As much as we love the holidays, there is something that just feels good about the sense of newness that January's fresh start brings with it. If you're getting your home back to normal and the Christmas decor back in storage, there are some steps to consider to get the New Year off to an organized, prepared start.
Decide not to store things that you are not interested in reusing again next year. If you first got into your Christmas containers and left some pieces back and didn't display or use them this year, determine if that pause was temporary or permanent. Also take into consideration items that could have been damaged or now look too worn out to display. If you don't see those pieces in your decorative future, choose to donate them now instead of store them another year. More storage space for ornaments and accessories means room for new pieces in the future.
Replenish your supplies. If you wrap like I do, you're likely running low on tissue paper and gift wrap tape. Instead of waiting for the next gift wrapping occasion, which can pop up and feel last minute, go ahead and restock your gift wrap supplies with a stack of all-purpose white tissue paper and gift wrap tape in bulk. You'll thank yourself when you don't have to dash out for some when you need it right away. If you have a pile of boxes from gifts that could go or stay, sift through and pick some good ones to keep to wrap future gifts in. For easy storage, break the larger ones down for flat storage and keep a short stack of shoe box and shirt box sizes with your wrapping supplies. Also look through Christmas wrapping paper on sale that doesn't expressly look like Christmas, like a chevron pattern in black and white or lime green and white. That could be used for many occasions throughout the year.
As you get your treasured gifts situated in your home, it's a good time of year to purge some items. If you received a gift that essentially replaces something older that you have, decide if a "one stays and one goes" policy would help with your space and your organization. I received some glass kitchen storage that is superior to another set I owned. I'm definitely not into cramming things into cabinets, so I took the opportunity to assess my new quantity and remove the superfluous pieces that just didn't measure up now. If you didn't go through this process with the kids' toys back in the fall in preparation for Christmas, now is as good a time as any. When they have their new toys to compare to, they may be more likely to scrutinize old items and be willing to donate to free up some room in their rooms.
January is a time of starting anew. Take some time to put that into practice to get your home off to a fresh start in 2015.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 4th.
