Family, Turkey, and Christmas Tree Hunting

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I’ve been busy these past few days with family from out-of-town visiting and Thanksgiving. We rarely have family over for the holidays. It is almost always just the 5 of us, which is fine, but there’s something so much more special when you have others present to share the joy and memories with.

With my nephews from Texas growing so quickly, we’ve all found it so important to find ways for them to be together more.

At the same time, the people over at Lexus asked if I would be willing to take part in their #DecemberToRemember campaign and test out the Lexus GX460 during my annual Christmas tree hunt.

The SUV is huge, with three rows of seats, prefect for 4 adults, 4 children, and a small dog, and though this loaner didn’t come with a roof rack, the people at Hidden Pond Tree Farm, where we have picked out our tree since 2011, are pros and were able to secure our beautiful Douglas fir on the top of our vehicle without a problem.

The seats are heated all around (rear and front) and the leather interior feels like butter on the skin, so comfortable and soft. The 4-wheel drive made it easy to navigate through the icy roads left from a recent snowstorm, and the XM radio allowed for Christmas tunes to set the mood as we made our way towards our Christmas tree hunt. I am a huge fan of the sunroof, and though my loaner didn’t have it, the car also does offer a rear entertainment system.

We love the folks over at Hidden Pond Tree Farm (read all about them in our previous write up). At the time of our visit, they had run out of cut-your-own trees, which at first we thought would be an issue. But, we decided to give it ago anyway because our experiences there have always been so positive and friendly.

Though we weren’t able to cut down our own tree this year, they had a beautiful collection of pre-cut trees from their other tree farm. The Douglas fir is not one that they can grow on this particular farm because of the type of soil they have there, so if you prefer the softer needles then their pre-cut options are the best, so don’t let the fact that you can’t cut your own tree keep you away. This organic tree farm is a short drive from NYC and a favorite family tradition.

We love, love, love our tree so much that not having cut it down ourselves didn’t matter in the end. Not to mention, all the other things I love about this farm is still there to enjoy: the roasting of the marshmallows by the fire, the hay ride, the hot chocolate with marshmallows and peppermint sticks, the friendly service, and warm smiles.

We also celebrated this little guy’s birthday!

Our family has been with us for a week and it seemed to just fly. They are now getting ready to leave and we are all sad. We are also having to say goodbye to the super comfy and spacious Lexus GX. The starting retail price is $49,085.00, so this is definitely a Santa super-duper wish list item for me!

Thank you to the Lexus team for the opportunity to experience the ride, we all enjoyed it so much.

And to my family, I am excited to do it again next year!

Check out our adventures on my latest Storify, Thanksgiving Fun.

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