Getting Ahead of the Holidays | Hour 1

holidays are here Thursday, Thanksgiving rolling up. This is the weekend before Thanksgiving, and then you know we are in it. Everybody is in it. So I'm gonna give you some interesting bits of advice and we'll talk about some products out there that might change the way you do the holidays this year. It's not too late at all to

get caught up and move ahead on that. And of course your calls love to talk to you about whatever is going on with your home today, whatever's got you scratching your head thinking, I don't know what to do with this, Give me a call. How about you and I we sit down and we figure it out together. The number to reach me eight three three two. Ask Dean A three to three the numeral two. Ask Dean, here we go again, eight three three two, Ask Dean, there you go. Phone lines are open right now. Producer

Richie standing by. He'll pick up your call, tell you everything you need to know, pop you into the queue, and who knows you and I we could work it out and I would love to take as many calls as possible today. So let's get on it. Let's get on it. I know it's six in the morning. I get it, I get it. But you know that's never stopped you before. So let's move forward. Let me introduce our awesome team. Sam of course is on the board.

Good morning, Good morning Dean. How you doing. I am it's been a week, it's been a week, but I'm good. I'm good. I'm very very grateful this week Sam of course wrangling our live studio audience maybe are not quite so live studio audience. That reminds me though, tomorrow we're going to have a fully legit live studio audience right here at iHeart Studios, because tomorrow is the holiday home Show, which we are super thrilled with a bunch of you are going to be joining me here and we're gonna

have a great time. Do not miss that show. Lots of fun and surprises along the way. Like I said, producer Richie standing by, take your calls nowhere near Mike right now. I lean Gonzalez. I am can't even tell you how grateful I am to hear you on the radio today.

you about a Christmas tree. Let's have a discussion about getting you on the inside, the inside scoop on what's going on with Christmas trees, especially if you're going to buy a living tree and or I should say, a real tree. They're all real. Some grew and some were manufactured, but they're all real. They're not illusions. But Christmas trees. That's the weirdest, most wonderful thing that we do to

our home every year. We'll talk about it. Spoop sharp the house with for Hey, whether your home is a condo or a cottage or a castle, I am here to help you take it to the next level. That's what we are all about here. It is a sleepy cloud dark, cold, cool at least Saturday morning here in southern California. And I am glad you are with me. I'm glad we are here, sitting here talking about your home together. We're gonna also be going to the phones. I would love to take some calls today. It's up

to you, though, It's totally up to you. I'll just keep yacking unless you give me a call. The phone lines are open, and the number to reach me eight three to three. Two. Ask Dean, eight three to three, the numeral two, ask Dean. It's just early. Yeah, we've got a couple of calls on the board. I'd love to have more, though. All right, let's talk about getting ahead of the holidays. What did I say. I was gonna say, Oh, yeah, Christmas trees. Christmas trees are well,

you know, dragging a tree into your house. I don't know if you knew. This not a normal thing, not not something we do every week, every month, but it is something that we do quite often every year. Right, Bringing evergreen branches and logs into homes is a midwinter tradition much much older than Christmas. I'm using my air quotes here Christmas the name of that particular holiday celebration.

It's older than Christmas itself. Evergreen trees have been symbols of hope and life through the darkest, coldest days of winter for thousands upon thousands of years. And there are some reasons why I think it's a really really special tradition. I mean, it really is. I'm gonna have more to say about this on tomorrow's Holiday show, but it is just a really special tradition. Also a tradition that nobody needs, in my opinion, to feel guilty about in terms of like, oh,

you're just cutting down the forests of the world. No, no, no, for quite a while now, for quite a long, long while. Now, Christmas trees that you go and get it a Christmas tree lot, they are an agricultural product. Are you aware of that? I just want to make you aware. Christmas

trees are an agricultural product. It means that the tree that you bought is really no different than you know, except for the price, than you know buying lettuce or carrots, because they are grown on a tree farm specifically for the purpose of being harvested and being used in Yule Tide celebrations. And so we are not clear cutting forests, old growth forests in order to bring your Christmas tree to you. They are simply grown on a farm, and

that's a good thing as well. In fact, the argument can be made and is made, and I will I'll give you some facts on this in just a second that you know that it's a good thing that it It helps, it helps carbon capture, it helps all the things that good agriculture is capable of doing. Christmas trees remain, i think, still the centerpiece of the holiday season. You might think that an increasingly secular and multicultural America, the Christmas tree would be fading in popularity, but reality is

just the opposite. Christmas trees are going to be found this year, and roughly, if we hold true to current statistics, are going to be found in over seventy two percent of American households of every ethnicity, both religious and non religious alike. It is a tradition which transcends boundaries. That's one of the reasons I love it so much. Perhaps because a tree enables it to speak, and just the fact that it is a tree enables it to speak

to all of us. Trees do on a deeper more universally human level than just one particular religious story of this time of year or another. Whatever the source of its magic, the Christmas Tree in America has grown to become a kind of I don't know, I think a scaffolding. You call it that, for expressing our most cherished ideals, celebrating our most beloved relationships, and doing it I think

most importantly in the darkest of days. Se fun facts on the Christmas Tree one hundred let's see that, where's my nose? Ere twenty one million real trees and about thirteen million artificial trees are going to be purchased by US households this Christmas season. There are one hundred and thirty ish million households in the US. It's estimated this year ninety four million of them will display a Christmas tree. That is a Christmas tree. Like I said in well,

you know the three quarters of the households. Seventy nine percent of people who decorate for the holidays agree that the earlier they decorate for Christmas, the more holiday spirit they experienced. Fifty five percent of households have now already decorated before Thanksgiving. And the guess what I'm raising my hand. I mean, don't be ashamed of me. If you're one of those you shouldn't decorate until after Thanksgiving. Well, listen,

Tina had surgery this week. We wanted to get some things out of the way first, and so now we don't have our tree up, but we did the rest of the decorating around the house, the major you know, the lights on the house and so on and so forth.

hundred thousand people. And according to independent environmental impact studies, here's here you go. An artificial tree needs to be used for at least nine to ten years before it becomes more environmentally friendly than having eight years of real trees, because you know, on artificial trees manufactured and a carbon offset, all of that kind of stuff, shipping and all of that. Real trees, by the way, they are as safe as artificial trees. Here's the truth. Point zero zero one percent.

Point zero zero one percent of real Christmas trees catch fire every year these days. That's about two hundred trees for every twenty million trees sold. So there you go. There's your stats on your Christmas trees. Now, when we come back, let's talk about the biggest tree decisions and whether you're even aware of how you're making that decision and how it's going to affect the vibe of the tree inside your house. There are two big tree decisions

to make. We'll discuss them. You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from KFI AM six forty can't bye AM six forty live streaming and HD everywhere on the iHeart Radio app. Dean Sharp the House whisper here for you this morning. We're talking about getting ahead of the holidays because they're here. I mean we are ahead of them technically right now, just by what a few days, because Thursday is Thanksgiving, and then after that you're not

ahead of them, you're in them. So and I'm specifically right now at least we're talking about Christmas trees now. Tomorrow Tomorrow is our big Holiday home show live audience right here at the iHeart Studios in Burbank in the helpful Honda Lounge. It's going to be a great time as always. And our good friends at ol Home, who just happened to be the most beautiful store in Los Angeles and this time of year, just jaw droppingly stunning

store for Christmas decor of all sorts. Our good friends at Aldick have our sponsoring tomorrow's show and they're providing a seven and a half foot beautiful ah gold Christmas tree that they're going to be decorating live on stage with us at the show tomorrow. And then one of those lucky audience members are going to take that tree home.

So that's when it comes to an artificial tree. The fact that, like I said before the break, that it takes nine plus years for the use of a single artificial tree to level out, its like its environmental impact with getting live, fresh trees every year, because those are far healthier, you know, on a yearly basis. But if you hold on to it long enough, then you could be you know, ultimately saving uh and uh and doing you know, a better thing environmentally for the planet if

you hold onto it long enough. But you got to hold on to it for at least a decade just to break even. And that's why I'm always pushing you toward Aldacombe because they literally have the most gorgeous artificial trees. So uh, they're they're beautiful, they're designed perfectly and uh and they're they're just the best. So that's something that we'll talk a little bit but more about tomorrow on

the artificial side of things. But today, Uh, if you're like me and the you heard Tina say earlier that you know, we have a few artificial trees around on the property just because it's fun. It's fun to have one. We like, we've got a lit tree, uh in sitting in the backyard, so you know, like when we're outside

by the fire pit and stuff. There it is. We got a goofy kind of cartoon tree out on the front deck, and then these little pencil trees you know that go in little rooms like the guest house or the garden room whatever. And our real tree is coming. But we always buy. Always. I grew up in a family that just had zero Christmas spirit whatsoever, pretty much, and we always had a really bad artificial tree, and I couldn't wait to get out on my own and

have real trees. And so we do that. Tina feels the same way, and so the real tree is coming, and today we're just talking a little bit about them. Now here's the thing when it comes down to the biggest decisions you have to make for a real tree, if you're an informed real tree connoisseur, then you've got really two big decisions to make. Fragrance versus endurance, and the second decision thicker structure and open tiers versus thinner

branches but fuller body. Hmmm. So what's the decision there between the two Because you've got different species of trees, so let's talk about fragrance versus endurance on a tree. Okay, here is the secret you need to know. I'm surprised not more people understand this. But we talk about two things that we want out of a real tree when we bring it into our home. One, we want it to last. We don't want it to dry out and start dropping needles mid December, right, So you don't want

it to dry out, so it's got to last. But at the same time, we also we really want it to just just become a beautiful aroma inside the house. I mean, ideally that's what you one that lasts through New Years and is just you know, perfuming the inside of the house with a beautiful scent of pine or fur. That would be the ideal tree. Unfortunately, you usually don't get both. And here's why. It's simple science, ready science. The reason you can smell a Christmas tree inside your

home is that it's losing moisture. It's giving moisture to the air, and therefore it's the resins inside it are being kind of ejected into the air and therefore perfuming the air. In other words, the Christmas trees that are most fragrant are the ones that dry out the fastest because they're losing moisture. Then there are other species of

trees that will easily without question. They've got thick waxy needles right, and you get them home and they will stay beautiful with minimal amount of maintenance all through the month of December and the second part of November. But they're not as fragrant. And the simple reason is that that thick waxy needle is hanging on to its own moisture. It's not drying out, but it's also not sharing itself

with the air around it. So the first big question is do we want a fragrant tree that we're going to have to kind of baby as we go, just keep keep keep her, keep her moist as possible. Or do we want a tree that's going to just endure that's going to look the same on you know, the day after Christmas or New Year's Day. If you keep them that long, it'll look the same then and as as it does in the lot, you know, when you

pick it up this week. So those species that are one or the other, these are the things that that we've got to decide. So we'll talk about those species when we come back. And then the other question of how you want to decorate the tree, whether you want a full, full structure to it or whether you want some openness and room for some big ornamentation. Everybody's decided

divided on this. There's no right or wrong decision. I just want you to be informed so that you can plan your Christmas tree to tree de core appropriately makes sense? All right? More if I am six forty live streaming and HD everywhere on the iHeart radio app, Dean sharp the house whisper. Hey, we're going to be going to the phones right after this bit, so here's the number to reach me. It's a bit yeah, eight three three two ask Dean. Eight three three the numeral to ask

Dean eight three three two ask Dean. It's just that easy to ask Dean. We will be going to the phones right after our next break, so hey, give me a call. I'll spend as much time on the phone today as we've got callers to spend time with. How about that as a deal. So now is a great time to call and we'll figure out what's going on with your home. Anything you want to talk about, design, construction, DIY,

whatever the case may be. Whatever's got you scratching your head about your home all right back to Christmas trees. So you know, it's a shocker for a lot of people. They don't realize nobody's ever explained to them that the difference between a tree that gives off a beautiful fragrance and a tree that does not is usually the difference between a tree that is drying out because it's losing sap. It's those resinous compounds that actually make that beautiful smell.

It's losing moisture versus a tree that doesn't smell so much is holding on to its moisture and therefore enduring. So it doesn't mean that there's no fragrance whatsoever from a tree that's holding on to its moisture. It's just that the fact of the matter is there's quite a bit less. And so you've got to make a decision when it comes to a tree species, and you can tell. You don't have to, you know, take a botanist with you or an arborist with you when you go to

the tree lot. You can tell. And the general reality is that the thinner the needles on a tree, generally speaking, and the thinner more flexible and fuller the branches, the more of that tree will be one that gives off moisture. It loses its moisture. The thicker the branches and the thicker waxier needles like noble furs, those kinds of trees, those are going to hold on to their own moisture longer and therefore be easier to last through the entire

month without getting dry. The other question, though, of course, is decor on the tree. And you know, a lot of people it's sort of counterintuitive for them because they go looking for the fullest, fullest, packed full of branches Christmas tree possible and that's Hey, if that's your vibe, great, go for it. But if you just it's be good to have a game plan as to how you want to decorate a tree. And there are two, you know,

schools of thought here. One is, well, let's just do a minimal, small surface decoration, so I small ornaments and garland on the outside of the tree. If that's your plan, then sure a cone, beautiful cone shaped very very thick, can't see through it to the other side. Tree like a Douglas fur, which has been for my whole child growing up here in southern California. The Douglas fir was the king of all Christmas trees sold here by clearly the most popular. And then you're on the other side

of the coin. You've got the the nobles grand furs, spruces, those kinds of trees. Spruce is not so easy to find in SOCW but fur trees definitely noble furs. Those have very definitive of tiers of their branches and more space through and so when you're looking at them at a tree lot, you're like, God, I don't know, I mean, I want a full tree. But if your plan though, is large ornaments and all, you know, those tiers provide the perfect hanging space for lots of beautiful ornamentation in

between tiers of branches. So the point is, have a game plan as to how you want to decorate a tree, and it's gonna be beautiful either way. It's just if you've got really big ornaments. It's hard to shove larger ornaments onto a tree that's just full of branches, just everywhere that's full, full, full, because you're literally going to

be shoving them into that thickness of branches. And so the larger the ornaments in general, or the more ornaments in general, then the better off you are to have a tree that's got a little bit more air space in between the branches as you go. So the the trees that are available here that you can cut yourself, that's a whole nother thing. Tree lots here in Southern California that are literally they're usually in open spaces, like

underneath power lines, power company easements. That's where those tree farms are that are growing their own trees here in southern California. You're only gonna find like Monterey and Aleppo pines, long bright green needles, and those are beautiful trees, but just know that that's the kind of tree that grows easiest and best here in Southern California. And then there's

the Christmas tree. And I put this in air quotes because it's not really it's not a pine tree, and that would be cypress bushes which Arizona or Leland cypress that have been shaped into Christmas tree shapes, no sap on. Those great for people with allergies. And then you've got things that grow here in Southern California which are very very unusual to cut down, which are like coastal redwoods and things like that, and small ones, obviously the small ones.

And then in the pre cut department Douglas fir, full and straight noble fur it can get wide at the base. Grand fur is kind of a midpoint between noble and Douglas silver. Underneath the needles, I just lost my notes. They just literally disappeared. From there we are the Frasier fur, very blue green. It tends toward being a little bit slender, and my personal favorite and by the way, Europe, Europe's

preferred tree, the Nordman. It lasts, it lasts and lasts, and Latin very very minimal fragrance, but a beautiful, just gorgeous, quintessential Christmas tree that lasts and lasts and last, the Nordman fur. And more lots have those now than ever. All Right, when we return, we're gonna go to the phones your Home with Dean Sharp the House Whisper on KFI. To Home with Dean Sharp on demand from KFI A M six forty