Mean girls aren’t born; they’re created

When I was in middle school, the popularity board of directors chose me as their new target. They created an online poll and sent it around to everyone in our school. The poll was titled, “Who’s Uglier: Lilly Holland or Sarah Johnson’s Leg Hair?”

Poor Sarah Johnson, who was endlessly mocked because she wasn’t allowed to shave her legs. As I sobbed into my mom’s lap, she stroked my hair and assured me that the girls who created that poll were mean girls, and mean girls are not people you want to be friends with, now or ever. Of course, she ended up being right. One of the girls continued being malicious right through college. I’m sure to this day she’s still a mean girl.

Mean girls aren’t born; they’re created. They’re empowered by other kids and their parents, often inadvertently. As a teacher, I watched this happen in my classroom every year. There was always a mean girl. The girl who put others down to make herself feel better because she lacked confidence and control in her life. She had her band of loyal followers and would gain power every time she did something unkind. Every year there was a different version of the same girl. And every year, the old adage would ring true: the apple never falls far from the tree.

Nine times out of ten, the mean girl had a mean-girl mom. The mean-girl mom disguised it better than her second-grade daughter, but it was still obvious from her interactions with others. The power structure doesn’t really change from elementary school, it just becomes more complex.

Today at our library, I saw exactly how mean girls are made. My daughter, who is 18 months old, was enamored by the two five-year-olds that were playing with LEGO bricks. The two girls and their mothers were the only other people in the library. My daughter inched closer and closer until she was within reach of the girls. Not yet able to really communicate, she gave her own kind of greeting. Beaming, she reached out to give one of the girls a pat on the arm.

The girl pushed my daughter’s hand away, stomped over to her mom, and loudly complained right in front of me, “There’s a baby over there, and I do not like it!” If my child had said that, I would have been mortified. This mother rolled her eyes and suggested her daughter ignore “the baby.” My baby, whose mother was sitting ten feet away from this dynamic duo.

I gave the mom the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was embarrassed and didn’t know how to handle it. Clearly, the girls were not going to give my daughter the time of day. Knowing how tough it can be for older kids to play with younger kids, I took Penny’s hand and led her to play in another area. The little girl came back, unprovoked, and said, “You can’t stand up like we can,” jabbing her finger in the air, “because you are a baby.”

The mother was nowhere to be found, so in my best teacher voice I said, “You know, kiddo, you were exactly the same age and size not too long ago.” She ran away.

We play a huge role in our children’s lives. The mother was probably tired of hearing her daughter’s complaints. Since she was enjoying having a conversation with her friend, she told her daughter to ignore the baby who was “bothering” her. What about explaining to her that little kids look up to big kids? Or asking her how the baby was “bothering” her and then trying to figure out a solution?

Every decision we make sends a message to our children. That little girl learned that it’s okay to act unkindly towards another child just because she’s younger. If Penny had come up to me and complained about a smaller child annoying her, I would have explained to her that in our family we are friendly to everyone and that she should be especially friendly to younger kids who admire her.

When I walked into the play area initially, I sat by the two moms because they were the only other adults in the library. I thought it was odd that neither acknowledged me. Of course, I didn’t expect to be brought into a private conversation, but a simple hello would have been nice. It was inconvenient for those moms to say hi to another mom, just like it was inconvenient for one of their daughters to be kind to another child. It was inconvenient for the mom to take advantage of a simple teachable moment.

I’d like to think this was an isolated incident. I know through many interactions with children that this is not the norm. Most kids see babies toddling around the library, remark how cute they are, and bring them into their game—at least temporarily. Obviously, we can’t—and shouldn’t— monitor everything our children say and do. However, it seemed this child has already learned, whether through inconvenience or blissful ignorance, that it’s okay to be unkind to someone else.

I wish I had had the courage to speak with the mother myself and try to figure out why she responded this way. Instead, I’m writing about it now. Hopefully, someone can learn from it, no matter which mother you are in this story.

I'm a former New Yorker turned suburbanite. I'm incredibly lucky to be a professional writer and stay-at-home mom to Penny: my sassy, mischievous toddler. When I'm not pulling play-doh out of Penny's mouth, I write about parenting and my former career as a teacher in an elite NYC private school.

During the years surrounding my son’s autism diagnosis, I could barely say the word “autism” out loud. I thought I would just break down every single time and, frankly, I didn’t have time for that. To be clear, this had nothing to do with shame. Not one day has gone by that I am not immensely proud of this boy.

It was about fear, worry, the unknown, and all the other bumps along the road to acceptance. All a parent could ever want is for their child to be okay.  Autism has a way of tricking your brain into questioning if that will be the case.  There is so much to learn and understand before some of that uncontrollable worry begins to fade.

I threw myself into research. We got on waitlists. I began on the path to truly knowing this boy.

And I wrote. I got it all out. Everything that was too hard to talk about at the time. Processing this kind of information is not easy, and it can be very lonely. This is a big reason why I am here, sharing our story. I never want other families to feel the same confusion and loneliness that we felt at the beginning of this journey.

It has meant so much to me to connect with other autism families, some who are going through the steps to a diagnosis or have a child that was recently diagnosed, and other parents of children of all different ages and abilities.

The main message I want to convey to all these parents is that there will be many times that you will feel alone in this, but you do not have to be. I constantly must remind myself of this.

I cannot tell you how many situations there have been where my knee-jerk reaction was that no one knows how this feels. The same battles, day in and day out, the medical incident reports, medical and educational decisions, the moment I saw AUTISM written on paper in an evaluation about my boy.

I’ll tell you there is not one thing I could tell my fellow parents of children with autism about our life that would shock them. Seriously. The fears, the frustrations, the meltdowns, and all the “inappropriate” behaviors we’ve faced. They get it. They also get how big some of the simple, small victories truly are as well.

Things can still be hard for me to process a lot of the time. Sometimes it seems easier to sit alone with the tough stuff. If you do this, please don’t stay there long. Let someone sit with you.

Find your own way to work through your thoughts and feelings. They are real and should not be ignored.

Talk to someone. You might find this safe person in a waiting room at therapy or the pediatrician’s office, on the playground, or online. If all of this sounds impossible and overwhelming because you can’t even say “autism” out loud yet, that is okay too! It will get easier to talk about and then you will be ready to lean on others.

The best way for your friends and family to learn about autism and support you as a parent raising a child with autism is to tell them. Tell them about your child. Tell them about your struggles, your child’s struggles, strengths, passions, victories, and all the things.

They might not understand exactly how you feel, but they don’t have to. Sometimes talking through things just leaves you feeling better. I promise your people want to support you and celebrate with you and your child, you just have to let them.

I’m not saying you have to wave your autism awareness flag as loudly as I do. We all do this life differently. Find a place that makes you feel supported.

I am so much stronger today than the day I walked out of that psychiatrist’s office with my son’s diagnosis in hand. My whole family is. If you would have told me this back then, I may have not believed you.

My boy is always growing and evolving and most days it feels like autism is always one step ahead of me. It’s like trying to catch and examine the wind. There is still so much unknown to wrestle with.

While I may never understand everything going on inside of this complicated boy, what I do know is that I will never stop trying, and there are so many people here rooting for him.

This post originally appeared on wilsonsclimb.com.

Lauren is a proud mom of two adorable kids, her son Wilson and daughter Charlie. She is constantly learning from her children and loves to share their adventures from the world of autism on wilsonsclimb.com.  Lauren shares her son's journey as one small piece in helping to spread autism awareness around the world.  

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced a recall for Target’s Cat & Jack baby rompers due to a possible choking hazard. If you have this product or think you have this at home, read on for more info on this important recall.

The current recall includes the Cat & Jack Baby Heart Ears Rompers. According to the CPSC, the heart-shaped graphics on the knee areas could come off the romper. This poses a potential choking hazard. Target has received 40 reports of the hearts detaching and one report of a choking incident.

photo courtesy of U.S. CPSC

This recall includes 44,359 rompers sold in sizes newborn through 24M. The gray rompers have red hearts on the knees and hood, a red and white-striped lining inside the hood, red trim on the pockets, wrists and ankle areas. Along with the colors and decor, the recalled rompers also have snaps on the legs.

Product numbers included in this recall are 206-09-6476, 206-09-6477, 206-09-6478, 206-09-6479, 206-09-6480, 206-09-6481, and 206-09-6482. Find the product numbers on the white tag inside of the romper.

If you have one of the recalled rompers, stop using it immediately. Return the romper to a Target store for a refund. Customers who purchased the romper online at Target.com should contact the company to get a prepaid return label. Contact Target with questions at 800-440-0680 between 7″00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. CT seven days a week or visit Target.com and click on “Recalls.”

—Erica Loop

 

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Photo: Pixabayy

Let us face it no-one wants to talk about poop, poo, number two’s, or whatever you call it.

But it seems from the moment your baby is born, and for years to come, you find yourself talking about poop.

When They Are Babies:

  • What is normal?
  • How often should they poop?
  • What should it look like, smell like, etc.?

When They Start Potty Training:

  • Why won’t they poop in the potty?
  • When do they stop pooping at night?
  • Why did my child poop on the floor?

And heads up— the poop discussions do not come to an end even when they eventually start using the toilet and wiping their own bums.

  • Did you poop today?
  • Did you wipe your bum properly?
  • Did you wash your hands?

It never seems to end­­, okay it must end at some point, but we have not reached that stage yet.

On the plus side, at least you are not physically pooped on anymore. If you have not been pooped on as a parent, you have not yet fully experienced all the joys associated with parenthood. Like the time my son pooped all over my husband whilst we were enjoying a beautiful day out. And to make matters worse, my husband did not have a change of clothes (that was pleasant). The time my son slept with his own poop all up his back because his nappy had come loose (of course we did not know he was asleep in his own poop). And the famous “it just fell out” poop on the floor story—okay maybe not famous but it is well renowned in our house.

But enough about poop.

Parents of babies and young children all around the world look forward to the day that their child is entirely toilet trained.

However, to attain this higher goal, you must go through the dreaded potty-training stage.

Now I am going to put something out there that may be controversial. Potty training your child in three days or less is a myth.

It sounds impressive; it sounds simply fantastic. The idea that you can take a potty and a two-year-old child and in three short days you can magically fully potty train them, well I say it cannot be done.  

I said this might be controversial so let me explain.

I admit some children are easier to potty train than others. We have all been given potty training tips, heard the potty-training stories of boys vs girls and the complexities and challenges of potty training each gender. But I tell you what I have never heard—not from a single friend, colleague, family member, friend of a friend, friend of a colleague—okay you get the picture, but I have never heard any tales of these mythical children that are fully potty trained in three days.

In preparation for potty training my son, I dutifully did all the online research, and in doing so, I came across “How to potty train your child in three days.” 

The method was

  • Choose a weekend or time during the week where you could do commit to doing three consecutive days—check,
  • Choose warmer summer days—check,
  • Buy the potty——check,

AND

  • This is where it all unravelled­—leave his nappy off during the day (no nappy, no underwear – just a bare bottom) for the full three days.

The theory being that if they pee or poop on themselves (which makes a change from the pee and poop being on you) and they can see and feel it happening then they will be more inclined to use the potty.

The theory sounds good right—which is why I decided to give it a shot. But this did not work for my son. Peeping all over himself just got him completely upset, and I could see I was doing more harm than good.

It was not that he would not sit on the potty. Before I started with the official potty-training, I had got him involved in the process. We decorated his potty together in his favorite Thomas, the Tank Engine stickers. I would sit him on the potty in the bathroom and read a book, to get him comfortable about being on the potty. So, he was completely comfortable sitting on the potty he just did not like the pee running all down his leg, and who can blame him?

Time for Plan B.

This time I tried recommended method number two. This method involved taking my son to the potty at regular intervals (requires a lot of commitment), and based on the law of averages; he would eventually do something in the potty. Once he successfully pooped or did a pee in the potty, then we gave encouragement and praise. We also had a little rewards chart where we placed a sticker for every successful potty incident. After 10 stickers he got to choose a new train (one learning we made was this extravagant reward system quickly became expensive).

This method worked a lot better for my son, he found this less stressful, and he was potty trained at around 18 months.

But was it in three days—not a chance?

Even after he was ‘potty trained’ we still had accidents remember the poop that ‘just fell out’ well this was after he was already ‘potty trained’. We still had wet underwear sent home from daycare occasionally and the odd pee to clean up off the floor at home, but we got there.

So, my message is: Do not put pressure on yourself! If you find yourself amid potty training and feel as though you are doing something wrong because you have not successfully managed to potty train your child in three days or even three weeks, do not worry. Your child will get there, but there will still be accidents, there will be pee and poop to wipe up.

But one glorious day, the poop discussions in your house will disappear, and another milestone in your child’s life will have been reached.

I am married to Brandon and am the proud Mum of a beautiful son. My mission is to help busy parents navigate the critical milestones of their child’s life. Children are truly phenomenal and can achieve amazing things when given the opportunity to Play, Learn and Grow.

Ring has recalled 350,000 units of their 2nd generation video doorbells due to fire hazard. The battery inside the video’s doorbell can overheat when the wrong type of screws are used during installation, which leads to fire and burn hazards.

The model number of the recalled units is 5UM5E5. The doorbells have a blue light and come in two different colors: black and silver or black and bronze. Ring has received 85 incident reports of incorrect doorbell screws installed with 23 of those doorbells igniting, resulting in minor property damage. The company has also has received eight reports of minor burns. Anyone using a Ring video doorbell can check to see if their unit is included in the recall by entering the doorbell’s serial number on Ring’s website

Anyone with a recalled unit needs to stop installing or using the affected video doorbell immediately and download new instructions, which you can find here. You can also call Customer Service at 800-656-1918 from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT, seven days a week, or at www.ring.com; click on help, then on Installation Services for more info.

—Gabby Cullen

All images SPSC

Harvard student Alexa Jordan could teach the class on world travel and food allergy advocacy. A mid-flight anaphylactic reaction spurred this inspirational political science and government major to resurrect legislation requiring epi-pens on airplanes. Not only has she gotten back on a plane—she’s studying abroad this summer while using her passion for the law to fight for human rights at 30,000 feet.

Tell us about your journey with food allergies. 

“I’m allergic to tree nuts and I have sensitivities to several fruits. I was allergic to peanuts and outgrew that recently. While I’ve always carried my epi-pen and checked for allergens in restaurants, in the absence of reactions, food allergies really faded to the background of my life. When I was in elementary school I was anxious and worried about what I called ‘nut germs.'”

A Turbulent Journey

“Everything changed after a recent flight home to Chicago after my freshman year at Harvard. I had a mid-flight anaphylactic reaction to a salad I had brought on the plane. I had purchased it in the airport, alerted them to my allergy, and confirmed that it didn’t contain nuts. The experience has brought food allergies to the forefront of my life.

Within the first bite or two after takeoff, my tongue was itching. Because it was a mild reaction, I wanted to take Benadryl but didn’t have any with me. I asked the flight attendant for it, and they said they didn’t have any on-board. Then my throat began to itch and tighten, so I decided to use my epi-pen in the bathroom because I wasn’t sure I could inject through my clothes.

It was bad enough that I was having a reaction mid-flight, but how the airline handled it was awful. I stayed in the bathroom alone for the remainder of the two-hour flight. The flight attendants only checked on me once and that was to ask me to lock the door so other passengers knew the bathroom was in use! They never made an announcement or asked if a medical professional was on the flight. As I exited, they mentioned they did have epinephrine, which had I known, I would have considered giving myself a second shot. I also later learned airplanes are required to carry Benadryl (or an equivalent), which means the flight attendants on my flight didn’t even know what was on their plane.”

As I sat alone on the bathroom floor of the plane, I thought, ‘This is never going to happen to anyone ever again. I don’t know how, but this can’t happen again.’ My interest in the law led me to research what medicines and training the FAA already requires. I discovered that there was an effort to require epi-pens on flights which sadly failed to pass. I was determined to start a petition to revive this act—S. 1972 Airline Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act of 2015.”

How did your petition take off?

“I shared my story on my Facebook and it immediately was shared. I was on news outlets including NBC Investigates, which helped spread the word. I started reaching out to legislators and it caught the attention of my senator, Tammy Duckworth. Virginia Hayes from her office has helped me be a part of the legislative process. Since my incident, in-flight allergic reactions like when Dr. Mike saved a passenger continue to happen. My story and others are helping to raise awareness and I’ve seen people coming together, with and without allergies, offering their help to get the bill passed.

My goal is to get 200,000 signatures and we need more. The response has been great, we have 177,000 so far. Anyone can sign it nationwide, food allergic or not! It’s imperative we share stories like mine to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Share this petition and call your senators, state representatives, and congresspeople to let them know this is an important issue. We are so much stronger together.”

What grade does Harvard get for food allergies?

“When I was looking for schools my focus was to find a college where I’d be academically challenged and around like-minded students. Luckily my two top choices, Harvard and Yale, are phenomenal about food allergies. I ate at both during the admitted students weekend, and you can meet with the chefs. My dining hall can make allergy plates separately in a designated area, wrap them up and put them in a special allergy fridge. I wish I had found the Spokin app before I was looking at colleges—it’s a perspective on the college hunt that just doesn’t exist anywhere else. The app lets you look up colleges and even contact other students with any questions you have. It’s really unique and helpful!”

This isn’t your first international trip, what’s your best advice?

“I had plans to study abroad in Spain this summer prior to the plane incident. While my doctor advised me not to go on this trip because of my anxiety, I felt prepared, safe, and in control. My program, The Summer Institute of Hispanic Studies, and the directors have been amazing. While I was on excursions, they’ve gone hours in advance to talk to chefs to ensure there would be no allergens in my food or risks of cross-contamination.”

I have translations of the names of different nuts and I made chef cards. Airbnb has been the hidden tool for traveling abroad—if I don’t feel safe, I can buy my own ingredients and cook my own food. It hasn’t been a burden, it’s actually been something I’ve enjoyed.”

A Community Safety Net

“I never felt connected to other people with allergies in a strong way. After my reaction in the air, I’ve been awakened to the food allergy community on a whole new level. I started to see all the advocacy of these people going through the same challenges.”

This post originally appeared on Spokin, Inc..

Spokin is a modern platform and app connecting people managing food allergies to resources including food, restaurants, hotels and more. Users have personalized experiences based on allergies & location. With 55,000+ reviews across 79 countries, Spokin helps the allergy community share and connect. The Spokin iOS app is free on iTunes.

Check your toy box. There’s been a recall of Manhattan Toy’s Manhattan Ball plastic activity toys. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Manhattan Toy has received six reports of the plastic tubes detaching from the center ball. If a tube with a silicone teether detaches the silicone teether becomes a choking hazard. 

Manhattan Ball

The toy has a hard plastic center ball with 12 soft plastic tubes inserted into the center ball and 7 silicone teethers threaded on the tubes.  “The Manhattan Toy Company” and lot code 325700EL or 325700IL are printed on the center ball.

Manhattan Toy has received six reports of the plastic tubes detaching from the center ball.  Two of the six reports included a silicone teether being separated from the toy.  The firm also reported one incident of a child mouthing the silicone teether after it came off.

The Manhattan Ball was sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com from Jul. 2019 through Jun. 2020 for about $10.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Manhattan Toy or return it to any Target Store for a full refund.

You can reach Manhattan Toy at 800-541-1345 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Mon. through Thurs., email at help@manhattantoy.com, online at www.manhattantoy.com and click on ‘Recall Information’ for more information.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

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Since my diagnosis and hospitalizations I have often had people ask me how I am doing. It is always such a loaded question, like, where do I begin? How much do they know? How much do they want to know? Should I be honest, or should I act like I am doing good?

Most of the time I say something along the lines of, “I am hanging in there.” or, “today is a good day.” I just figure no one wants to hear, “Well, I threw up all night and I haven’t pooped in a week, but enough about me, how’s the family doing, Susanne?” Turns out, people don’t just ask this question to take up time. They genuinely want to comprehend how I am doing and what they can do for me. I learned this when recently a friend asked how I was doing and I replied with, “I am feeling so much better.” She then turned to me without skipping a beat and said, “Okay, thanks for accommodating me. How are you really doing?”

I paused and just let it roll. I may have rolled it too eagerly because pretty soon I was a sobbing mess, but my friend didn’t falter or awkwardly change the subject. She listened. She sympathized. And the surprising part was that she thanked me for being authentic because then she was better able to understand my needs. It was there that I was realized that being vulnerable doesn’t make you weak; it makes you stronger for being genuine.

The other thing I have learned is that people want to help, people want to be needed. I have seen this countless times as I have watched my tribe of family, friends, acquaintances and strangers have offered their love and assistance. This has been a very humbling experience for me…to say the least. I have always wanted to do things myself. I have a really hard time asking for help. I would almost rather serve everyone around me before asking someone to lighten MY load. I always thought like asking for help made me inferior, but then I would get upset when some of my friends kindly refused my help when I offered. By the way, why is this a problem with women? It seems like men easily can text someone, “hey bro, wanna help me move my whole house this Saturday? K, cool.”

After my incident happened and I was on the long road to recovery I literally could not do certain things. I have felt so much love for people who jumped right in to fulfill the things I could no longer do.

I feel love as I watch people deliver dinner to Peyton and Samantha. I feel love as I see a whole ward of mothers look after my children when I am in the hospital. I felt love as my new friend, a cosmetologist, came to my home to wash, cut and style my hair the night I got home from the hospital. I felt love as my friend came to the hospital armed with a girls night in activities and proceeded to curl my hair and paint my nails.

I have felt love as people have sent baby blankets, get well soon cards, inspiring books and beautiful flowers. I felt love as I have been given countless priesthood blessings from so many willing men. I feel love when my daughter shouts to me as I am laying down, “I hope you  feel better!” I have felt overflowing love as I have watched my mother, father, and in-laws dedicate months and months of traveling to Florida to help us. I feel love as a friend has been doing my laundry.

I felt love when our friends came and spent their vacation watching my kids, cleaning my house and running errands for me. I felt love when a few days after my surgery my husband carried me into the hospital shower and washed my injured body, completely drenching his fully clothed body in the process.

I often have thought about this whole situation as a nightmare and an experience that impaired my life within a few minutes. I have recently started to try and shift my thinking to all of the incredible blessings that I have seen and the love I have felt as this has transpired. Had this never happened I would never have become closer to my husband, my parents, my sister, Peyton’s coworkers, my new friends and fellow church members.

If you are struggling with a difficult situation, may I share with you what I am starting to slowly learn? There is good.  Find it. Hold onto it and try and grasp it when you feel like you can’t go on another minute. Feel love as people administer service for you. A nurse in the hospital shared something with me when I was being discharged and overwhelmed at the thought of recovery. She said, “Someone asked me if I could eat an elephant.” Of course, I replied, “No!” To which they told me, “You could…one small bite at a time.”

Remember, the Lord has not given you more than you can handle. These trials and hardships will make you so much stronger in the future. I know this can be difficult to hear when you just want to curl up in a ball and sulk in self-loathing. But, I know that you (and all of us!) were not sent to earth to be miserable. So if you are going to walk away with anything from this post; let it be this. Be vulnerable. Ask for help, feel love through the help and look for the good. I know you can do it!

This post originally appeared on Adventures in Homemaking.

Hi, i'm Cat! We live in Orlando, Florida where my husband works for Mickey Mouse (no, really). We have two kids, Samantha (5) & Preston (2). I suffer from a chronic illness called Short Bowel Syndrome. My ramblings are dedicated to travel adventures, nap time confessions and my medical journey. Cheers!

Some years you want to go out and find—and maybe even cut—your own Christmas Tree. And some years, you just want your Christmas Tree to be delivered to your door. (That’s OK!) So we’ve rounded up the best Christmas tree delivery services in NYC to help lighten your load this season. Whether you need a tree delivered and where in New York City or to New Jersey, Westchester and Long Island, these companies can make it happen. Read on to “phone it in” (or point and click) this Christmas season so you can focus on the stuff that really matters!

SoHo Trees

SoHo Trees

This downtown spot has been serving NYC for more than 30 years. Delivering for free to Manhattan and Brooklyn, SoHo trees offers Fraser Firs (trees start at $1`29.95 for a five-foot tree) and Canadian Balsam Firs (starting at $109.95 for the same size). SoHo Trees specializes in really big trees and wreaths, and will also professionally decorate your tree if you need them to. If you have a change of heart and want to visit them, they have seven locations throughout Manhattan. Online orders include delivery, tree stand and installation. 

Online: sohotrees.com

NYC Trees

Jessica T. via Yelp

Started by public school teacher Harold DeLucia in 2012, NYC Trees has delivered thousands of Christmas Trees to homes in NYC and beyond, and sources trees from area farms. New Jersey, Long Island, and Westchester. It’s a full-service shop, not only delivering Christmas trees, but also decorating and putting on the lights if you want. (They’ll also come take it away for a fee.) Trees are Fraser Firs, and prices start at $119 for a four-footer. (You can get a 16-foot tree for $1,429 if you want, too.) Trees come with stand, skirt and installation, and you can get one as quickly as the next day. Delivery is free in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and additional fee applies for Staten Island, New Jersey and Westchester. 

605 10th Ave.
Midtown
914-809-0795
Online: nyctrees.com

Christmas Tree Brooklyn 

Dan S. via Yelp

Despite the name, Christmas Tree Brooklyn will delivery a tree to you anywhere in New York City. Siblings Dan and Morgan Sevigny are Maine native now based in Brooklyn, and have been running the business since 2011 are Brooklyn-based sibling entrepreneurs who you might say were born to sell Christmas trees. They stock premium Fraser Firs, and will also provide handmade wreaths, lights, decorating services and tree removal. A four-to-five foot tree is $80, and a 10-foot tree is $120. There is an additional charge for setup ($49) and stand ($20); delivery to anywhere in NYC is free! They will also come get the tree at the end of the season if you want. 

184 Underhill Ave.
Prospect Heights
917-997-1216
Online: christmastreebrooklyn.com

Tyler’s Trees

Pam S. via Yelp

Tyler’s trees also offers skirt, stand and installation with their trees, and will add the lights and ornaments too if you want. (They also do tree disposal, too.) Trees four to five feet are $129, and anything over 10-feet gets the Elite Services https://www.tylerstrees.com/pages/elite treatment, making sure your big tree will fit into your place and is installed without incident. They also offers lights, wreaths and garland to make your holiday even easier and festive. Delivery is free in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and additional fee applies for Staten Island, New Jersey and Westchester. If you want to pay a premium of $75, you can even get a tree the same day in Manhattan! 

646-543-0861
Online: tylerstrees.com

AA Christmas Trees 

Alex M. via Yelp

This Sheepshead Bay tree provider has been in business for more than a decade and delivers to Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan (although they will deliver elsewhere for an additonal fee.) A.A. offers Fraser Firs from Tenessee and North Carolina, and on site also stocks Canadian Balsam, Noble Fir and Douglas Fir trees, as well as wreaths and other decorative items. They also sell three-to-four-foot “Charlie Brown Trees”, named for the short and sort of sad trees in the famous Peanut’s cartoon, which cost $40. A five-foot Fraser Fir costs $60, while a 10-foot one is $250. Delivery to Brooklyn is $15, it’s $20 to Manhattan and Queens. 

2744 Coney Island Ave.
Brighton Beach
347-733-5475
Online: nycchristmastrees.com

—Mimi O’Connor

feature image: The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is prepped for raising. Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman Speyer

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