Check out our last guest post this year from expert and special guest contributor, Roxy Hambleton, Nationally Certified Professional Organizer. Look for new updates and topics to come as we get ready for the 2012 New Year!

By: Roxy Hambleton, CPO
Nationally Certified Professional Organizer

I am often asked when the best time to your organize holiday decorations would be. Well, right now is the “perfect” time to evaluate what you have and organize what you are keeping and what needs to get trashed this season. When I was growing up, I remember my mom had one small box of ornaments that went up every year. My dad would go to the attic and bring it down and we’d decorate the tree with tinsel and garland, big bright lights and red balls, and a sprinkling of individual ornaments.

Well, to quote BD (Bob Dylan for all you young’uns), “The times, they are a’changing” and they’ve been changing for quite a few decades. Holiday decorating is an all-out event for some and a nightmare to deal with for others. It does not have to be like that. Let’s look at HOW to put everything back and you’ll be in awe of how easy it will be to put everything together in December of 2012.

First of all, ask yourself, “Are all my holiday decorations in a centralized location?” And I do mean ALL… We need to keep our Christmas linens or Hanukkah platters or Kwanzaa flag all together. Go through the house and round up all the holiday decor and bring to a centralized location (a large room, or garage with no cars best). I know everyone is enamored of green and red bins we see in stores to keep holiday decor, those are great, but ANY container will do, even the boxes of some of the larger gifts from this year will do. Now, you must determine where these boxes or bins will be stored. Plastic bins kept one on top of another for 11 months will severely damage the bottom load-bearing bins. It is very important to store your holiday bins/boxes on shelving of some sort in your garage, under-stair storage area, or wherever your home best allows for the number of boxes you have in total.

What you need to do next is separate your holiday decorations into categories: plushes, ornaments, lights, tabletop (anything that must “sit” on a table top), et cetera. Go from group to group and look at the items carefully and ask yourself the following:

• Did I use display this decoration this year?
• Does it have sentimental value?
• Is it in good condition (not broken)?
• Is my home large enough to put this item out without the home looking cluttered?
• Is it aesthetically pleasing?
• WILL I USE IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, the item is definitely worthy of the space it will take up for the next 11 months. Put it, with all its “like items,” together in a box and label the top and two sides so you will know what is in there for next year’s all-day decorating adventure.

If you did not use a certain decoration this year and will not use it next year, donate it right there and then. Did you know that there is a section in the Goodwill receiving back room (shelves and shelves) dedicated to holiday donations given all year long? When November comes, they are set thanks to individuals who had the foresight to realize they need to let someone else enjoy that giant, outdoor lighted candy cane that just does not look right in the new house they moved into last month.

The holidays are all about traditions and memories. If an item has strong sentimental value, that is the best item you can have. The traced hand prints from my daughter in 1st grade (she’s now 18) or my son’s clothespin wreath from Kindergarten (he’s now 17) are my absolute favorites. Other items can be replaced, those items from Christmases past are priceless.

Bring ALL your holiday decor to a centralized location and look at each item through sentimental eyes. Keep only what you will use next year to make your home seem festive, not cluttered, and you will be feeling the holiday spirit next November into December in a much more organized manner!

Are you ready to store and organize all your holiday decorations this season? Don’t forget to contact us regarding all our storage and organizational products to help you with the creative process towards a smart solution for your home space.

Call us at (239) 694-8100 for your personal consultation appointment or visit our Website for more detailed information on our products and services and like us on Facebook!

 

We wish you and your family a creative and inspiring Happy 2012 New Year! We are looking forward to sharing top interior design trends, product concepts and storage/organizational tips with you in the months to come.