Hello, my name is...

Kay.. and I confess...  it is February 15 and I still have a few lingering Christmas things lying around.  My family decorates later than most people (mid-December) and our decorations come down later too (mid-January).    But now it is mid-February and I have not decorated either with my January snowmen OR Valentine stuff.  I'll think about St. Patrick's Day and Easter later.  I do a purge of decorations every year so there isn't a lot to worry with.   EXCEPT Christmas!

If you are an organizing guru or a neat freak, you might want to stop right here.  I can't help you.. I can only provide you with entertainment.  If you are little bit messy... or paralyzed by indecision when it comes to STUFF.... maybe I can help... or at least give you a little understanding :-)  We still NEED to get ourselves in hand somehow.. and keep moving forward!

Anyway, I had good intentions.  Almost everything Christmas is put away except the things I either LOVE or have issues with... so today, I tackle those!  It's decision time.

First, I'll deal with the lights on the house.   Actually I LOVE having little white twinkle lights on my house.  I have a big porch and really enjoy having those lights in the summer.  So those will stay.  Also, packed in accessible storage are the extra replacement strands.  It will be important that my family knows where they are too, because my beloved husband and I have absolutely opposite ideas of what logical storage means.  If we don't agree, neither of us will ever find them when they are needed!  That said, I am dealing with it today... and if he does not see twinkle light storage as his Tuesday priority, then I will have to make a note to have that discussion later.  I am packing them away!

  Those are the porch lights on the back of the house.  We left a few strands all intertwined with pine garland on the front of the house.  It looked great in the snow.... but our snow is gone.  We still talk about the lights though and whether or not to keep them all year.   My decision today is to remove the garland and the lights.  Once the garland comes out, the light strings will be loose and sloppy.  I will put the light strands with the other accessible ones so that we can re-string them easily if that is the family choice.

There are a few candles that still need to finish burning and some themed pump hand soap to use up.  Does anybody else have trouble getting that stuff used up DURING a season?  The candles that are nearly finished can stay.  I'll commit to burning them.  (Note: the ones I didn't LOVE have already been tossed!)

There is still one container in my extra room waiting for the last few items.

Well... that is the easy part...  now comes the serious procrastination.  

This year we received a live wreath.  We haven't had live things in years because I used to have a lot of trouble with asthma.... so we hung this beautiful wreath outside on the front door.  In late January, I moved it inside because it was still pretty and I liked looking at it.   Also, I wanted to save the crafty things on the wreath.  I'm not sure why... I used to save everything crafty as a matter of course... but now I ask the question.  Anyway, I haven't gotten around to either removing the items OR making a decision... so today, the items come off and the wreath goes.  They will go in one zip-type storage bag and in the box!  Wreath AND craft indecision handled FOR TODAY.

Then, the WORST.... two sets of items that belonged to my mother.  (We won't talk about the one entire container of her Christmas things that I do not use).

First is a set of 3 straw camels.  They are okay... but I would never have bought them.  They are different sizes... and one is pretty large.  She used to put them on a set of glass shelves in a picture window.  I need to mention two things here.... my mother died almost 15 years ago.  She was my best friend and I still struggle with her death.  AND, after her death, my family bought her house from her estate.  So not only do I have the camels, I have the home she displayed them in.

That said, we do not have the either the glass shelves or the same window.  We have had a hurricane since then and a LOT of things changed.  The camels have spent many years stuffed in the back of a closet.  I have cleaned the closet out many times but left the camels for some reason.   Anyway, this year, they made it out of the closet and into a storage container.  Not a good answer, I know... but I feel like I made some little progress by getting them that far :-)  Simply seeing them and touching them is almost more than I can bear.  I will re-double my commitment to handle my own clutter and try to save my children as much of this kind of pain as possible!  If any of my family reads this far, let me know if you want those stupid camels.. I would love to hand them over (even if you toss them.. just don't tell me!)

Next is 2 little wooden reindeer.  I am ready to get rid of those but have a hard time just tossing things.  You know, because they are STILL GOOD.  But I have no clue who they would be GOOD FOR... I just know it's not me!  They will go in my give away bag AND out of my house!

Finally, the container that has been waiting for these last items.  This particular container will stay near the front of my storage closet.  I plan to pull it out in the summer and look again.  It will be easier to make intelligent decisions about Christmas decorating when I'm not wrapped in the sentimental Christmas feelings.  I think perhaps a nice sweltering 90+ degree day...

So tell me.... if you read this far..  what do you have still hanging around?

And if you are the neat freak who read this far.... good for you!  I have to ask.... where is YOUR trouble spot (because I KNOW you have one!) 

And, before you say anything about Santa.... he lives on my mantel all year.  He doesn't qualify as a Christmas decoration.  He makes me smile all the time... so he stays... I don't care what the season is :-)