Who needs an After Christmas Checklist? This year’s Christmas holiday has come and gone, and it’s time to plan your attack on your after-Christmas task list. Here are five items that will efficiently and quickly get you back on track to normal in the blink of an eye (well, almost!)
As with every list of tasks, it’s acceptable to enlist help to get the job done. A spouse or grandchild could make accomplishing the checklist that much easier. (You’ll have to decide if that’s the case for you. 😉 ) So, here’s your quick list. Make sure and have fun as you check things off the list, which I believe is the most satisfying thing of all!
Also, at the bottom of the post, there’s a link to our free Happy Hostess Holiday Go-To Meals Workbook. It will give you some great ideas for informal meals after Christmas and New Years’. You might find one that would work for your Checklist working time!
#1 Put the Gifts away from Under the Tree
Find a spot for your new treasures as the first step in your after-Christmas checklist, even if it’s out in the garage, so you can know where to find it next year to be used as a white elephant gift! Decide which ones you might need to return or exchange. And move them along.
For the gifts you’re keeping and will be using right now, find their spot and put them to use. Let the giver know how much you appreciate it and how useful it is to you. Hopefully, the gifts you’re returning are from far-away givers!
#2 Take Photos Before you Take Down the Decorations
I always wish I had done that because I’m a ‘process decorator.’ That means I set things one way and then maybe put something else in the middle or take something away. And, eventually, it looks just right. Having photos provide a starting place for me. Most importantly, save the photos someplace where you can find them! Maybe print them out and put them in the Christmas decorations tub.
This year I opted to use less than I normally do. I made myself not feel obligated to put it all out. And I’m very pleased with the result. My next challenge is deciding what to keep of the pieces I didn’t use this year.
You can also take photos of your after-Christmas/winter decorating. I love our Christmasy decorated house and am sad to have to un-do all the cozy cuteness of our personal North Pole home. So, I’ll consider incorporating some of the holiday elements into my winter look this year.
#3 The After-Christmas Take Down
We usually leave things up till after New Year’s. But this year could be WAYYYY different (it just might be a little later than that!) We’re not the keep things up until March types, but we want to ‘get our money’s worth’. After New Year’s Day, I’m ready to get things going and put Christmas and its memories behind me. Whenever you choose, that’s right for you. ❤️
Remember, too, that this is a great time to organize and purge. Your next year self will be so happy you did! I plan to label the tubs as I categorically fill them.
Save to your favorite Christmas board on Pinterest!
#4 Re-organize the Christmas Tubs
Everything’s down. They’re roughly grouped into shiny little piles and ready to return to bed in their respective tubs. But wait, let’s take a breath and a few minutes to consider organizing all these traditional holiday treasures differently.
One way to tub your decorations and treasures could be by area. We decorate the credenza in the living room, the fireplace mantle in the family room, the niche in the entry, a couple of antique pieces here and there, and the coffee and end tables. I might pack up each space and mark that. How easy would next year be?!
This article goes into more detail regarding organizing after Christmas. I recommend reading it for helpful suggestions! How to Safely Store and Organize Holiday Decor
Christmas Storage Organization Tools
#5 Your Favorite After-Christmas Sale
When do after Christmas sales start? Most are already going! I know Hobby Lobby’s had their Christmas stuff at 70% off. It’s now marked down to 75% off! Wow…might be worth it!
Going back into a retail store might be close to nauseating at this point, so this one’s totally up to you! But shopping after Christmas sales on decorations and wrapping materials can’t be beaten. We’re building our outside decoration and will look for that little family of lighted deer. Or, the white nativity set. Got my eyes open!
Download Your Free Holiday Meals Workbook!
Returning is not my favorite activity, but it can be palatable if you time it right, go mentally prepped, and are not hungry. Early is usually best if you’ve got the flexibility in your schedule to do that. Visit with the people around you or get on your email while you wait.
Let’s Wrap This Up
As you put a big bow on Christmas this year, remember that it’s up to you how quickly or slowly you wrap IT up! If you want to let the holidays linger a little longer, go for it. Take it down and put it away when you’re ready. And, if you’d just as soon get that stuff back in the boxes and piled back in storage, that’d be perfect as well.
We all know Christmas is more about our focus on the Baby born that day who grew up to give His life for us eventually. So, taking advantage of after-Christmas sales, returning the not-quite-right presents, packing the decorations, and all the items on the checklist are secondary to the amazing life and promises were given to us through the real Gift of Christmas.
Favorite Holiday Posts
Blessings on y’all as we look forward with excitement to another New Year. Happy, Happy New Year, my friends!
Finding a new purpose in living and joy in the day-to-day was the goal when author Kathy Rowland and her entire family (adult kids and grandkids) moved from the PNW to Texas several years ago. The focus of Quiet Hollow is to encourage ‘next chapter women’ – those who are retired, empty-nesters, or have found themselves without a spouse to jump back into life. And, she shares multiple tips, ideas, and possibilities toward that end. Kathy completed her almost 30 years as an elementary teacher and hopped into over a decade of volunteer work, side hustle-type businesses, and grandchild care before discovering her unique and fulfilling purpose for the next chapter of life. What you read on Quiet Hollow is a large part of that calling. Another part is the happy life she’s leading in Central Texas in the same neighborhood as the 3 big kids and her 5 grandkids. She and her college sweetheart husband made sure to add a pool to their new Texas home, so there are lots of noisy, splashy days in their little oasis of a backyard. Come join her on Quiet Hollow in a conversation about finding and living the life you were created to live in this later stage. The chats will be full of laughter, support, faith, and inspiration to create.
I loved the photo idea for keeping track of decoration locations, etc. Why didn’t I think of that?! Thanks for the ideas to help me start 2021 on the right foot! Cheers!
Thanks Jane! Yup, that came to me this year because I really liked how things landed in the decorating process AND I knew I wouldn’t remember what I did! Happy checking off your list!