BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Organization Holiday Clutter: How do you keep it under control?

The holidays can be a crazy time. It's also a time when there are loads of fun activities taking place. If you are anything like me you want to participate in all the festivities; you don't want to spend your precious minutes on household tasks.

Unfortunately, clutter doesn't take a holiday break. How do you manage to keep things organized and under control when you are pressed for time?

In terms of the actual holiday supplies, I have a big Rubbermaid labelled "Halloween" and one labelled "Christmas". So one comes down in October, it goes back up in November and the next one comes down. So that is fairly organized.

We are *extremely* low key in terms of activities. We don't do any gift exchanges. We don't go to any parties. We rest, relax, and recuperate. So we have no extra stress in that area.

I have zero decorations, so i have you beat there.

I am not low key because I save all my children's holiday drawings, art projects, etc.
I'm also Jewish so there are a lot of holidays. I store them in labeled bins in a cabinet in my garage. Each holiday I use blue tape and just tape their pictures to the wall, display their creations on the buffet... and when it's over - I take them down again and store them away.

I really enjoy seeing their work through the years, and they enjoy it too. So, I'm happy to keep that clutter around... for awhile.

blue tape is just the greatest thing! that's a great idea for displaying the artwork.

Jilly and Lisa S., I love how low key you both are. The holidays are rife with expectations. Some seriously outlandish ones at that. I wrote about how to deal with those crazy 'shoulds' here: Reduce Holiday Stress

Lisa P., it's great that you display your kids art and keep it. I don't think that's clutter. If you love something, it is definitely not clutter and it sounds like you get joy out of viewing their creations.

My sister gets really into the holidays, but she has kids and maybe that makes a difference. My parents put up a tree but that's really t, and it usually goes up late out of a sense of duty rather than as a fun event. As a kid, they would have to drag me down to decorate the tree. It was - to me - just silly.

I know many adults who absolutely adore the holidays, and I also know kids who care about little besides getting their presents. So I think all ages come in all varieties. It is fine! We are all each different creations and can choose to enjoy different aspects of life.

I enjoy the candles in the windows. To me that is a very comforting, welcoming image. A snow-bound house, a candle in the window to guide lost travelers home.

Lisa, do people do that by you? I have never seen that, not even when I lived in NY, CA, or Seattle, Colorado or anywhere. Everyone I can see puts up light strings.

Dear Jilly -

Yes, I see it all over New England. Probably half the houses on my street if not more have candles in the windows.