Own your own Charlie Brown tree

Christmas trees, though lovely, can be a real pain. You begin by knowing your tree purchase has helped decimate a forest somewhere. Tie it to the roof of your car and your paint gets scratched. Bring it in the house and needles drop everywhere. Get the ornaments unpacked, the tinsel untangled, the lights working — and when the tree is finally decorated, the whole thing is likely to tip over, smashing your cherished decorations to bits and setting your house on fire. (Which reminds us: Don't adorn your tree with lighted candles for a "traditional" look. You're asking for trouble.) In short, it's like a bad "Cathy" cartoon. Yes, we know that's redundant.

So why not go the minimalist route this season, and invoke a cherished television memory while you're doing it? Look no further than the Charlie Brown Pathetic Tree from Urban Outfitters. It's an exact replica of the tree from A Charlie Brown Christmas, down to the droopy branches, criss-cross wooden base and the single red ornament. And, as the catalog promises, "the bendable branches allow you to make it look just how you want, super pathetic or just kind of pathetic." Put on some Vince Guaraldi and go to town!

Though the tree does look very much like the Charlie Brown version, Urban Outfitters doesn't specify whether you and your friends can descend on it en masse and miraculously transform it into a magnificent noble fir with just a few strings of lights and some popcorn garland. But, hey, anything's possible.