Wrapping up the Holidays and All the Emotions that Go with It.
It’s the days that follow after Christmas. All the company has gone, the presents have been unwrapped, and the burnout factor on leftovers is starting to set in. For most of us, this also means giving ourselves the pep-talk to return to work and our daily routines that we have allowed ourselves to play hooky from during the week(s) before December 25th. The other big weighing stress that many of us experience, is the anticipation of putting away all the Christmas decorations both inside and out of our homes. Not only is this a big undertaking physically and time wise, but it also can play on your emotions and the feeling that the magic is over. Be easy on yourself and set little goals by breaking down the items at hand.
Goal #1- Picking up the House BEFORE packing up the Decorations.
I have found that for me, if my space is not tidied up, I am useless when it comes to being productive. Consider doing all the straggler-dishes, taking the last bit of new gifts upstairs, and folding all the blankets that are now on the floor, not to mention the couch pillows strung out all over, after the Christmas-nesting that has taken place over the last week. How can we even begin to find new places in our space for the new items we received, if we don’t have our everyday ones in place?
Goal #2- Finding Permanent Homes for the New Gifts Promptly.
This part is always bittersweet for me. I LOVE getting new things and also giving new things to my family, but DREAD where they will end up after the excitement of unwrapping them happens. A way that I try to alleviate some of the stress surrounding adding new objects to our already seemingly-full house, is to have everyone clean out their closets and make a pile of the items we are no longer attached to or using that have accumulated over the year. I recommend doing this sometime in November before bringing out all of the holiday decor. By having my family actively participate in the purging, it takes the pressure off of me and the confrontational outbursts that follow when certain items are no longer part of our lives. In the spirit of being resourceful, I always try and sell everything in the pile before dropping it off at a donation site. Even if an item only brings you a few dollars, those dollars add up and you otherwise would have received nothing. I typically make $300-$1000 dollars each year by doing this in the weeks adding up to the holidays depending on what items we are parting with. One of the ways I have trained my Littles to understand and positively participate in this yearly ritual, is the logistics of needing to make new space for the presents they have asked Santa for and have been working all year to earn. When these new gifts have arrived, be sure to put them in final resting places and unpack the gift bags and boxes that were filled during the gift giving events to bring back home. To avoid the temptation to leave the new items in a box or bag for weeks on end, make it a goal to take all the packaging and plastic off everything and put it out with the first trash pickup following the holiday. Another helpful tip I have found that works well for my home, is to plan ahead for the bigger items and also the smallest ones when it comes to organizing them and storing them. Unlike our Children, we are not caught by surprise for the most part of the gifts that will be received by Santa and family and can use this to our advantage.
Goal #3- Packing up the Holiday Decor.
Usually I am completely against gimmicks of any sort. However, one of my exceptions this rule is Christmas-Specific storage units. This includes units for wrapping paper, tree ornaments, wreaths, Christmas Trees, garland and lights. Many of the decorations and things that we associate with our holiday decor are sentimental and of a specific size and shape. For this reason, I do like and prefer the storage units that help us to organize our holiday items and keep them safe and preserved for the rest of the year when they are not in use. Do you ever find that when you are putting out your holiday decor, you sometimes struggle to find a place for certain items that you have had for a long time or to make room for something new you added to your holiday set-up? Me too! This is a great time to say thank you to these items for the many memories and move on to new, exciting things by adding those other items to your pile to sell. I hold myself to strict guidelines these days when it comes to decorating my own home. I allow myself one new holiday decor item a year (that I purchase myself, home-gifts received from others are exempt from this!), but also require myself to eliminate one that I no longer feel I can’t live without or that our family has outgrown. In the same manner, evaluate your holiday decor carefully as you put it away for the year. Throw away strands of lights that are missing bulbs or burnt out, garland that is starting to look ratty or worn, and consider what will no longer be in trend or relevant the following year. Why hold onto things that have served their purpose and are just taking up space in our limited storage and creating a block in our energy? If you truly feel you still need that item in a year, then you can replace it. You will be amazed by how many things you throw out or eliminate that you realize were just place holders in your life and unnecessary.
Goal #4- The Magic is Not Lost.
The holidays, for many of us, are a time filled with happy memories, fun times, and hope of the good to come. It is not an uncommon state to be in if you find yourself feeling sad, mopey or in a “funk,” when it comes to packing up the holiday decor and season. In no way should we ignore these feelings, but instead, use them to fuel the energy we need to start the new year off right! This will look a little different for everyone. For me, this is taking out a pen and pencil and making lists for both short-term and long-term goals, To-Do’s and aspirations that I have for myself, my family, my home, my work-life and my day-to-day behaviors. (Next month, we will be digging into this particular Goal #4 deeper :-).
As we ‘Wrap up the Holidays and All the Emotions that Go with It,’ we plan when we can, we prep as time allows, we expect our feelings to ride the candy cane roller coaster that we know the holidays bring and we set our goals for the New Year with the knowledge that we are not alone in this yuletide cycle.
