A Christmas Story. Then a few minutes later, the same thing happened to Jason.
“That’s really annoying, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Yes. It. Is.” he responded, as we once again scrambled to sweep up all the teeny-tiny shards.
But one part of the tree decorating process wasn’t as frustrating as usual for us this year.
Our old tree stand was worn-out, broken, and leaking last year, so I’d promised to get us a new one this year.
Teaching my Jewish husband how to screw a freshly cut tree into an oversized tree stand was an exercise in patience because I’m super-picky about my tree being as straight as possible.
Naturally, this resulted in much screwing in and re-screwing in of the tree, which drove Jason crazy, and resulted in a lot of complaining and bickering.
So this year, I did some online research and found the most amazing tree stand ever. It’s pricey—about three times the cost of the largest screw-in stand. But once I read the description and reviews, I had a to try it.
And what do you know! We didn’t bicker about setting up the tree this year. It only took two attempts to get the tree centered in the stand and then, voila, the stand grabbed the tree base, Jason pumped the foot pedal to tighten the stand’s grip on the tree, we threw an old combination lock on the stand to make sure the pets would not accidentally unlock the stand, and we were done in record time.
There is even a nifty water gauge, which means I am not lying on my stomach on the floor every morning sticking my finger into the tree well to figure out how much water to add.
In other words: worth every penny! And the stand is so sturdily built, I am sure it will last many years. Check it out if setting up your tree this year was a nightmare, and if you want to minimize tree-prep bickering.
Happy holidays!
I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. I am focused on making the world a saner, more expressive place. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!