wrap up the holidaysIt’s after the holidays, the festivities have played out and some wonderful memories were created. All the hustle and bustle of last minute shopping and preparations are but a distant memory. Things have settled down from hectic to a much slower pace. Now it’s time to wrap up the holidays.

The passing of the holidays signifies the end of this year, and the beginning of a new year. It’s time to start fresh with a blank canvas to create the best year yet!

It’s also time to get your home back in order so you can begin the year on the right foot. The first step to wrap up the holidays, or in getting your home back to normal is to de-decorate. All the decorations need to be taken down. They need to be checked out to make sure they are still in working order and looking good. Then they need to be organized, packed up and stored for another year.

When you get all the decorations put away, it’s amazing how much more space you have! I know I feel much lighter after all the décor has been packed away.

Packing away holiday décor for storage requires some thought to save some time for decorating next year. Below are some tips to help streamline your decorating process for next year to save time during the busy holiday season.

  • Take photos of each decorated area so you know where to place items next year, or if you want to change things up it creates a baseline.
  • Note the products used for hanging décor and store them with each decoration. 3M Command Hooks work well for most hanging décor.
  • Remove all decorations and put them all together for sorting and inspection. A dining room table makes a good sorting surface.
  • Inspect all decorations for damage. Repair items as needed. Discard any décor that cannot be repaired. Make a list of items that need to be replaced.
  • Containerize your decorations in clear plastic containers. If you have the space, put all decorations for each room in its own container, label it and place that room’s photo in the container.

After you wrap up the holidays, you begin to think of the year ahead.  What you want to accomplish in the next 365 days.  Create goals that will get you closer to live your best life!

What tasks not listed here, do you perform to wrap up the holidays?