PAINLESSLY PUTTING AWAY YOUR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS
Imagine this: The holidays have passed. Your loved ones and you had a wonderful time, thanks in part to your moodenhancing decor. But now it’s time to put everything away. And no, it can’t wait until February … or March, as you may have seen some people do.
Here are some ideas to make this necessary task a little less daunting.
If you have a Christmas tree, start with that. Safety first — young children and pets need to be kept away while taking down the tree, as small objects such as hooks, pieces of ornaments and bits of branches tend to fall off in the process. Put a drop cloth or old sheet underneath to catch the needles and other things that might drop. If you have breakable ornaments, put towels underneath to catch any that may fall in the process of removing them. Remove strings of lights (from the tree and elsewhere) and wrap them around an empty paper towel roll (or coffee can, chip can, or hanger) for storage. After emptying the tree stand of water, place an old sheet or tarp on the floor and lay the tree across it. Wrap the tree (like a sling) and drag it to the curbside or wherever it is that you will dispose of it. Obviously, this job is made easier with a couple of helping hands. Pine needles in the carpet are a pain to remove. If you have any in your carpet, sprinkle them with baking soda and sweep them away with a broom. Call 311 to find out the recycling schedule in your neighbourhood for tree pickup. Ornaments and other baubles can be placed in boxes especially designed for them. Or they could be placed in shoe boxes with tissue separating them if they are delicate. Small, delicate ornaments can be placed in egg cartons. It’s a good idea not to mix delicate ornaments with less fragile ones. Label all the boxes. Make it a family affair. Take lots of pictures as you pack up. Listen to music (it may be your last bit of holiday music before next year … that is, if you can still stand to hear it). Find ways to make the task fun!