Before we get down to business, first we have to to do away with the remnants of Christmas past.  This is something that I usually do in the week between Christmas and New Years, but I was out of town for Christmas and seriously delayed on my return home due to weather.  That actually didn’t put me too far behind because as I knew I would be away and not hosting Christmas festivities I didn’t fully decorate my house.   

My Christmas tree has become a “souvenir” of my travels.  Over the last twenty years or so I have picked up momentos of the places I have been so each year when I decorate my tree I can reminisce about the sites I’ve seen and the adventures that I have had.  These aren’t all official Christmas ornaments per se.  Some are drink coasters from restaurants or pubs, some are designed for other uses but small enough to tie a string around and put on a tree, but increasingly I am seeing more tourist destinations having local ornaments for sale.   

Getting an ornament box (finally) was a worthwhile investment.  I bought mine at a discount at the after Christmas sales. I wasn’t sure whether this would be an asset or not, but found it much better to store and organize than the repurposed boxes and old newspaper that I had been using prior.  But what really improved my storage was a sturdy Christmas tree storage bag. Last year as a Christmas gift I got a Lee Valley Christmas tree storage bag, and this bag is seriously sturdy.  I have had an artificial Christmas tree and for years I have variously packed it back in the box it came in (which never seems to contain it properly again), or I put it in plastic Christmas tree bags from on-line stores which quickly tore or the zippers fell apart almost immediately.  Proper storage makes storing Christmas a much easier task….

So now I have Christmas things put away.  Now we’re ready to move on.