Peltzer Pines Christmas Tree Farm

How is it possible that I've grown up in Orange County and never known that there are Christmas tree farm where you can cut your own trees?!

For past couple years I have lived 10 minutes from one of them.

Ten Minutes!

My friend Courtney let me know about Peltzer Pines and 

we headed out to meet her this morning for the grand opening.

these are itty bitty Christmas trees in training

They open every year the Saturday before Thanksgiving at 9 am

where you can go and pick out your tree for future cutting.

In fact, people get there early for the best pick of the year.

We arrived at 9 am and there were already plenty of people there and plenty of tags showing sold.

We were greeted by a man who asked if we'd been before, explained the process

and told me the best place to park so we would be near the tree sizes we were looking at.

So nice and friendly which was exactly what I had hoped for in a family owned farm

full of holiday spirit!

Each tree has a tag.

White shows the price and you pull that to purchase the tree at the front of the farm.

The red tags show that they have already been purchased.

Once chosen you can cut it yourself or have it cut down for you and carried to your car.

They are open until December 23rd so you can have your fresh tree whenever you are ready!

You can see above that there are 2 different kinds of trees.

On the left the Leylandia, a type of cypress, 

and on the right you find the Monterey pines.

The Monterey pines are grown from seed imported from New Zealand (yay!)

and are incredibly fragrant.

These trees are going to make your whole house smell like Christmas.

Courtney tells me that they release more fragrance as they start to die, once they've been cut.

I love knowing that the closer to Christmas the more fragrant.

Forget the trees, Peanut immediately found a stick and was pretty happy the whole time.

And there were rocks

and dirt

and even a few bunnies.

And bunny poop.

And he picked up all of it.

And tried (or succeeded) to put most of it in his mouth.

Well, except for the bunnies.

Doesn't he look like a little elf?

His ears are a little pointy,

or am I not supposed to say stuff like that :)

The cutest little elf ever!

Anyway, the trees are pricier than most other places but I believe you pay for the whole experience.

Even if you don't want to buy a tree there,

it's perfect for some Christmas photos.

I did see some families taking what is sure to be holiday card pics.

Perhaps we'll have to bring the boys back for a little photo shoot!

Where do you get your Christmas tree

and what kind do you get?