This past weekend, Ramsay and I bought our Christmas tree and decorated it! I’m so excited – it looks great!

We were worried about where to find a Christmas tree in the middle of the city. Last year we drove out to a tiny tree farm in the middle of Beverly Hills that was (duh) expensive. This year, I was grocery shopping at Ralph’s when I saw a whole line of trees outside! The price – just $45. If you haven’t gotten your tree yet, check to see if your local Ralph’s has a mini tree farm (I also know many people who go to Home Depot).

Because I have a compact Chevy, who is my baby, and whose roof I am NOT down to scratch up, we rented a Jeep from Zipcar. For anyone who isn’t aware of what Zipcar is, it’s a really neat service for when you are in a transportation pinch. You go online and reserve a Zipcar (or truck, or van) that is parked near you in advance. When your scheduled time arrives, your Zipcar card is the key to open the car, and the keys are waiting for you inside. Pretty neat!

Getting the tree was a lot easier than last year (which was a 13-hour nightmare and included 2 giant spiders). The tree is a noble fir, so it will last longer than a Douglas fir, but it still makes the whole apartment smell amazing.

I love our frosted white lights (from Target) and our glittery, shiny and matte red and gold ball ornaments (also from Target). Some other ornaments we have include a “Our Second Christmas” personalized ornament from last year, my brand new plush reindeer, Ramsay’s new plush chipmunk, a gazelle from our friend Gazelle, a Santa from our friend Jake, some USC Marching Band drummers from my parents, some gingerbread men ornaments I made (blog post to come soon) and some felt star ornaments I made (blog post to come soon). The tree skirt is from Target, and the tree stand is from Ralph’s.

The whole affair took only a few hours! The best part about decorating for Christmas is that over the years you accumulate ornaments, lights and tree accessories, so it gets cheaper every year.

How did you decorate your tree? I’d love to see your photos!