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Getting Organized for Next Christmas Season

By the end of January, Christmas is a happy memory. The decorations are put away, the carols are off, and the house is back to its normal state. But rather than put the holidays out of your mind, now is the perfect time to get organized for next Christmas season!

While there are certainly obvious things to do in January, like hit the Christmas sales and return gifts that didn’t work out, now is really a great time to sit down and think clearly – and yes, strategically – about next Christmas.

Grab a pen, and write down your ideas as you consider these questions:

What worked this Christmas? Maybe your party was a smash, or you were able to finally bake cookies with your kids. Maybe you started gift shopping earlier so you were less stressed in December. What will you want to do the very same way next year because it went so smoothly?

What didn’t work this Christmas? This year I wasn’t able to make gifts for my kids like I wanted to, and I never planted the paperwhite bulbs I usually plant to be in bloom on Christmas Day. Those are two things I’d like to do differently next year, and I am sure there are others. What will you want to do differently next year to make your Christmas all you’ve dreamed it could be?

What do you know you need? As I put away my Christmas decorations this year, I took stock of what I have and what I will need next year. To keep this list handy, as I am sure I will think of other things throughout the year, I started a Note on my phone. Already it lists “Lights for the tree” and an “Extension cord for outside” among other things. What do you know that you’ll need for next season? Don’t try to remember later, start a list now!

What do you know you want? Maybe you’d like to host a party next year, or like me, you’d like to make more of your gifts. Maybe you know you want a family portrait taken for the cards or you want to do more baking. Write down whatever will make your holidays ideal. Many of these things a can be done during the year and that will save you stress next season.

Finally, what are your Christmas priorities? For me, it is hosting Christmas Day and having as many from the family as possible be a part of the celebration. It is being personal in my gift-giving and as stress-free as possible come December. Keep these priorities in mind as we go through this year and prepare for Christmas 2020!

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Red and white Christmas fabrics

After Christmas Sale Savvy

If you’re like me, on December 26th, the last thing you feel like doing is fighting a crowd at an After Christmas Sale. And maybe, like me, you have thought that by mid-January, everything is so picked over that the time for Christmas deals is long past. But here are six things worth looking for now that will save you time and money next Christmas season:

  • Indoor and outdoor lights – Check the Christmas clearance bins for specialty lights such as icicles, snowflakes, larger globe ot LED strand lights that might still be left. Home maintenance and hardware stores may have a larger selection on sale through the end of the month.
  • Christmas fabrics – These actually go on sale before Christmas arrives, so the selection may be dwindling, but you can still pick up festive plaid flannels and winter motifs for quilting or pajamas, or whatever sewing projects you’ll want to start in the summer months.
  • Wired ribbon – Honestly, I don’t think you can ever have enough wired ribbon. Great for wrapping, of course, but it also can be used in a million different ways for decorating the house and tree. Look for unusual patterns or colors you know you’ll use.
  • Odd ornaments – Most of the ornaments will be picked over by this time, it’s true, but it is worth a look for the odd, one-of-a-kind or funny ornament that will make a great topper for a gift or stocking stuffer for someone special.
  • Food containers – Often tin containers for cookies and other treats are still available, as are unusual containers, such as the “Chinese food” boxes in Christmas prints I found last year. So do a quick count of anticipated hostess or neighbor gifts and stock up now.
  • Boxed Christmas cards or invitations – If you don’t use personalized, printed cards and invitations (or even if you do, but always need a few extras), now is a great time to pick up a box or two of cute Christmas cards to use as needed next season.

Finally, don’t forget to shop the outlet or sale pages of your favorite online stores in January, where you’ll often find cute decorations, ornaments, and specialty gift items that can be easily stored for next Christmas.

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Gray cat under lit Christmas tree, sorry to see the Christmas decorations cleaned up.

Mastering the Christmas Decorations Clean-Up

We are now one week into January, and for many this will be the week to take down the Christmas decorations. While Christmas decorating is a big job in itself, taking it all down now can seem at least as daunting and much less fun. I admit that I often have the strong urge to throw things into plastic containers and worry about it all next season. But that will just make next season’s decorating more frustrating.

Here’s how you can make the clean-up easier and next Christmas less stressful!

The “Fed Ex” Method of Sorting and Organizing Christmas Decorations

I begin with the “Fed Ex” method of creating a “hub” from which I will organize everything as I store it. I collect all the decorations from around the house (except the trees) and bring them to a central location – which, in my case is the kitchen table. Once gathered, I can sort and re-group the decorations by type or by the room I typically put them in – or I can just to store them in containers in a way that makes the most efficient use of the space. By working with everything at once, I can also see which decorations are ready to be retired or donated, and I start a running list of what I need for the following year.

Tree by Tree by Tree…

Once the Christmas decorations are stored, I start on the trees. The ornaments come down first and are individually wrapped in paper towels (if breakable) and then placed into plastic zipper bags. While initially it may seem like a lot of paper and plastic, I can honestly say that I have used the same paper towels and bags for over ten years – and with no broken ornaments!

The bags of ornaments are carefully placed in the clear plastic containers, grouped typically by tree. In other words, the fancy ornaments for my larger tree go in two containers (I have a LOT of ornaments), and likewise each of the two smaller trees has its own container, too.

I use wired ribbon for the tree garland and toppers, and so once the ornaments are packed, I carefully wind the ribbons and place them in the containers as well. The tree skirts are washed or spot-cleaned and laid on top.

Lights

Last, I pack up the lights. I keep them together in one container with the extra boxes of lights that I have in case there are strands that aren’t working next season. (This is a great time to stock up on lights as everything is on clearance!)

As I unwind the lights from the tree branches, I check them one more time by plugging each strand directly into a socket. I place those that don’t fully light into a bag to be recycled. Many communities now offer a place to drop off Christmas lights for recycling through the month of January.

Finally I take the trees down and store them in their large nylon bags. Later, I’ll take down any outdoor lights or decorations and store them together in one container for easy decorating next season.

It usually takes a day or two to take down and carefully store all of the Christmas decorations, particularly if I group them differently or do a purge of older, less-used decorations. But it is time well-spent, because come next November, I will be able to decorate more quickly and enjoy the Christmas season that much longer!

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