there was a comment in another thread which inspires me to start this one.
Forgive me if there is something deeper regarding this topic. I haven't mastered the searching for threads by topic.
It was a pain going through my mothers Christmas boxes, there were a lot, layer upon layer. A long time ago I cut back my own holiday nonsense to just what would fit under the bed.
just some ideas:
DOUBLE DUTY DECORATIONS: I used to acquire ornaments when i would travel, even things that weren't 'actually' ornaments. and would trot these out at for tree decorating. So holiday decorating is festival of memories.
BUY TOUGHER STUFF: I have away all my 'breakable' ornaments. breakable ones need special packing material and boxes.
DIDO (Decorations in, Decorations out): If I buy something new, i retire something else about the same size.
PICK A THEME: For overall decorating i chose a 'style' and stuck to it until changed and then got rid of all the previous decos. This certainly keeps one from going mad to buy new decorations every year. You are restricting yourself to JUST what fits with your theme. For instance once I started celebrating just the solstice, I would only purchase NICE (and Cheap) snowflakes or stars and suns etc.. thus i didn't have to keep all the snowmen and elves from the time i was stuck in the 50s christmas (don't ask)
PASS IT ON: NICE ornaments I regift to my relatives who would appreciate them better than i would.
GET RID OF THE TREE: Once I didn't have a house (and storage for a tree etc) but still wanted to decorate, I would just wrap evergreen garland around the mantle piece or the stairway and then hang ornaments from it. I even hung ornaments from all the window sashes, ceiling lights and made mobiles.
RECYCLE: Donate or recycle the incoming cards immediately. don't even pack them. don't even store them unless you really truly ARE going to cut them up and make that collage you are always talking about.
Any other ideas?
