I'm not into retrospectives and summaries of the year just gone; no special reason, just not my thing. Maybe because it must involve quite some effort to gather a good load of material for a retrospective post, and my get-up-and-go has just about limped off.
I've been de-decorating and doing housework. It takes two days. On day one, I take down the tree and decorations and cards. Then I go through the kitchen and put away the Christmas crockery and cutlery, and Christmas tea towels that aren't in use or being washed. Then I break down the 'wrapping area'. Its a surface in the room of not-so-shameful, that's all. There was no left over paper to re-home until next year, so just a few rolls of printed tape and some scissors. Nice. Well judged wrapping paper purchasing if I say so myself. All this stuff is neatly packed into two boxes - one for decorations and tree lights, the other for everything else. (Except the crockery, that goes in the special crockery cupboard. Really.)
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| Well, neat is in the eye of the beholder.... |
So it's a whole day of doing stuff and tidying things away and changing stuff round again, not to mention hoovering up the kerjillion or so pine needles that I managed to make the tree shed! It has to be done though, otherwise when we go back to work it'll all be in the way and I'll be resentful of the time it takes. And the low winter sun shining in makes it all look dusty and a bit tawdry, to be honest. (Experience has taught me this). Why then, I hear you ask, did I say it takes two days? Because the next day, I have to go around and gather up the cards and decorations that I somehow was blind to. That surely, is enough indication that they've been up for long enough!
The one good thing about not doing much "up-decorating" is that there is less to de-decorate... I love your December bag!! The timing of this post is really spooky as I just clicked on your blog 2 minutes ago, wondering if you'd written a new one, and now here one is! Happy New Year. Hope everything is going as it should. Lots of love, hope to see you soon. Helen (was going to put a number, doh!!)
ReplyDeleteI'd love to de-decorate too but don't have the energy so got to look at it a while longer yet. We have always taken ours down early cos our eldest has a birthday on 7th Jan and it always seemed fair so she had a proper birthday without all the festive clutter. I have a feeling our decs will come down and then the old wallpaper this year �������� can't wait.
ReplyDeleteLet's wish for better health first and foremost eh?
Hugs,
Annie x
Loved the bit at the end- isn't there always at least one Christmas thing that gets missed? in our case, usually spotted after all the boxes have been packed away, so it gets stuffed in a drawer till next year, by which time it's been long forgotten.Don't ask how many baubles/ christmas light remotes/ etc that have ended up getting thrown away. Loved the Christmas bag too, by the way. Can see why it makes people smile. xxxx
ReplyDeleteWell that all sounds like a great way of going about it - I will do mine tomorrow - like you I feel it all looks a bit limp and drab now, so out with the old - in with the new. All the best for 2016. x Jo
ReplyDeleteYep we have just taken ours down and it looks so empty!!
ReplyDeleteI love your "December" bag Julia.
ReplyDeleteMy decs went up rather late this year due to all the running around for Mum. As a result, they will come down on Sunday.
Happy New Year to you & yours.
Toni xx
You are definitely my sister from another mother except my take down day is always the 8th of January...I used to be embarrassed by the outside lights being on but now they glow proudly! This all started when my youngest...Heather was born on January 7th and she thought the holiday was all about her of course. I have special crockery, special handbag, and special purses that like you say make others smile and in turn make me happy. I am tempting fate this year with shirts and getting rid of a quite a few... Happy New Year Julia to you and yours from this side of the pond. Vickie aka Okienurse
ReplyDeleteI hope once all is done, you get a 'me' day to recharge your batteries.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year. I hope 2016 is the best yet for you.
hugs
Sue
It takes me 2 days to pick up and put away, too. As I've gotten older I find taking the tree down wears me out and I don't feel like doing anything else for the day. I always seem to find a couple of things left behind after putting it all away. I know keep a mall box labeled "Christmas leftovers" for those items then throw it in the attic the next trip up. Do Love that bag. Rather like the idea of having one. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteMe, I prefer to do my takedown on the 6th Jan but this year it will have to be the 3rd,, it being a Sunday and us having to go back to work and all..... I'm envious of your clever wrapping calculations - we have two lovely RUBs for paper, one Xmas, one for all others, and it's a major mismatch fest, I can tell you!
ReplyDeleteMy hubby was eager to take the tree down too and get rid of all the Christmas stuff as well. I told him it was a bit early, but there's no convincing him once he's on a roll. You're right though, it's best to clear everything before going back to "regular" mode on the 4th. I smiled about your seasonal bedding and handbag! I think it's a lovely idea, and I certainly haven't heard of anyone using Christmas bedding before! Happy New Year, Julia!
ReplyDeleteIt's all been packed up and put away here too. Once I started in on that I started in on a few other household things too. It is like once you get on a roll.... I think several of my neighbors are so inspired too as whenever I go to the dumpster it looks suspiciously like folks are spring cleaning. I don't think I'm that ambitious! Love your December handbag. It's fun to have something quirky and smile-worthy for the holidays!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year
ReplyDeleteGolly, I feel like I must have taken my Christmas goodies down too early, but I put mine up before most others. Seems you British have a tendency to wait to decorate your tree. I remember my grandparents doing it on Christmas eve one year. I thought that was strange, but my grandmother explained it was a custom in some British homes. Since I always put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving while others are out shopping, I also took mine down the day after Christmas, while others were out shopping!
ReplyDeleteThis year, I also took two days, but part of the reason was because I staged everything in my kitchen and wrapped each piece differently and packed better this year. So far (knock on wood), I haven't found any leftovers, but I also didn't put out as much this year as in years past. I even got rid of a couple of things I no longer wanted.
Looks like your wrapping paper plans well went this year. I haven't bought wrapping paper since forever, because I now make my own from red rosin paper that had been on my work table.
I stopped by because I completely forgot WOYWW until the second. Yes, I'm one of those people who actually does a lot of retrospective posts at this time of year. You are right that they take a long time to put together. I also stopped by to say I hope your new year is filled with good health, family happiness, wise advice, and wise cracks! Hope it turns out great.
I've learned never to put the christmas boxes away for at least 3 days, as I keep finding stuff I forgot!
ReplyDeleteYes, that winter sun does bring out the dust. atleast mine is glittery!
Our came down today too. It all has to go all up the garden into the garage in its plastic boxes as we don't have enough cupboard space and no loft space in our little cottage. I do miss the twinkly lights in the evening though. I love the December bag Julia. Barbxx
ReplyDeleteOur decs are down but realized we still haven't taken down the cards or sorted the wrapping stuff either. Oops! Cleaning is on the to do list too!maybe tomorrow?
ReplyDelete