Christmas is less than a week away, is your tree up and decorated? if not, maybe you're waiting to buy a fresh tree closer to the big day? Or even better, have you ever cut down your own tree? black ink crew Chicago’s Charmaine took on the challenge of chopping down her Christmas tree this year, so how hard is it really? Take a look!

Did you guys know that there are actually a lot of environmentally good reasons to get a real tree versus a fake one? Real trees help the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases, and they emit fresh oxygen. Plus, they stabilize soil and protect water supplies. Tree farms are also often grown on soil that wouldn't otherwise support any other crops. Real trees are biodegradable and use less waste as they can be recycled for mulch and other purposes, whereas artificial trees, which people use between 6 to 9 years, will remain in a landfill for centuries after disposal.

For your family-friendly Christmas tree destination, you can check out ben's Christmas tree farm, it's not too late to get your real tree this year; they're open from 9 a-m until 4:30 p-m this weekend!

If you want to find out where you can recycle your tree after the holidays, head to www.recyclebycity.com/chicago/brief/christmas-tree-recycling