Putting Christmas Away

I am not ready to put Christmas away.

I love its sparkle, lights, music, presents, food, gatherings and uplifting mood. I love how creative and inspired I feel each December.

I love my tree.   I love my ornaments.

It's "Seattle" grey outside, I still need the color and glitter.

I remember reading an article years ago by a woman who wrote that she and her family make a ritual out of putting all their Christmas decorations away.  They play Christmas music and sing while taking everything down.  They examine each ornament and mend those that need repair before packing them up.   I love this tradition!

I look at the pile of packaging in my garage and I'm not excited about taking down my displays and wrapping everything in that cardboard, bubble wrap and tissue.   How will I ever find my favorite things again next December?  

I tried to simplify this Christmas and I only unpacked half my Christmas decorations. We put up a real tree but it was a table top tree.   I didn't need as many ornaments.

But when Christmas was over, I actually retrieved my remaining ornaments out of storage and put them in bowls and baskets just so I could just look at them.  I had missed them. 

So this year, I am doing something different.   I am ditching all the packaging of the past.

I went to Value Village yesterday to look for great used boxes and containers.   I'm going to package all my ornaments like they were jewelry.   Next December, each box will be opened with reverence, like I've uncovered buried treasure.  I'll get ALL of my decorations out because that's why I own them...to enjoy them.   And, as usual, they will stay up until mid-January...at least.