Organizing Christmas Past



Happy New Year! Have you made any resolutions this year? Me? Well, yes... of course!

I am dubbing this the year "GIVE AWAY, PUT AWAY, THROW AWAY". I hope to be much more organized in 2011. Clutter drives me crazy! And wastes so much of my time, money and energy.

I hear from my beloved readers all the time that I must be soooooo organized. Well, yes........ and no!
Some areas of my home are gloriously in order and there are some areas that could qualify me as a candidate for a guest spot on  America's Messiest Home! My basement is the albatross around my neck... and conscience!

Christmas is always hard to organize. If you, like me, have years of collected decorations, containing all the Yuletide fluff and sparkle is a nightmare! And if things aren't put away properly finding them the next year is almost impossible!

I have had an organizing system in place for years that works. I just don't always WORK it!

I am the queen of plastic containers! They come in all shapes, sizes, colors (I prefer clear) and configurations. There is a container to curtail everything imaginable.

Here is my organizing system. This is a tried and true system. It is not my original idea, it has been around forever, but it really works.

Overall Organizing~ it works for everything you need to organize! REALLY!

1- Go through all of your decorations with 2 large cardboard boxes and a large trash bag. Mark them Give Away, Put Away, And Throw Away. Put all items in the correct container. Be ruthless! Don't keep ANYTHING you don't use. (Yvonne, are you listening?)

2- Put the Throw Away bag in the trash immediately. Put the Give Away box in your car to take to your donation location. ( I have decorations set aside for my daughter~ if she doesn't come to get them, out they go- remember, ruthless!)

3- Now put EVERYTHING away! Make sure you complete this step!

How To Put Everything Away:

1- Put LIKE things in a box.
When I deconstruct an arrangement, garland etc. I put all elements in one big container first.

I put containers on my island.

I then put the decor away. Like things together.



2- Number  each box.
Each box that holds Christmas decor begins with "CH" and then is assigned a number.



3- Record the number and content of the box in a list.

This year I made my lists using Microsoft Office. I printed a copy and kept the Christmas list in a file. I also have it on my computer!



4- Put the boxes away.
Don't lose the list!
The list is saved on my computer. If I loose the file, I'll have one safe!

Really, that's it! And it works great... if you do each step.

Let's get started!!!!!! Here's wishing you a more organized 2011!

I am participating in Seasonal Sundays at my friend's, The Tablescapers!   Click HERE to join in all the pretty fun.

I am participating in thr 102nd Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch. Click HERE  to visit all the creative before and afters!