Clutter Busting: Clearing Out the Holidays

Clutter Busting: Week of January 2, 2006
Clearing out the Holidays: When you get your boxes out to pack up your holiday decorations, examine those items that did not make the cut this year while you were decorating. Stop packing decorations up year after year with the full knowledge that next year you will not be any more inclined in displaying them than you did this year!! Either donate now or place into a box designated for your annual yard sale. I keep two bins in our basement, one for donations and one for our annual yard sale. While packing your decorations take the time to organize them! You will be so thrilled next year when you open your boxes to discover all your items neatly wrapped and organized. Place breakable ornaments separate from child friendly ones! Place each strand of lights in an individual gallon sized storage baggie. Don’t pack up lights that did not work this year!! Invest in a few sturdy large plastic bins and clearly mark on the outside the contents. If you like to display winter decorations such as snowmen well after the Holidays, have a separate bin for those so you don’t have to go digging every year!

For a fun family tradition: Every year, purchase a new ornament for your child. Keep a separate box for each child and clearly mark on each ornament the child it belongs to. Hallmark Keepsake ornaments have a card inside each box so you can easily keep track. As the children get older their ornament collection will grow with them. When your child gets married (or moves out on their own) you can give this box of ornaments to them to start their own Christmas tree!

Next week we will discuss creating a household manual!!

Betsy