Reorganizing After the Holidays

The winter holidays have come and gone. If you’re like most people, your home is feeling a bit disheveled. Decorations and lights still out, new gifts without a home. Sound familiar?

Worry not! I did a special segment on CBS 6’s Virginia This Morning last Thursday offering tips for reorganizing after the holidays. Watch it here.


Seasonal storage containers at Target

In summary...

1. First, protect decorations from three things — critters, moisture and dust. For most items, a sealed plastic container in a garage or attic will work. Some items that are extra sensitive to heat and moisture (like candles and wrapping paper) should be stored in a temperature controlled environment such as a closet.

2. Use clear containers for easy identification of contents. Buy containers like the ones in the photo above before the holidays to take advantage of seasonal colors. Sometimes you can find them on clearance after the holidays are over, but the selection may not be as good.

3. Store your holiday cards and holiday music with decorations. You can also take pictures of how you decorated so you remember how you liked things for the next year.

4. It’s worth the investment to buy specialty products to protect your memories. $10 on a container over the lifetime of the decoration really isn’t expensive.

Additional tips not mentioned on CBS...

1. As you’re taking down the decorations, discard any items that are damaged beyond reasonable repair. Donate decorations you have not used in several years and don’t foresee using in the future.

2. Get all of your received holiday cards together, update your address book and then recycle. Only keep cards that have an especially meaningful message or sentimental value. I keep 5 to 10% of the cards I receive in an archival safe box.

3. Take a few extra minutes to clear out old items as you’re putting away the new gifts. For example, if you got a lot of new clothing, consign or donate things you haven’t worn in a year or so. Discard or donate any items that are replaced by new gifts, such as a new camera, or kids’ toys.