Christmas in October?

If you’ve been to any store lately, I’m sure you’ve seen it, the retailers are already trying to get us into the Christmas spirit and it's not even Halloween! With the shiny decorations, adorable little nutcrackers and hopefully messages, it’s almost inevitable to jump right in and start buying new decorations to deck your halls!

The anticipation of Christmas brings excitement and a flood of wonderful memories of Christmases gone by. These feelings can also bring the desire to purchase new pieces to make this year’s décor even jollier.

So, how about getting into the Christmas spirit a little early this year? Most people that we’ve spoken to typically start thinking about decorating December 1st, but this year, we encourage you to start earlier. The month of November is the perfect time to spend decluttering while decorating for Christmas.

Decorating and Decluttering for Christmas

When you’re ready to start, gather all your Christmas bins, bags and boxes. Turn on your favourite Christmas music and start decorating!

As you decorate, if you come across something, that you are tempted to leave in the bin, ask yourself a few questions to consider if this is the year, you’re ready to let it go.

• Did I display it last year?

• Am I tired or bored of it?

• Is it broken?

• Do I have too many of this type of item?

• Is it a colour or style that I don’t foresee myself using again in the future?

• Am I only keeping it because it’s meaningful or sentimental?

Once you’ve asked yourself these questions, if you’re still unsure, set it aside to reconsider later and continue with the decorating.

When your home is fully decorated, take stock of what you have set aside (and anything that may be left in bins). Ask yourself the same questions (listed above) and see if the answers come any easier to you. Since you’re decluttering in November, there is still plenty of time to donate the decorations you no longer enjoy for others to use this season.

Extra tips:

• If you’re the type of holiday decorator who likes to decorate by colour or theme, group all the items of the same category into the same container and add a label, for example, “Red Decorations - Christmas”. This way, it will be easy for your to only grab the theme you plan to use that year.

• If you generally use the same decorations in the same place each year, consider sorting your decorations in bins by room, for example, “Dining Room Decoration – Christmas”. This way, you won’t be zing zagging all over your home as you empty each bin. Also, if you’re short on time, you can fully decorate one room at a time, without having to rummage through all the bins.

• If you had a lot of broken or damaged items, consider how they were stored. There are many incredible storage solutions on the market specifically designed for Christmas décor. Not only do they protect, but the make decorating and storage a breeze. This is a great option, https://www.bedbathandbeyond.ca/store/product/real-simple-reg-holiday-112-count-ornament-storage-box/1018584190?keyword=christmas-ornament-storage

• As you ‘make space’ for the holiday decorations, declutter your everyday décor as you go. Consider if you want to use them again or if it’s time to let them go. If you plan to display them again after the holidays, you can always store them in your holiday bins to keep them out of the way.

We love the holidays! If you would like any help decorating, decluttering your decorations or taking down your decorations and storing them away, the In Order Co. elves would love to support you!