Today was the day that I packed away Christmas for another year. It is always a little bit melancholy to let go of the festive period, after seeing friends and family and having a lot of fun everything can seem a bit grey and depressing.
To combat this I decided to make packing Christmas away part of the declutter mission. Rather than just shoving everything in bags and boxes and then hiding it it the loft until next December, I decided to - stop press - be organised.
So I took my time. As I took the decorations off the tree I checked each one to make sure it wasn't broken in anyway, gave it a quick wipe to remove any dirt or dust and packed it away. Throughout this process I collected decorations I no longer wanted, especially those that I didn't use this year, for the charity shop.
I also took a note of all the decorations that I have so if I want to but anything, I can check to see what I already have. During this process I found Christmas cards that I had bought in January 2010 and forgotten to use this Christmas. 70 in all! If I had remembered this, I would not have had to buy any this year, a saving of about £15.
The little notebook I have started will prove invaluable. I have so far recorded any Christmas cards or wrapping material that I have left over as well as the decorations. Hopefully I can avoid making the same mistake this year and not buy any Christmas cards! And knowing that everything has been packed clean, safely and are items I like will make decorating next year a one step process. Pure pleasure without any messing about.
What could have been just a dispirited process actually turned out OK. Not just packing away, but preparing for next Christmas. Makes it a little less down hearted.
The Declutter Diairist
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Monday, 3 January 2011
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Christmas Card Carnage
Decluttering today is focussing on addressing some of the clutter that is created by the festive season. At first I thought I should start with the clutter that has been around so long that it has its own postcode. But on reflection I think it is wiser to keep the decks clear rather than adding more clutter to the problem.
This morning I started by tackling my Christmas Cards. It is really easy to hang onto them all for sentimental value or chuck them, losing vital information. So, I decided on a practical approach to these this year. I gathered them all up in a pile and then went through them taking a note of any addresses and who had sent us a card. So I now have my list for next year. I have a new address book on order, so when it arrives I will put any addresses into it. I set aside any particularly nice cards or those that had special messages in them.
I then got busy with the scissors and have created gift tags from cutting out attractive sections of the cards - this created 29 gift tags, plenty for next year. With some of the cards I have kept the front complete and plan to use these as Festive Recipe Cards. I think these will make great gifts, I plan on giving the recipe, the ingredients and a sample of the finished product. I have ended up with 11 recipe cads which is great haul.
The scraps and any leftover cards are all in a carrier bag in the car ready to be dropped off at the Christmas Card recycling point at the local supermarket.
Just a small task but has made me feel great and already ahead for next Christmas! Can't be bad.
The Decluttter Diarist
This morning I started by tackling my Christmas Cards. It is really easy to hang onto them all for sentimental value or chuck them, losing vital information. So, I decided on a practical approach to these this year. I gathered them all up in a pile and then went through them taking a note of any addresses and who had sent us a card. So I now have my list for next year. I have a new address book on order, so when it arrives I will put any addresses into it. I set aside any particularly nice cards or those that had special messages in them.
I then got busy with the scissors and have created gift tags from cutting out attractive sections of the cards - this created 29 gift tags, plenty for next year. With some of the cards I have kept the front complete and plan to use these as Festive Recipe Cards. I think these will make great gifts, I plan on giving the recipe, the ingredients and a sample of the finished product. I have ended up with 11 recipe cads which is great haul.
The scraps and any leftover cards are all in a carrier bag in the car ready to be dropped off at the Christmas Card recycling point at the local supermarket.
Just a small task but has made me feel great and already ahead for next Christmas! Can't be bad.
The Decluttter Diarist
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