A Visual History Of Christmas Trees and What You Might Consider Buying Now For Next Year.

above photo courtesy of Jek a go go

Now that Christmas has passed and most of you are cleaning pine needles up off the floor and wondering how long your tree will last before drying out and having to be lugged to the garbage, you might want to consider a different sort of tree next year (now is the time, many of them are presently on sale).

First, a visual history of Christmas trees, followed by modern eco-friendly alternatives for 2012.



One thing this infographic fails to reflect is the growing popularity of modern alternatives to Christmas trees that hit the market beginning in 2008-2009 and have steadily grown since. These include flat-packed, lasercut, wood, lucite, aluminum and metal versions. Below are some examples.

The Tannenboing Aluminum Suspended Tree:

Modern Lucite Acrylic Christmas Tree by Aaron R Thomas:

PossibiliTrees:

Silver Cocoon Modern Tannenbaum Tree:

The Filigree Tree:

Matteria Lasercut Tree:

Modernica Superstar Holiday Tree:

And a selection of wood trees from Buro North:

More wood alternatives



These aluminum, wood and lucite trees pack up easily and can be stored for future use - saving you trouble, preventing messy christmas tree lots (like the one shown above courtesy of Pardon Me For Asking) and saving some trees. Think about it.

Luxury Igloo Pods and Private Skiing At Switzerland's New Whitepod Resort & Spa.

Brand new, Switzerland's Whitepod resort has just opened (on the 20th of December 2011) featuring 15 private geodesic pods that resemble igloos anchored on wooden platforms, a recently built spa, a central chalet and private skiing for the guests.





The 15 Luxury Igloo Pods








Inside the pods:




Each pod has a large double bed for 2 people. Five of the pods are equipped with mezzanines that can hold 2 extra beds. However, the mezzanine beds are not intended for adults, they are more appropriate for children from 8 to 16 years old.

 




All pods are equipped electricity, a floor lamp, wood-burning stoves and organic luxury bedding. The bathrooms are heated with an electric heater and equipped with fully fitted bathrooms; shower, sink, toilet, hairdryer, towels and amenities. And each pod has two pairs of Crocs™ (plastic clogs) at your disposal, lol!




The Central Chalet (chalet Les Cerniers)



At the center of the 15 pods, stands a charming early 1800s wooden chalet where guests meet for breakfast in the morning or gather in the evening around its central fireplace for evening drinks and socializing.








Note: The pods are not equipped with WiFi but there is free Wi-Fi in the Pod-house and in the chalet Les Cerniers.

Pampering and wellness:
Whitepod offers two different wellness areas...


The Relaxation area, which is inside the Pod-house, at the center of the pods, has:
- One Finnish sauna
- One Japanese bath
- Changing rooms
- Showers
Open every day from 15:00 to 20:00 or on request


The Treatment area, which is on the first floor of the chalet Les Cerniers, holds:
- Two massage rooms
- One massage room with a double bath

Skiing:

The Whitepod ski estate is made of 7 km of ski pistes with 700m altitude difference and caters for beginner and intermediate levels.

The two private lift installations can be opened from 11 am to 3 pm upon demand and ensure the guests benefit from a perfectly maintained and safe skiing experience.

The domain also has excellent snow conditions from December through to March.

The Whitepod Welcome kit:


Whitepod is located in Switzerland, in the canton of Valais, in the village of Les Cerniers, at the foot of the Dents-du-Midi mountain range (the beginning of the Swiss Alps), and faces the international ski resort Villars.





Included in the price:
Buffet breakfast at the Pod-house
Access to the relaxation area
All equipment necessary for the stay – back bag, headlights, snowshoes, sledge
Access to our private ski slopes
Free WIFI at the Pod-house
Tea-Time – afternoon tea & pastries served everyday
Parking
All taxes



images courtesy of Whitepod, Photographer: Vincent Hofer | Jean-Marc Palisse – Designer: Angelique Buisson

Whitepod Concept SA
Les Cerniers | CP 681
CH-1871 Les Giettes - Switzerland
reservations@whitepod.com

Wishing You All A Very Hip Christmas.

To all my readers - faithful and infrequent - thanks for the kind notes, interesting submissions and continued readership. Your encouragement and compliments make the daily task of blogging very rewarding.

I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday from the bottom of my heart.