From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center
And When All The Festivities Are Over?
A Cozy Lifestyle with Clearissa Coward
Well, we’ve come to the time when the planning, gift wrapping, and food prep are over. Christmas day is only a few days away and it will end so quickly. And then what? What do you do once family members return home, the leftovers are all gone, the presents are put away, and the house and your life is quiet again?
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Every year I vow to not plan so much and for so long for Christmas. After all, it’s really not about choosing the right gift for Aunt Linda, or preparing the string bean casserole, is it? No, that is not the reason for the season, but every year I get caught up in the hoopla and once it’s over, there is the letdown. But instead of waiting for it to be over, I am going to plan. I am planning my new year before the holiday is over so that I have something else to plan for.
After Christmas Planning:
The first plan of action is how to take all of these decorations down and how to store them. You want to invest in a storage system that will keep your decor safe for next year and perhaps years to come.
How Will You Organize and Put Away Christmas Decorations:
- Find a convenient spot to bring all of the Christmas decor. Having it all in one space will make it easier to organize and pack it away.
- Get a large basket or box and go room by room picking up all of the Christmas decor. Do not choose this time to redecorate the different spaces. Simply pull all of the Christmas decor. By going room by room, there will be less of a chance that you will discover leftover decor once everything is packed away.
- Once all of the decor is in one area, it’s time to categorize it. Christ tree ornaments, florals, Christmas pillows (pillow covers), Christmas wall decor, etc. You get the picture. And once categorized, it’s time to get thinking about how to store the items.
- There are decor storage choices at every price point. And I have even used regular boxes in the past. That will work as long as they are sturdy.
- Your storage space will also help you make the decision as to your storage decision. If you have to stack your boxes they need to be sturdy so as not to crush the ones on the bottom.
- My favorite storage choice is the tub and they come in all sizes.
Packing Your Decor:
- Now that you have chosen your storage type, it’s time to choose how you will pack them. Believe it to not the packaging material is just important as the container.
- My favorite packaging material is foam wrap. The foam wrap is easy to use and the price is right. It is appropriate for items that are extremely fragile.
- Packaging peanuts are also a great way to protect your fragile items and again they are not overly expensive.
How To Make Sure Packing Your Decor Away Is A Smooth Process:
- Make sure you have the materials you need in the home before the day you will be taking everything down. Putting all of the twinkle lights and trees away can be daunting and not as much fun as putting them out, but it must be done and can still be fun you have a plan.
- Choose a day for packing everything up and make that the only plan for the day.
- Put on some music you like or a good New Year movie. That’s right, Hallmark may not be playing Christmas movies any longer but they still have really good New year movies too and if not, I’m sure you can find something good to watch on TV while you put your decor away. Just Make It Fun!
- Make sure to not rush through it. Your decor is categorized or it should be, so work with one category at a time. I generally begin with lights. We store all of our lights in one tote.
- Secondly, I store garland and wreaths in one tote. Be sure to remove the lights or if you are leaving the lights on, please remove batteries from battery-operated lights. You do not want the batteries to erode inside your battery pack.
- Next, I pack bows and bows are packed alone.
- You get the picture, work in categories.
- Be sure to wrap the items that require wrapping for safekeeping. Believe me, you’ll be glad you did next year when you take them down and everything is still intact.
- And last but certainly not least, count your containers and label each one of them. Believe me, labels are your friend. Labels are really important if you have a lot of decor and tend to switch it out from year to year. Or if you use a different theme in different rooms.
That’s the deal, plan your project. Make sure you have all of the materials you need and pack with patience. And do not forget to label.
What a good way to end the grandest season and begin a new year. Get out your planner and plan your “undecorating” today.
From my family to yours…Merry Christmas!
Thank you guys for all of the support you show to me and my blog. I feel so blessed because of you.
Until next time…I remain in my Element – God Bless!
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Hugs & Blessings
You are such a great example of being organized. Great tips – pinned and tweeted.
You are the best ever. Thank you so much. Happy New Year.