For years, I lazily opted for the standard hammer-on plastic Christmas tree base from the lot, covering it with a tree skirt ...

This can be a designated Christmas tree stand or a suitable bucket. Check the water level once or twice a day and always keep the base of the tree trunk submerged in a small amount of water.

Lopez, who takes Christmas decorating quite seriously (last year she even set a holiday theme: “hummingbird”), kept the color scheme going at the base of the towering tree with presents ...