We took a day off from tree removal as that is a tough job. Your house is looking a bit empty, but it is time to declutter Christmas decorations from the rest of the house. Let's put on some really enjoyable music, upbeat tempo, and move from room to room. In our house there is a candle in every window that needs to be removed and usually this is a good starting point.We take each one and put it back in the box in which I store it. Phew, tough work. I have fond memories of our lights as I actually won them many years ago, this is actually the third home we have had them in, not a hoarder just keep the best.
Now, let's take a simple laundry basket and go from room to room. Take the decorations down that you have placed in each room. Whether it is a musical toilet paper roll, they exist to a Nativity set in the kid's room. Take all the items to a central location. We use the dining room table at our house, put a cloth over it to prevent from scratching the surface. Once items are placed safely in the area. Review what you have. Do you continue to need them? Did you get more for Christmas? We are going to go through each item and as we do we are going to determine if it is a keep, donate, gift to another family member or is it in need of disposing. The rule of thumb for organizers is if you bring one thing new in then you can take one thing away. Not a simple job with so much sentimental value associated with the holidays and all the decorations.
Once the decisions have been made you can start to safely pack decorations up. Since the tree and all of its decorations were cleaned up you do not have to worry about them. Storage containers can be expensive and if you are living on a budget sturdy boxes and used tissue paper can come in handy. Organize each box the way you wish to remove the items for next year. If you like to have certain things out early in the season to decorate specific areas, then make sure they are packed together and label them. Also make sure when you put the boxes away that the ones you use first are at the front. Do not stack them too high and make sure that items that are heavy go on the bottom. Remember take your time and enjoy the feel of the items and the memories they bring to you as you declutter. If you have children make sure the decorations they recieved have their names on them. When our Adult children moved out we were able to provide them with a wonderful box of great Christmas memories.
The next step will be to put away all the items you took down for Christmas. This can be challenging. Review what you have what you recieved as gifts to determine items to keep, donate, gift or discard. Also, if you did not clean things as you put them away this is a great time to get things shined up. Take your time, relax and enjoy each item. Do you remember who gave it to you, why and where you purchased the lovely item.
Remember always, Make your places peaceful.