A Mother and Daughter Duo in New Bedford Is Decking Their Fake Tree Every Month in 2023

There are two types of people in the world: those who take down their Christmas tree the second Christmas is over and those who choose to keep it up for a little while longer.

Well, how about an entire year longer?

New Bedford residents Amanda Pedro and her mom, Michelle Pedro, have found a new way to bond over a trend that's sweeping TikTok and soon the SouthCoast. It's called a Holiday Tree and it takes decorating to the next level.

Every month, the Pedros have a plan set in place for each major holiday or special occasion — and a reasonable budget. Rather than ordering $20 ornaments from Amazon, the mother-daughter duo makes it a goal to decorate the entire tree for roughly $25.

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'The tree itself was $20 from Target, but everything on it we find from Dollar Tree," Amanda said. "My mom and I have a blast with it and it gives us something to do together. It's something we look forward to each month, and it’s a challenge to see how cheap we can do it."

So far this year, there has been a Christmas (2022) tree and Valentine's tree and now with St. Patrick's Day coming up, the Irish tree is the latest accomplishment in the Pedro household. Michelle even took the extra step to drill holes in fake gold coins so they can hang via string them from the branches.

The Holiday Trees Amanda and Michelle Pedro Are Planning Next

"My mom and I just talked about it yesterday and we have ideas for every month for the rest of the year," Amanda said. "For May, she is decorating it for me for my birthday because it’s a big one, 'The Dirty 30.' Then we will switch it to Mother’s Day (probably lots of spring flowers), and June will be Father’s Day (maybe fishing and carpentry). July will be the Fourth of July and I might do something for my son's birthday or something summer-related for August. September will be sunflower-themed, October is Halloween, November is Thanksgiving/pumpkin-themed, and finally, December will be Christmas again."

As for January?

"My mom is a huge New England Patriots fan, so I let her deck it out in all Patriots gear and decorations," Amanda said.

What Amanda's Husband Thinks of the Holiday Tree

"Oh, he hates the tree, but it makes me and my mom happy, so he just laughs and lets us do it," Amanda said. "People, in general, will either love it or hate it. It’s not for everyone, but we love the spirit of holiday decorations, and it makes our day a little brighter when we get home."