O Christmas Tree

One Family Kicks Off The Holiday Season By Getting Back To Nature.

- Chantal Lamers

Two years ago, Seth and Kendra Smoot moved from New York to Northern California seeking a total lifestyle 180. The couple had originally relocated from Utah to New York for Seth’s job as a photographer, but found themselves longing to return to the West. “Seth would come out here to work almost every month,” says Kendra. “He got a taste of it and couldn’t shake it.”

Since moving to Marin County with their kids—Stella, 9, Imogen, 4, and Truman, 1 — the Smoots have become devoted daytrippers. Even picking out a Christmas tree is a chance for an adventure. “Moving here from a city, we were excited for our feet to crunch through piles of fresh fallen needles,” says Kendra, who works as a freelance stylist. For her family’s inaugural trip to Larsen’s Christmas Tree Farm in Petaluma, Kendra made the most of the day, packing a picnic and playing Frank Sinatra’s holiday classics as they drove through the redwoods and a fog-banked reservoir: “We took the most scenic route,” she says. “It added a special step.”

 

TIPS FOR A TOP TREE

Here’s how to keep your conifer happy and healthy through the season indoors.

PICK A WINNER

Whether you’re at a farm or on a lot, look for trees that are lush without any brown branch tips. A trick to determine if the tree is fresh: Pick a few needles and bend each in half. Fir tree needles should snap cleanly; the fir is too dry if the needles arch without breaking. For pines, it’s the opposite—the needles should bend without snapping.

KEEP IT IN SHAPE