 | It’s January, and it’s time to put away your holiday decorations. You planned on completing this chore at the very beginning of January, but now it’s getting late, and you just want to get it done. What do you do? Cram everything into Tupperware containers or boxes just to get them out of the way, right?
The problem with this is that next year, you will be faced with sorting through the mess. You’ll be all excited to decorate, get a view of the mess you have to go through, decide you don’t have enough time, and put it off until right before the relatives all come over for Christmas.
You’ll end up with decorations sitting in a closet that you won’t use for years because you can’t find them. Decorating for the holidays next time won’t be something you enjoy. It will become an annoying, time-consuming task.
We decorate to make ourselves and our families smile. When you decorate your home for a holiday, it helps put you in the spirit. You should look around and feel happy, organized, and in a good mood. You are creating traditions for your family. Everything you do affects the mood of others at this time. Don’t teach your children to dread the holidays! If you take the time to get organized when you put everything away this year, you will make next year a happier time!
First, never buy opaque storage containers! These are the containers you will constantly be looking through (or avoiding) because you have to open them to know what’s in them. You want clear containers with cardboard dividers for tree ornaments. Don’t wrap your ornaments in paper towels or newspaper. This will only create a huge mess next year. Breakable ornaments should be placed in plastic zipper bags or put in the box they came in. If you didn’t save the box, consider an egg carton if the ornaments are small. When you put the ornaments in their own little divided section, they should be just fine for the next year. If you have doubts, use bubble wrap. Paper towels will not provide enough protection, and they will only create a mess for the next year. Of course, take the time to label your containers. You need to be specific. Don’t just say "Christmas stuff." Labels should read, "Tree Ornaments," "Living Room Christmas Decorations," "Outdoor Christmas Lights," etc.
Wrapping paper cardboard tubes are excellent for storing strings of lights. Take a pair of scissors and cut a slit at each end, and then cut a few notches throughout the tube. Slide the end of a string of lights into an end notch, and then wrap around the tube, placing it snuggly into the notches. As you wrap, remember to wrap loosely. Give the string plenty of slack. When you are finished, use a piece of paper or an index card and a piece of scotch tape to hold the end firmly in place at the other end, with a label telling you where the lights will go the next year.
Buy specialty wreath boxes or hang your wreaths on the wall of a closet or storage area. Wreaths that are simply tossed on top of boxes will get crushed, dusty, and damaged. You will find pieces of your wreath that must be hot glued back on the next year. This only creates more work that you’re likely to dread and put off during the busy holiday season. If you take the time to properly store your wreaths now, they will be ready for next year – 'no muss, no fuss.'
Don’t forget to label your wreath box if you use one. If you have a digital camera, take a picture of the wreath, print it, and tape it to the box. You will only have to do it once, and you will know exactly which wreath is inside, to distinguish it from other seasonal wreaths in similar boxes.
If you use an artificial tree, it should remain assembled if at all possible. Invest in a plastic tree bag. Put the bag over your tree (I even keep the lights on the tree during storage time) and secure it at the bottom. Give it plenty of room wherever you are storing it. Don’t crush your tree into a corner, and don’t pile things in front of it throughout the year. It shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes to get your tree out and up the following year. Clearly label the tree, even though you think it is obvious. This will remind other family members to be careful of what they put around the tree when it is in storage.
You’re probably thinking that you don’t have the time to do all of this careful planning for the next holiday season. Do you think you will have the time to waste next year? You don’t have to procrastinate because this will be a big job. You don’t have to plan on clearing out a whole day to get it done. Simply choose one task each day when you have a 30 minute block of time. Put ornaments away one day. Take care of your wreaths another day. This does not have to be a huge, time-consuming job!
If you follow these simple steps now, you’ll be so much happier next year! You’ll be able to enjoy the season – and you’ll probably be a lot more fun to be around.
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