My real tree has three lives: first, it is a beautiful Christmas tree, then it becomes a toy for our horses for about a month, finally it gets used as firepit fuel when we have our cook-out party in January. Decor-toy-fuel!

I bought a very nice artificial tree for $8 from a garage sale. I can't remember which store it came from, but I remember looking up the trees and the ones comparable were around $200+. It has been our only tree for five years now (I got it while I was pregnant with my older daughter) and it is still in excellent condition. My mom told me just this Christmas she still wants my tree. We kept it out of the landfill and saved a lot of money.

Love our local wa farms!

Reuse. Reuse. Reuse. We bought a YRSNO tree from Ikea a few years ago. The minimalist design is cool and adaptable to all sorts of ornaments. It also packs flat. I believe this tree stand will last for years to come.

Use a potted evergreen and plant it in the yard in the spring.