Our level of trees also vary with our moods and travel plans.
When we stay local, we'll get a live tree (or rather, slowly dying tree) and decorate it with the usual assortment of ornaments that we pull out from the box. They seem to have a nautical theme.
If we go away for the holiday - as we will this year - we put up the 4.5" falsey and put the lights on a timer. Easy-peasy.
I always put greens and lights around the front door.