Disclosure: This dining room Christmas tree post is sponsored by Balsam Hill.  As always, all opinions shared are honest and my own. Several years ago, I pitched my artificial Christmas tree, purchased at a 75% off after-Christmas discount.  It clearly looked artificial and shed worse than a long-haired cat.  I was tired of storing it and wanted to give live trees a try.  I hadn’t had a live tree since I was a child.  We adopted two Siamese cats when I was in 2nd grade and their first Christmas in our home, they climbed the live tree and drank the water in the stand, resulting in two kittens with belly aches from the sap.  From that point on, we had a fake tree and I carried that tradition into adulthood. I love live trees, but I have learned the downsides.  I had a few trees dry out before Christmas, so I

I owe some of you an apology.  For the past few years, I have shared tips on decorating a home with fresh greens at Christmas and doled out all sorts of advice on the subject.  When I would receive questions about keeping the greens fresh, I would answer that they just need to be put it in place and left alone.  It will slowly dry, but it will look nice for a few weeks. Okay, that was when I had hot-water heat.  Now that I have forced air, I have been introduced to the disappointment experienced when you pay good money for fresh garlands, sprigs, and swags only to have them dry to a complete crisp long before Christmas arrived. Last year, an advent wreath I made only lasted about two days… Oh, it looked so pale and droopy and sad.  The garland on the stair banister required a 30-minute vacuuming