Today I was a guest on the Martha Stewart Living Radio show, “Living Today,” and had a great time chatting with the host about getting organized for the holidays.

Since it ‘tis the season, I’ll be posting my favorite holiday tips this month. Today’s tips have to do with keeping those decorations in order:

Store decorations in one area of your home…not spread out in different places. You may be surprised by how much you have once you get it all together.
I love to store decorations in large clear bins. It’s easy to see what’s inside. If you like the red/green bins, be sure to label them!
Now there are also clear bins that come with colored lids that correspond to different seasons/holidays, red = Christmas, pink = Easter and orange = Halloween.
If you want to simplify, think about items that you can use throughout the seasons and holidays. For example, glass hurricanes can be filled with candies or shiny tinsel for this time of the year, and but then be filled with seashells for the summer.
Pay attention to decorations you no longer use. Are you tired of the same old ornaments, trying to simplify, or just have different taste now? Maybe it is time to donate some decorations. And while you are at it, get rid of anything that is broken.
Make some time to put the decorations away after the holidays. I know, it’s not as much fun as setting everything up. If you take the time to really put things where they go, it will make taking them out next time a whole lot easier.
And you don’t have to do it all at once. I often un-decorate in stages. First, I take things down and get them in the right box…and this may be over the course of a few days. Next, I get the boxes back up to the attic. They may not go into the attic right away…but at least they are moving in the right direction! My final step is to fully put the boxes back—where they go.

Organizing Tips

An Organized Holiday: Decorations