Does this scenario sound at all familiar ???
Conversation with Self:
“ Tanya, why the heck did you think it was a good idea to shove and toss all of the ornaments, lights , wrapping paper, and decorations in random boxes and places??? This is sooooo stressful! “
“I can’t find anything, it’s all a mess, and I can’t even FIND the STUPID tree skirt!!!!”
Can any of you relate to any of this?
Have you ever also said something like this?...
“ There HAS to be a better way but I don’t have the time or energy to do anything about it now! Maybe next year I will figure out a new system”
Now, please note that I am STILL… a work in progress.
Although I did put together a system that I really love and has gotten me miles ahead from the chaos that I sat amidst years ago, I still have portions that need to be “ Tweaked”
Here’s the plan!
Materials Needed:
Good sized plastic totes ( clear would be even better as I chose blue which you obviously can’t see through) Any Walmart, BJ’s, or large store sells them. Depending on how many items you have, you might need anywhere from 3-7 totes.
A decent sized space that you can essentially “ Take Over” for a few hours ( or days if this is a “ do when you can “ project)
Small kitchen sized garbage bags ( for your lights so that they can “ live” separately and no “ co-mingle”
Step 1: When the holidays are over and done with and you are ready to part with your decor, decide what space in your home you are taking over for this project
Step 2: Start bringing ALL of your decor, gift wrapping supplies, and ornaments to this one space and lay it all out
Step 3: Start creating piles for each category . Some examples might be the following:
Ornaments
Fragile decorations
Lights
Soft ornaments ( stuffed animals etc?)
Wrapping supplies
Outdoor decor
JUNK that needs to be tossed !!!! Lights that don’t work need to be put to rest !
Now, it’s time to get to work !
Step 4: Either use an actual pen and paper or if you just can’t tear yourself away from the digital world, open a word doc or list program
Step 5: Label each tote with a label or sticker as “ Box 1, Box 2, and so on”
Step 6: Begin adding items to each box but not BEFORE adding a note in your document as to which tote they are going in.
I use a “ Holiday Binder” and I have one section for just my holidays totes. This way every year I can bring it out and see where things are and if I need to make any changes
It is also super handy as some items can wait to be opened such as the Christmas tree ornaments if you tend to wait a little longer to put a real tree up. If you have all of your tote contents labeled, you can just open the ones that you want to dig into right away.
One last tip that I certainly did not think up myself… how the heck to get that tree out the door when it wants to drop every needle as soon as you breathe on it????
Take a less favorite sheet out of the drawer, wrap it all around the tree like you’re giving it a big bear hug, and Whala!!! Drop that tree like it's hot right on the ground and give it one more wrap like a burrito!
Now you can just drag it right out the door without leaving a trail of needles behind you!
Hoping you picked up a few new tips here !
If you have any other ideas for organizing your holiday decor please let me know ! We can add it to next year’s post!
Enjoy the holidays and upcoming new year!
Tanya