A break from tradition: The benefits of an artificial Christmas tree

Posted on November 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

Growing up we always had a real Christmas tree. Some years it was small, sparse and Charlie Brown-ish. Other years it stood tall and full, reaching toward the vaulted pine ceiling inside my childhood home. One year my parents brought home a “tumbleweed” tree they had bid on at a holiday charity fundraiser. Basically, it was a huge tumbleweed spray-painted white and decorated with silver balls and red bows. My sister and I hated it, but at least it was real, if a weed.

Fast forward a decade to university. I remember the first year I returned from school for Christmas to discover my parents had sold out: they’d bought an artificial tree. “You don’t have to water it,” my dad said. “It’s so easy to assemble,” my mom added. “But it’s fake,” I replied, aghast. What would they spring on me next? An inflatable lawn Santa?

They say you grow up to become your parents. If that’s the case, I have arrived; only, my sell-out date proved a good 15 years before my parents’. I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but we are now the proud owners of a Holiday Home Pre-Lit Wentworth Fir Tree. Proud because we actually assembled it properly, first try. Embarrassed because it’s an artificial Christmas tree (and we have little kids, so it feels double bad, like conning them that the bearded man at the mall is really Santa). 

Our fake Christmas tree came in a box with four sections, lettered A, B, C and D. Even our six-year-old figured out which part went where.

Assemble as easy as A, B, C, D.
Hubby quickly assembled it:

As easy as fitting Legos together!

 
Then we pulled out the branches all around to make it look more real and less fake. Avery, who had wondered aloud why we were getting an artificial tree, was coming around. “I like our fake tree Mommy. Do you like it?” Hmmm. Bennett was less sure of the imposter. “I scared of tree, Mommy.” I get that, son.
 
Time to decorate. Avery hurried to add the beautiful, if slightly maimed, unicorn ornament. I worried she might end up with blisters or boils on her hands because to “shape” and decorate the tree the instructions read, “We suggest unplugging the tree and wearing protective gloves.”  

Mythical beast meets fake tree.

 
I was a skeptic this morning but have quickly warmed to the benefits of the fake tree. Low maintenance! No pine needles on the floor! The only drawback is our house doesn’t have that fragrant, fresh-from-the-woods smell. Also, the fact we have a faux Christmas tree makes me feel like a Baby Boomer. But honestly, can you tell this beauty isn’t real?
 

Is this one real or fake?

Every time I pass by the too-perfect tree I have to remember it could be worse: it could be a tumbleweed.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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For the birds: Birdwatching with kids at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

Posted on November 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

It’s that time of year in Calgary when there’s not a lot to do on the weekend. Fortunately, we’re not yet totally snowed in, so if it’s a nice enough day we like to get outside. We live in Inglewood, an inner city neighbourhood next to the Bow River that happens to be along the migratory path for various species of birds. It’s a short walk to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

Now, you’re probably thinking, “What kids in their right mind would want to spend a Saturday afternoon bird watching at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary?” It’s a valid question. My husband and I are hardly “twitchers” (that’s British for “hopelessly dorky birders”), but we like to see bald eagles and Northern flickers during walks around the ‘hood. We’ve also been hissed at by Canada geese when we get too close in the spring so we’re comfortable around feathered creatures. Our kids like to watch the ducks and geese take off and land en masse in the river, but the idea of the children crouching quietly in the bushes, with binoculars, for hours, waiting for a ruby-striped whatchamazoo to alight on a tree branch, is laughable. So to get their buy-in on these little nature outings, we bring bird seed.

Birding with kids: bring seeds.

 My daughter had no problem enticing a chickadee and a nuthatch onto her hand. The bird would only stick around long enough to grab a seed or two, then fly back to a tree. Tip: the birds prefer the hand held highest and filled with the most seeds. Rule sticklers take note: this practice is frowned upon. Serious adult bird watchers armed with telephoto lens cameras and bird books scowled in our direction, so my husband urged Avery to hide the seeds. But the birds were obviously famished and followed us around the lovely trails practically begging for more.

Who could say no to these beady little eyes?
We kept feeding the birds until the seeds made one of them spontaneously combust:
 
 
The glory of bird watching revealed.
At which point we high-tailed it home.
 

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Cheers to me! A Tequila Sour to celebrate

Posted on November 22, 2011 | 1 comment

And now a toast, because I’m finally blogging. To celebrate, a Tequila Sour. I love tequila and this smooth, tart drink is ideal for a chilly fall night. This recipe is from George Kaplun, bartender at the Banff Park Lodge.

A Tequila Sour is a tart but smooth (thanks to the egg white) alternative to a margarita.

Tequila Sour

2 oz tequila

1 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 oz agave syrup

Dash orange bitters

1 egg white

Dry shake ingredients in a shaker. Add ice, shake again, then strain into an old-fashioned glass (or highball glass, as pictured).

It’s a different taste than a margarita, and the egg white smooths everything out. Kaplun says you can shake additional ingredients into the drink, such as basil, mint or rosemary (then double strain so no little bits end up in your glass). But personally, it seems a lot of hassle to procure said herbs for a one-off cocktail. Stick with the basics and you won’t be disappointed.

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