Style Magazine
The holidays have flown by and most likely left a bit of a mess behind. Get things under control and start the New Year out right! Here are some ideas to help you get your house back in order.
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RIBBONS AND ORNAMENTS: Only keep ribbon if it’s long enough to be useful to you later. Keep all your cut ribbon in the same place. You don’t have to have a separate storage container, a large Ziploc bag will do. As for your ornaments, a lot of blogs and articles suggest using egg cartons to safely store them. This would be great if you had 10 empty egg cartons readily at your disposal…I would not be one of those people. So, if you are like me, fear not! The Container Store has some great holiday storage options. It’s also nice if all your storage boxes are the same dimensions so that they can neatly stack on top of each other.
PINE NEEDLES: After dragging your tree out to the curb and taking down all your garlands and wreaths, you’ll probably find your house coved in pine needles. Don’t just throw them out…sweep them up and use them for mulch in your garden! You can even cut a few branches to place on top of your delicate plants so that they can survive the winter.
EXTRA WINE AND CLUB SODA: If you happen to have any leftover wine, freezing them into ice cubes can be quite handy. You can use the cubes later for cooking up some great sauces! Club soda that has gone flat can also be used to water your plants. It is supposed to help with root growth!
EXCESS FOOD: Is your home filled with chocolate boxes and fruitcakes that you are only eating out of obligation? Save yourself the trouble of debating whether or not you should start your diet after you have eaten that box almond brittle. Just take your holiday treats into work or donate them to a shelter. It’s for your own good!
RETURN ITEMS: Don’t just leave bags of items that need to be returned by the door…or worse in your rooms (where it most likely won’t be discovered until well after you have lost the receipt and the nerve to take it back). Bag items up with their receipts and leave them in the trunk of your car. Try to stop by stores throughout the week when you have a free minute (i.e.: on the way back from the supermarket, after work, on your lunch break, etc.)
Don’t let the holidays make you feel like you are starting off the New Year already 2 steps behind. It’s always the right time to give yourself a fresh start. Happy New Year!