Christmas Clean Up – See. Perceive. Act.
Cleaning out Christmas decorations, former procrastinators, is a job we can do in a short period of time and feel good about. Not that it will be done forever, but it can be completely done for where we are in life now. Many things are that way and we need to be grateful and satisfied with progress.
Some of you still have decorations up, so this is timely for you. Many of you have packed them all away. Congratulations! Due to a January celebration and sickness, it all lies ahead of me.
How does see, perceive, act come in here?
I can take a close look at what I have and consider whether or not it still serves our family. Avoid placing items in boxes just because I always have. Has an item become shabby? Is it shabby because kids made it at age five and I want it as a memory? What about the grown kids? Do they think it should go? Can I even remember how I acquired an item? Do I feel obligated to keep this even if I don’t use it? Why? Does it have true significance for the family? One approach is to ask family members what decorations mean something to them. Then, remove the excess. Donate or toss.
Also, consider whether or not candles and other items can survive the heat or cold of your storage location. Eliminate or relocate these.
If you use bendable garlands, try tagging them so you know where to put them next year. Just a scrap of paper and a twist tie. “Mantle top,” “This end newel post.” Saves time and effort.
Last year I did a “deep clean” of our decorations. I got rid of four boxes. Yea! No, I eliminated four boxes but due to new gift items, I had to keep one. I donated three red and green bins. This year I anticipate eliminating a bin of bows for the stairs so that will take me down another box. I also anticipate removing a small metal tree that no longer appeals. What else will I find?
This year we didn’t decorate upstairs at all. Though I anticipate decking those halls again in the future, this year gave me a look at what I could eliminate.
Cleaning out Christmas decorations sets an encouraging note for the new year.
What did – or will – you eliminate?
