Do you box up your holiday decorations the day after Christmas or hold onto the holiday spirit until the first sign of spring? Either way,packing up the holiday decor is a not a welcomed activity but here are a few eco and organizing tips that will help make the season brighter (and easier) next year!Give you tree a second chance – Recycle you tree by either having it replanted or taking it somewhere where it can be turned to mulch. Don’t love it and leave it (by the curb)!
Leftovers – It’s time to get back on the diet so instead of tossing leftovers, donate them to charity or if they are old, compost them for your garden.
Take a picture, it lasts longer – Take snapshots of how you decorated your home to save time and decision making next year.
Tag, you’re it – Save all unused tags, bows, cards and wrapping paper for next year. Be sure to store it well and in a dry place so that you can use it next year.
Sort, Purge & Stock – Group similar items together, and consider giving decorations you haven’t displayed in years to friends or even a charity. Make a list of supplies you’ll need for next year, such as wrapping materials, cards, extension cords, and replacement light bulbs. Determine how many and what size containers you’ll need for storage & hit up the after Christmas sales to save you some dough!
See you next year – Put away sorted decorations according to groupings. For example, keep all your tree trimmings together rather than scattering them throughout your storage boxes. Be sure to label each container according to its contents. Consider numbering your boxes according to decorating priority. “Box 1” would contain those items that you consider essential and would want to unpack first, such as decorating photos (see step 1), holiday music, and special recipes. Also pack away dishes and other items that you only use this time of year. No sense in cluttering the house with things you don’t use often.
And above all, take time to relax and recharge while reflecting on the past year. Take stock and look forward to the coming one!
2 comments
Can you believe it’s the 2nd week of Jan and we’re just putting it all away this weekend? 😀 Our celebrations just ended. These tips will help tremendously. Thanks C.
Great ideas, thanks! I know people who create handmade Christmas cards out of used gift tags (the ones where you write the To and From info on the back or inside). They glue them in cool designs to the outside of folded blank card stock.
Don’t forget that some curbside tree pickups do result in recycling to mulch (like the one in the city where you and I live – I called Public Works to check). :o)