Christmas decorations put away!

Talk about a 'clean slate'! I love my Christmas decor, but it always feels good to pack everything away again once the season is over. I (kind of) timed myself today as I placed items in their respective boxes. From the first ornament off the tree to packing and closing up the plastic bin, it took about an hour and a half. I mentioned before that we don't have a lot of Christmas stuff, and it makes me happy that everything (with the exception of outdoor lights) fits in one box.

The South Indian harvest festival Pongal is happening over the next few days, so for now I have changed the decor to feature Indian textiles. Then, it will be time to decorate for Valentine's Day 💖

How does it feel for you when you put away Christmas/holiday decor? Sad? Wistful? Relieved? If you've found a way to streamline the process, please share in the comments!

Decor featuring Indian textiles

Some new Christmas items I bought a couple days ago. The box is full now, so next year it will be one in, one out!

All our Christmas decor fits in this single bin!

Comments

Why I need a decluttering station

Right now I'm focusing on a new challenge : to get the garage cleaned out and sell some stuff on marketplace. Last year my dad came to visit and brought a beautiful 'new' table, one that my family had used as a dinner table when I was a teenager. Made by Mennonite craftsmen, the ingenuity of the pull-apart mechanism and the hidden leaves is exquisite. My dad had painstakingly refinished the four chairs, so the set is also a reminder of his handiwork. Although we loved our square breakfast nook table, now we can actually welcome more dinner and anytime guests. So what to do with the old table? I thought about selling it, decided to keep it for one main reason: The sticky issue of cleaning out the garage. As I mentioned in the new challenge post , I would like to clear out the half of the garage occupied by boxes, totes, and other items so that both vehicles can fit inside (and we can get rid of stuff we have now dragged through two moves!). The dilemma was being able to ta...

Not the beginning

I could start at the very beginning, but I won't, at least for now. The truth is, I've already come a long way. But now I want to go a little further. A lot further. Moving on from always feeling I am just on the cusp of something to diving in, with full immersion. That's where I am right now. And right now is important, because it is everything. I have decided that the way to make more progress with every current (and future) challenge is by engaging keen awareness. With mindfulness as my compass, I can accomplish anything and move towards lightness in my life. Will I falter and mess up sometimes? Yes, I will. I know that. But that is also where mindfulness and the present moment come in. I do not have to be afraid of the future, and I do not have to be affected by my past. I can decide not only to change, but to take action, in this (and every) moment. This possibility present within each passing moment is in itself an amazing opportunity, and it is my privilege to shar...

Unboxing Discoveries: Glamour Shots

Lately my general response when I open boxes that have been packed away for years is, "Oh my gosh ... I had completely forgotten about this!/I still have this?!/I thought I donated this?!" Which, based on my reaction, likely means that the item/s were not so valuable (if not completely vexing) to me. Despite the feelings of overwhelm they incite, it also means that sorting through it all is probably a good thing. Yet, there are those relatively rare moments when a long-lost item does, as Marie Kondo would put it, "spark joy". Over a decade ago, I visited an antique store in Zionsville, IN, with my sister, nephew, and my parents. There I found a whole trunk full of black and white celebrity photos , probably from old magazines, that some meticulous soul had taken the trouble to laminate. Since many of the images were gorgeous and so reasonably priced, I (a broke graduate student at the time) couldn't resist. I was most attracted to photos of glamorous actress...

A Keen Slate

Search This Blog