I don’t know what it’s like at your house, but pre-Christmas, the holiday our family celebrates, my home sparkled. The tree lights, candles, gold accents and even the clean surfaces shone.  I simply adore that time. In fact, next year I’ve noted to schedule a dinner or party earlier in December to ensure that I’ll do the necessary deep clean and tidy, and enjoy the benefits of a decorated home for even longer!

After a few days of entertaining and then the big day itself, however, things can quickly get out of hand.  We enjoyed the burst of stockings and explosion of gifts in the living room, but we are just a couple of days after Christmas and it’s clear we need to restore order to be able to relax and enjoy our home again.

 

Paper is collected for recycling and garbage is removed from the living room quickly. We use a gift bag for each person to contain our presents and then take them to their final destinations.  Gifts of food get moved to the kitchen or dining room chocolate bowl.  Extra wrap and bags are relocated to storage spaces.Over the next few days we’ll see what can be absorbed into our drawers and shelves, and determine if we need to liberate space for the new by sorting and editing our existing collections. This will be easier for some members of our family than others! The limits of our space and how we want to feel using that space will dictate how much we’ll be able to keep.Some of you may have already taken down the tree (I saw two outside on my morning walk today), while others may be feeling anxious about the time needed to put all the decorations away.  One way to reduce anxiety about holiday clean-up is to edit your holiday décor. Putting things away is probably the least favorite part of the holiday season so don’t simply pack everything away, be judicious about what you keep in your  holiday collection.

  • Set limits to your collection.  Use a number of shelves or storage bins to define the amount you keep. If you bought something new this year, find the appropriate volume of things to let go of.  One in, one out is a great approach, but in this case, consider size – it does matter.
  • Let go of sentimental-yet-not-good-enough-to-display items. In this case your camera is your best friend. Group items on a holiday tray or table cloth and take a photo. Keep the photo and let go of the decorations.
  • Dispose of items that are damaged or broken. They have a negative energy and can detract from the finished look.
  • Label boxes so you can find a particular item easily.  For example, Lights, Tree Ornaments, Table Settings, Mantel Decorations.

  • Consider choosing decorative items that are not specific to the holiday. My red table cloths are used year round and I chose holiday plates that are festive yet do not have a specific to Christmas theme which means they stay out too. This year I think I’ll leave some holiday lights up outside on the back deck for rest of the winter.  I like the sparkle of holiday lights and am always a bit saddened to pack them away.

Stay tuned for a second post on storage tips and tools for holiday decorations from my segments on the Boxing Day Basics edition of The Marilyn Denis Show.