The tree is out.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I post a picture (or two. or three.) and just a few words.
And all the decorations are stored away in their boxes.
I do like Christmas, but when January 1st rolls around, I am usually more than ready to put everything away.
So, I am over the moon that after spending some time yesterday working on un-decorating, my living room now looks like this.
And that my dining room looks like this.
I am just trying not to think about the fact that Sonia and Zoe's room currently looks like this in all directions.
Are you a take-down-the-decorations-promptly sort? Or do you like to leave them up for a good long time?
Our tree is out too...I have a little bit of work to accomplish before the living room is done....and my daughter's room looks about the same as your children's room! 😀
I got my decorations down in record fashion. Mr. Ray even helped this year and learned what a chore it is especially by yourself.
I know you are very interested in waste reduction and I came upon a book (we have a company sponsored e-library) that you might be interested in:
"Outsmart Waste: The Modern Idea of Garbage and How to Think Our Way Out of It" by Tom Szaky
Berrett-Koehler Publishers © 2014 (169 pages)
ISBN: 9781626560246
Explaining the origins of the modern garbage crisis and what each of us can do to solve it, this thought-provoking book will change everything you ever thought you knew about garbage—and is guaranteed to change how you buy, consume, and dispose of things.
Hope you had a lovely Christmas and enjoy a Happy New Year.
Yay! We took our tree down yesterday while we watched the Rose Bowl Parade and ate snacks. I think that may become our new New Years Day tradition.
I want to ask about your couches. My husband and I dream about buying leather couches some day and I love the look of yours! What brand are they and how do you like them? They look like they're holding up really well for you guys.
Those are Ikea Ektorp pieces...I wrote a post about how we saved up for those right here: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/something-we-saved-for/
Ikea has discontinued the Ektorp leather line, but they do have some similar leather couches available.
We're really happy with ours so far. We bought them in the winter of 2009, so they're now almost five years old. They're broken in to a degree, but they're showing SO much less wear than our old fabric furniture did, and it's way easier to keep them clean.
Awesome! I've been looking at the Ikea sofas. They're just so affordable compared to most leather couches! I'm glad to hear that they're lasting well for you. They look really comfy!
I just got a IKEA Sofa $800- after tax
I LoVe it it's Big & Durable fits 4 adults
It's called HOVAS
I got a chocolate-Brown-Gray color
In July Very Comfy
IKEA has good stuff sometimes 🙂 fun to put together too
We take down the decorations the Saturday after New Year's. We have a tree de-decking party, with finger foods and punch, followed by a movie night. The whole family looks forward to helping.
What a GREAT Idea ! How Fun !
I am in the opposing camp: I leave everything up until the Epiphany or thereabouts. There is so much hustle and bustle before the holidays, and things are relatively calm afterwards. I love the way my house is decorated and there's no pressure to get anything done now. I walk my husband to work every morning and I turn the tree lights on before we leave. It looks so pretty and when I come home from our morning walk, the loveliness of it all fills my heart with gratitude.
I LoVe CHRISTmas Decorations too they are so Pretty & Relaxing & just Ahhhhhh makes the Heart feel soooooo Good 🙂
Our Tree is put up too 🙁 ( we do a Faker w- Candle scents, so I can hv my Lights on Almost All Day & Not Worry about Fire )
I was soooo Sad Last Night. I LoVe to Watch TV with All the lights out But for the CHRISTmas Tree 🙂
So I Miss my Tree already last night.
We take ours down too on Jan 1st. But leave our Lights Up til & Lit outside til jan 6, for the 12 Days of CHRISTmas.
Still hv my Tree Scent Candles Going 🙂 ( Candle melts ~ ) Sparkling Berry Garland by Better Homes * Walmart $2- for 6 cubes that each lasts DAYS 😉
Last yr they went on Clearance $1- so I bought 12 🙂 it's my FAV CHRISTmas Scent. Clean Linen for Everyday or Tranquil Spa 😉 very Fresh & Relaxing Scents
Does Anyone Else ever Forget & accidentally leave 1-2 Decorations out ?
LoL EVERY YEAR I forget 1-2 things after I box up everything up & put it away. So I hv a Little Santa Decor pc in my Hall Closet now & an Empty Nativity Box because I packed up all my Nativity scenes all together :/
Yes I do this every year, plus if I shop the discounted Christmas sales and buy decorations and wrapping paper for next year, there's that to contend with, too! So what I do is, leave one storage bin accessible and toss the forgotten or new items in there. All of my decorations are in a large storage closet area under our stairs, so I can easily pop the bin in there when I'm finished.
😉 I have a CHRISTmas Storage Closet that Houses all my tins, Cards boxes wrap Rippons etc & my 2 BIG Nantivity Scenes ( willow tree they take up a lot of room ) so my CHRISTmas Closet is a bit of a Mess right now but come Spring I'll reorganize it 😉
But it's just So Funny that Every Year I leave out & forget about 1-2 things 😉
We don't Wrap gifts Anymore we use Reusable Boxes & Gift Bags & I always Reuse Tissue ( wrapping Tissue paper that is 😉 ) I've done it for Years 😉 & my Family Still laugh at me 😉
I took our decorations down last night. My eldest child was quite sad this morning when he saw that the tree was gone 🙁
I love Christmas decorations but I'm pretty strict about only having them up between Thanksgiving and Christmas(although I will go to the new year if need be)
I probably sound grumpy, but Christmas does not start until Christmas! Before that is Advent!
Our decorations are still up, didn't go up until the weekend before Christmas, and will stay up until Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas, the 6th of January.
An artificial tree makes it easier. In past years, we did take the tree down if it got really dry, but left up everything else.
We're still marching our Three Kings around the house getting them up to the Nativity set. They'll arrive on the 6th and we'll have Three Kings Cake (actually just a box crumb cake with a tin-foil-wrapped coin in it).
People cheat themselves when they throw away the traditional observances that keep us mindful of the events found in Scripture.
If you would like to be REALLY traditional, you keep at least one piece of Christmas decoration up until February 2nd, the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:22ff). I usually forget something so it works out most years....
I like the sound of your traditions. Now that we have a daughter, we are very interested to learn about the lesser-known holidays included in the Christmas season (St. Nicholas' Day, Advent, etc.), and how to celebrate according to a more traditional timeline.
I like the Idea of Moving Wise men around the house to the Nantivity scene
I never heard of that before 🙂
It really helps the children understand that the story goes on, past the manger. The Three Kings can start waaaaaay far off, depending on how much patience your family has. I have friends who start them in the kids' rooms, and march them down the stairs, around to bookcases, then down onto tables, to arrive at the crib with their gifts.
Much prefer this to Elf on a Shelf (which is cute, but not part of the Reason for the Season).
I decided to read the comments on this post to see if anyone mentioned exactly what you did! The 12 days of Christmas and Epiphany, Jan.6th! We are doing the same thing! My father will be so happy to hear about your tradition because when my parents were here visiting for Christmas, we talked about this very thing! We also think its silly to see Valentines Day stuff in the store on December 26th!!!!!!
I usually leave it up for at least another week after New Year's. You see, in the US the Holidays comes and goes so fast, in RO, they still sing carols after the New Year's! I treasure the loving feeling it brings with the decor still up... Maybe I'll stash it away when the kids are back in school... 🙂
We keep ours up until Epiphany - January 6th (which also happens to be our anniversary :)). This year we bought a real tree in a pot to replace our artificial one. It'll stay in its pot in the front yard (undecorated of course) and just come in again next year.
My tree is still up because I prefer to take it down when the kids are back in school (although getting the decorations out of here REALLY appeals to me right about now!) AND because my drapery cord broke but my tree blocks the open part till I figure out how to get it fixed ...
Your daughter's room is the reality that most of us moms are dealing with--I like to be a little relaxed with cleanliness rules during Christmas break and to emphasize fun instead--but next week, tidiness rules!!!!!!!!
I take my decorations down as close to New Years Day as days off from work allow. I like my house with the decorations. It's so much prettier, but if I wait longer to put them away, the neighbors will think I'm nuts. I've been known to give ornaments as gifts after the holiday. It's fun to annoy people who've put all their stuff away. :>
I'm always ready to take the decorations down, but we leave them up until after Jan. 6. That is my husband's birthday and that was the tradition at his house growing up, so we have continued it because it makes him happy. And why not?
We leave our decorations up until Jan. 6th too, which is also my husband's birthday AND my name is Lisa! 🙂 However, unlike you I am never ready for the decorations to be put away. I just love them out when it is still snowy and cold outside. I especially have a hard time turning off the outdoor Christmas lights - lightens a dark Canadian winter!
Yay for Lisas! And husbands with Jan 6 birthdays! Is his name Mark, too?
I take em down when Christmas is over. Which of course is the sixth of January.
Well, we store our Christmas stuff in the attic. Our attic doesn't have stairs so I have to have my husband to help me (ok, I help him). He's had to work all week so it will be this Saturday. We always put them up the Saturday after New Years....although if New Years falls on a Saturday or Sunday, we put them up that day. I do have all of the decorations boxed up and ready to go. Just need to get the tree and ornament boxes out of the attic to finish off! I'm ready to get them up!
I love Christmas, but this year I can't wait to get the house back to normal neatness. After a while, the Christmas decor I love so dearly just starts looking cluttery. The tree is dropping needles everywhere and is now very droopy. It's all getting put away tonight, with help from husband and our little girl!
I like to get our tree and other decorations up in november, we were late with our tree this year though, 20th december. But after christmas I want it all gone, the only exception beeing my stars in our windows. I have no lights and it get´s very dark without my stars.
I was a little bit sad when my husband put away all the Christmas tree and decorations yesterday because in our country (Philippines) we usually wait (at least) Three Kings day passes.
I don't even wait for New Year's. I'm one of those people who starts putting decorations away on December 26th.
This is my first visit to your blog, and I'm enjoying it very much.
I'm with Therese Z! We're still celebrating Christmas! After 6 weeks of Advent, it would seem tragic to stop celebrating Christmas halfway thru. My little girl loves the tree & Nativity set - so we may well leave them up even after Theophany.
My dad is an accountant and my mom works with him, so the new year also marks the beginning of tax season. Growing up, it wasn't uncommon for our tree to stay up until late February. My dad would also get really into the Christmas spirit on Christmas Day - and that is when he would start listening to carols in his car - for at least the whole month of January.
This year, my family isn't even having our Christmas celebration together until January 25 (due to too many people's schedules), which makes it feel like Christmas is only half over. Not sure how long I can convince my husband to leave the tree up...
"I love Christmas decorations but I’m pretty strict about only having them up between Thanksgiving and Christmas(although I will go to the new year if need be)"
Am I being overly sensitive, or is this the saddest comment? Why is there any reason to be "strict" about removing holiday decorations quickly?
Oh, I'm sure she just means that that's what she likes to do. At least, that's how I took it.
In Ireland, generally, people leave the tree up until January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. In some areas of West Limerick though, the tree stays up until January 15, the feast of St Ita (local saint).
My tree is coming down tomorrow, fingers crossed, because my toddler loves pulling the decorations off and smashing them.
Our family famously keeps the tree up for far longer than we care to publicly admit. I love it, though, and especially love reading by the glow of the Christmas lights late in the evening, armed with a novel and mug of hot cocoa.
We usually keep our decorations up until Epiphany (or around then). We took our decorations down today since it's the weekend and hubby was home to help. I do try to not keep them up past Epiphany since my daughter's birthday is Jan 7th. So they usually come down the weekend before her birthday since we usually have her party the next weekend.
I love Christmas decorations. This year I left mine up until New Years because I had guests on New Years Eve but I typically take mine down a day or two before then because I love love love to start the year fresh with a clean, uncluttered house. I typically deep clean the house and then display fresh fruit and flowers for the new year. New years is always a time of great reflection for me. And I like that the hub bub and the pressures of the holidays are over and look forward to a fresh start to the new year.
I'm definitely a take it down on January 1st type of girl, this year we left a few things up later because we had visiting family but was fortunate enough to have said family take down the tree for us AND we sent the two early twenties boys out to take down ALL the outdoor stuff! Best. Gift. Ever.
We put our tree & decorations up on Dec 1st and take them all down on Jan 1st. While I'm storing all of the Christmas decorations, the grandkids go through all of their old toys. They donate one old toy for every new toy that they got for Christmas (we do this after their birthdays too).