Nov 28
2009

(This piece is cross-posted at my Examiner.com page.)

Our snowman ornament is cute!

Our snowmen ornament is cute!

Today, David and I went to Pochuck Valley Farms in Glenwood, NJ to pick out and cut down a Christmas tree for our condo.  We found a great tree–and it was a lot of fun!

Picking out a Christmas tree and decorating it together is a great way to enjoy a weekend afternoon together.  It involves coordination, teamwork, and style.  However, if one guy is pulling the tree by the trunk while another clutches on to the limbs, the results will be disastrous–think Charlie Brown’s tree with a heaping side of relationship woes.  It’s one of the most significant times when communication plays a critical role during the holiday season.

When you arrive at your local tree farm, you’ll need to select the tree together.  Find one that you both adore, and measure it to make sure it fits in your living space.  (A tip–our ceilings are a standard height, and a 7-foot tree just barely fits.) Then, one man needs to hold the top of the tree to keep it from falling over while the other saws away near the base of the trunk.  Once the trunk is almost completely severed, the guy holding the top of the tree should gently lower it down.

Carry it back to your car together.  You’ll need to tie it on the roof by coordinating knots and twine throws.  It’s fun, but it also requires talking to one another and working in sync with each other.  Make sure the tree is secured tightly to the vehicle before you head home together.

When you arrive at home, install your stand together.  Insert the bolts and tighten them slightly.  Have one person hold the tree while the other cuts the very bottom off, loosening up the sap plug that may have formed during the drive home.  With one man guiding the trunk into the base, the other should lift and tilt it into the appropriate position.  Tighten the bolts fully before filling the basin with water and cleaning up stray needles.

Begin decorating the tree by wrapping it with lights.  David and I prefer classy white lights, but you can get a lovely rainbow effect if you so desire.  Next, add the topper (we use an angel) followed by garland and tinsel.  Finish up by strategically placing ornaments and candy canes to make it your own.  Buy an ornament that commemorates your relationship–like our rainbow snowmen–and place it front and center.  Put a skirt on the tree and light it while you sip mugs of hot cocoa together.

Have you and your partner purchased a Christmas tree together yet?  How do you plan on decorating your home this holiday season?  Share your thoughts with a comment below or by e-mailing relationships@alexseise.com!

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Trackback  •  Posted in Holidays  


Nov 26
2009

To everyone who may be reading on this wonderful Thursday morning…

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you (and your families) a very happy Thanksgiving!  David and I are celebrating with his family in Massachusetts, and we’re having a great time.  We drove up with his mom and sister last night–it was a great trip–and we’re going to be meeting up with the rest of the crew soon.  It is going to be a really excellent holiday, and we can’t wait to dig into some delicious turkey, stuffing, and other amazing dishes at his uncle and aunt’s house.  But the best part–being surrounded by such a fun, energetic group!

Here’s to hoping that my side of the family enjoyed their time at the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City–it sounded like a blast, and I can’t wait to see the pictures and video!

Have a very, very happy holiday with your family and loved ones, and don’t eat too much!
-Alex (and David, too!)

PS: If  you haven’t read it already…  Be sure to check out my post on Examiner.com about taking your partner to Thanksgiving for the first time.  It’s not too late to prepare for dinner celebrations later today!  And if you have any suggestions for future celebrations–either Christmas, New Years, or any holiday, send them to me at relationships@alexseise.com!

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Trackback  •  Posted in Around the Home, Holidays, Parties  


Nov 18
2009

On Sunday, Dave and I decided to visit the beach. It was a lovely day–just shy of 70-degrees with a smidgen of a cloud here and there–and we figured that it was late enough in the year that it’d be quiet.

The beach was absolutely stunning, and it was the perfect day for a nice, long stroll along the sand. Since Tropical Storm Ida barreled through just a few days before, there were a lot of murky puddles and piles of shells all along the waterfront. We could even see her remnants off in the distance–quite a sight to behold!

We wound up walking from the southern-most beach on Sandy Hook all the way to the tip, which took just over 1.5 hours. Unfortunately for us, the sun began setting when we reached the tip so we had to hurriedly rush back to the car along the access road. Of course, it was well worth the trouble of scuttling along a dark path when we caught these sweeping views of the sunset. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we did!

Have you ever visited the beach in autumn? Tell me about it with a comment below!

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Trackback  •  Posted in Outdoor Adventures  


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