HOME TOUR

This is the first glimpse of Christmas around these parts at Finding Lovely. I’ve partnered with Balsam Hill to bring you just about the prettiest tree I’ve ever seen. Now growing up I loved the live Christmas tree search but I have distinct memories of my parent’s groaning because of the needle drop and mess. Now as an adult I understand their reaction fully because each year I do the same thing. I rattle off the list of woes associated with a live tree…pulling needles out of the baby’s mouth, sap, it dying before we even get to Christmas, crawling on my hands and knees to water the thing, a fire hazard. Oh the list goes on and on. Until a few years ago, artificial Christmas trees were not even on my radar because I didn’t think they looked “real enough”.

Enter the first Balsam Hill catalog I ever got in the mail. I remember staring in awe at the most realistic trees I’d ever seen and thinking someday I’m going to have one of these. Two years ago we invested in what I thought was going to be a nice artificial Christmas tree however it was too small as it came in only one size. We ended up balancing it precariously on a crate to add height and hoping the kids didn’t pull it down. It was a pain to put up with all the cords you had to connect. Not a good experience for my first go with an artificial tree. I almost threw in the towel and drove straight to the tree lot.

So imagine my sheer delight when partnering with Balsam Hill this year, my very realistic, very appropriately-sized, easy to assemble tree arrived on my doorstep. Sheer delight friends.

We selected the 9 foot European Fir with Clear LED lights. At 76″ in diameter at the base, this a grand Christmas tree, and truly unforgettable. When we put it up we all just stared in awe. It’s huge and stately. This is the making of our kiddo’s childhood memories. The needles of this tree are Balsam Hill’s True Needle Technology which mimics natural evergreen needles and is one of the most realistic artificial Christmas trees you can find. The undersides of each needle are silver-toned like a real fir. They are also handcrafted to ensure longevity.

Balsam Hill has so many beautiful trees to pick from in all different sizes. Our ceilings are 9.5 feet in this old home so I really wanted a grand, 9 foot tree. The European Fir has fit this bill perfectly. And you know what, it was the most easy tree to put together. No connecting wires. Somehow the electricity runs through the center of the tree and connects each section when you assemble it. Easy to put up, easy to take down. A keepsake for years to come. We couldn’t be more excited to show you this gem as we start to welcome Christmas around these parts. Stay tuned for more glimpses soon as I start to feel the Christmas spirit.

I had hoped to decorate in neutral tones this year and was excited to find Balsam Hill’s Grand Forest Ornament Globe Set. We used three sets to get the impact of these shining ornaments on this 9 foot tree and they are beautiful. The ornament sets help you easily obtain the look you’re after without much headache or endless online searching. They are big, beautiful ornaments that will last for years to come. I strung most of mine with velvet ribbon which makes a big difference and adds some warmer tones to the tree. But buy more velvet ribbon then you think you’ll need. I do this every year, you’d think I’d have figured it out by now. 4.5 yards of ribbon only strung about two dozen ornaments. But they sure look beautiful hanging on our new Balsam Hill European Fir tree. Although this post is sponsored by Balsam Hill, I really do LOVE this tree and ornaments and am so happy to inspire you with this experience. I can’t recommend this quality artificial Christmas tree enough. It is an investment to be sure but with upcoming sales, much more doable given the years of headache-free enjoyment to come. A big heartfelt thank you goes out to my friend Ruthie of Ruth Eileen Photography for capturing the start of the Christmas magic around these parts.