caring christmas trees, please.

I got Bry to bring our box of christmas decorations out tonight as we're getting our tree tomorrow. It was on a very high shelf, where you need to lean over 2 bikes, a basketball, a toolbox and a massive Mexican hat, under the Simpsons Monopoly, the old VHS player, the Balderdash and the backgammon set that I bought for Bry's christmas last year that hasn't even been opened - definitely NOT a job for Abi wobbles-over-just-by-looking-up Cornwall.

EXCITED!

I decided before I opened the box that I would blip it as soon as it was opened without moving a thing.

In my head I was expecting a massive clutter of shiny bobbles, twinkling garlands, glittering icicles and all the other bits and pieces that dress our tree year in and year out. For some strange reason, every time I open this box I forget what's in there and it's like opening up a massive present.

Anyway - in my head the box would not look like this....I appear to have inherited a few of my mum's little tidying ticks (sorry, Mum). After peeling back the flaps I suddenly remembered my hugely bossy attitude after the tree comes down of forcing Bry into helping me wrap up all the christmas lights properly ("We'll be grateful we did this when we take this box out next year") and wrapping up the glass bobbles (I can't bring myself to type baubles. Oh. I just did it) into one of the christmas stockings to make sure they can have pride of place next year without being cracked and snapped.

This will be the 3rd year we collect our tree from these guys: Caring Christmas Trees The operate in Fife, Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Glasgow and Paisley. If you've not ordered your tree yet or you don't know where you're getting it from then I can HIGHLY recommend this idea. The trees are really quite cheap (no more expensive than B&Q or whatever) and all of the profit from the tree you buy goes to homeless shelters over christmas. I think that from the money that comes from 1 tree you pay for 1 hot meal, 1 bed and 1 breakfast for a homeless person, with a bit of advice and hot & cold running water thrown in.

The trees have always been beautiful and when you go to collect your tree the volunteers are always so helpful and friendly you really do get a lovely glowing feeling from having done a bit of good.

In fact, the man that helped us with our tree last year was very small and very lovely with a giant smile and he insisted on carrying the huge tree to our car and was full of christmas spirit. In the end he was so lovely that I spent the entire journey home crying my eyes out at the sheer lovliness of it all.

I feel I should point out that I was 6 months pregnant at the time.

Sorry if I sound like an advert, I just think it's a great cause. And yes, I realise I should have probably said something about it before now...