I recently worked with Rosemary* to help decorate her home for Christmas. In the span of her children’s lives, the family moved three or four times. Decor changed in each new home to accommodate different styles and available space. Instead of sorting through all the decorations the family had accumulated, they brought additional storage bins. Items that did not get used stayed in the bins which multiplied over the years. While items within the bins are organized and contained, Rosemary was overwhelmed by the sheer number and dreaded last minute setting up.
With a team of three of us, we opened all the winter holiday bins and organized them by categories so Rosemary can see what she has: in which rooms they’d go, whether to save some items for another year or to donate. She kept her favorite white lights and got rid of the colored ones. One tree was fully decorated in the family room. The living room tree will be decorated soon by Rosemary with her favorite decorations which are organized and visible.
Decorations no longer meaningful were set aside out of the way to give away, freeing up several empty bins. She’s keeping the cleared bins so when January rolls around, it will be a breeze to put away decorations in a way that allows her to see what she has for the next year. Some bins were set aside to use for something else such as transporting supplies to relatives. Now Rosemary can enjoy the holiday a bit longer without the extra stress of a complicated clean up while focusing on decorating areas she likes to do herself and having the time to do the things she loves.
If we can help with holiday decorating (indoor only) or even to put away the holiday items once January rolls around, give us a call.
*Note: These blog stories feature real clients and their organizing solutions. To maintain client privacy, all names have been changed.