I used to like live trees, but then I got sick and tired of the work, the mess, before, during, and after the holidays. Sorry for sounding like a Grinch, but they just are not worth it, especially when you can buy the artificial trees available today. Assemble it, plug it in, and I am back on the couch sipping nog and watching football.
When you stop and think about it for a moment, the whole idea of sticking a huge dead, flamable piece of pine scrub in your house is, well, wierd.
Mike