Jump Start Your Holidays -- Decorate This Weekend!
by Marcia Ramsland, "The Organizing Pro"
If your decorations cause you more anxiety than enjoyment, it is
time to simplify. This is especially true if you seem to leave more of
them packed away each year because you can’t be bothered.
• As you come across pictures of good decorating arrangements in
magazines, clip them out and keep them in your holiday notebook. That
simplifies your decorating time this year and next.
• Simplify your decorations by getting them up early in December. What
you don’t put on display, give away to charity or a newlywed couple
quickly so that others can use them this year.
• Put up decorations that bring you joy and warm your heart. This can be
a creative manger scene, doll-like impressions of English carolers from
the 19th century, or your favorite Christmas ornaments that mean
something special to you. Decorating your home should be something you
enjoy.
• When it comes time to decorating your tree, enlist the help of your
children, or, if they are too young, invite a girlfriend over to chat
and hang ornaments with you. The task goes a lot faster that way.
• If you’re looking for motivation, plan a neighborhood gathering or
invite everyone in your Bible Study to come over for your annual
Christmas party. Opening up your home works as a good motivator to get
everything in place!
• Simplify your boxes by labeling them clearly. Limit the amount of
storage space they will absorb for the other eleven months of the year.
Decorating early in December will get you and your family ready and
excited for the holidays. But when the holidays are over, they’ve over,
so don’t delay putting the decorations away.
(Excerpt from Simplify Your Life: Get Organized and Stay
that Way! by Marcia Ramsland,W Publishing,)
COMPLAIN OR ADJUST: A Personal Note
Last year I had a big decision to
make. My in-laws from Florida and my daughter and husband from
Illinois could only come to visit us at Thanksgiving, not Christmas. I
had a choice: was I going to complain that we all wouldn't be together,
or was I going to adjust?
I decided to adjust and make the most of Thanksgiving week by
celebrating with Turkey dinner on Thursday... and bringing out the
Christmas tree and lights Friday to celebrate Christmas Saturday night
before they all flew home. Whew! That took some organization to host
eight guests, celebrate Thanksgiving, and then Christmas all in the same
week. But we did it. And it was a great success.
It turned out all the pressure of decorating for the season was over
early, and we even shopped together for each other on Friday after
Thanksgiving. Everyone got what they wanted and we had a great time
laughing and working together.
This year we decided to do the same thing PLUS add our daughter,
Lisa's,25th birthday party for 30 people on Tuesday night. That was
interesting to have birthday balloons and streamers, Thanksgiving
decorations, followed by Christmas decorations all in the same week.
But you know what? It was one of the happiest weeks of our year.
. . because I was organized and just pulled out my Holiday
Notebook with all the notes from what I did last year. It was a success
then and we improved and simplified it this year. My in-laws said they
are already going to make reservations for next Thanksgiving since they
had so much fun.
You really can take the stress out of the
holidays and turn it into seasonal success. Get organized and it will
get easier. I promise.
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