Since I’m still recovering from traveling and cleaning and putting things away, today’s post is a simple-yet-fun one, especially if you love to organize things and shop for things on sale!
Today’s post is about organizing holiday decorations and serving pieces. Why are we talking about this after the holidays? Because January and February are known for a few different types of sales. First, these two months are known for sales of furniture and linens (towels, sheets, etc.). Second, these months have also started to be known for sales of organizing tools like stackable boxes, wreath and light bags, and china/flatware bins. And today I want to talk specifically about tools that help you organize and store your holiday decorations and your china/flatware that you only use a few times a year.
First I want to talk about china. Not everyone uses fancy china anymore, and I’ve noticed with my many nieces’ weddings that they don’t even register for china nowadays. But chances are that one day, if you entertain, you will end up with dishes and cups that you use for certain holidays, not even just this time of year. One of the things I recently invested in are these soft-sided quilted storage containers. They are available from many different vendors, but at the time I was writing this post Amazon had the best prices. (I am NOT an Amazon affiliate and make no money from any links on this blog). You can also find similar items at Walmart, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc.
I have five full sets of china that I inherited from grandmothers, etc., and I just recently invested in these quilted containers with felt dividers. Not only to they protect the dishes from small scrapes that lead to crazing, but they also prevent chipping and keep the dishes clean and free from dust. I also use this flatware box to keep my silver flatware together. While it’s not lined with silver felt, if your flatware is sterling silver you can add these inexpensive silver protector (anti-tarnish) paper strips to protect the silver from tarnishing and pitting. The same company that makes the flatware boxes also makes a storage box for water and wine glasses. I have enough room in my china cabinet that I don’t need to pack them away, but I used them at my mother’s house and they were definitely sturdy enough to protect the finest crystal. I also have some random silver serving pieces that I received from my grandmother, and I store them in these silver bags and place them in my china cabinet. But they would also fit in these storage boxes. I would still keep them wrapped in the silver bags within the boxes to prevent tarnishing and pitting.
Why do I go to all this trouble? I do this for many reasons, some emotional and others financial. First, these items came to me from my female relatives (many of whom who’ve passed on), as well as from my wedding. I have deep emotional ties to these things and would like to pass them down to my own children. So I want to keep them in good condition. Second, many of these things have value on the secondary china/silver markets. If I ever need quick cash, I can sell them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, or I can even sell them on consignment to auction houses or even Replacements, Ltd. Third, some these things are insured and I need to prove that they are being stored correctly and safely in order to prove that I’ve stored them correctly (yes, I take photos of these items in their storage containers) in case I ever have to make an insurance claim. Fourth, I have moved many times over the years and having these items already boxed up properly will make the next move even easier. Then there is the fifth reason–if we ever need to leave the house quickly, I can grab the silver. I know it sounds silly and dystopian, but crazy things have been happening in the world lately. While I wouldn’t take the china with me, I would take the sterling silver because it could be sold quickly or traded for something else we may need.
Yes, that fifth reason is a stretch but one thing the last two years have taught me is that weird things happen when you least expect them.
Okay. Let’s move on to decorations. Yes, your decorations are probably all stored away now. But since these packing items are on sale now, you may want to get them and store them away until next year. Or, during a blizzard or your spring cleaning, you may want to reduce and reorganize your decorations to save space.
Here are some of my favorite storage tools to look out for when they go on sale: (Again, these are Amazon links but you should shop around to see if there are better prices elsewhere. And, like I said before, I am NOT an affiliate and receive no money from these product links)
I love these ornament storage boxes. They have acid-free linings to prevent discoloration as well as removable trays for stacking. Here is another style that’s in a stackable square form. And I have three of these wreath bags that I’ve been using for years for my fake wreaths. (I only use a real wreath on my front door). These wreath bags are soft sided and I stack them on top of each other. While I loved the harder plastic wreath bins, the plastic clips keeping them closed kept breaking off! These soft wreath bags are made out of a sturdy canvas with a strong zipper.
For larger, fragile items like snow globes and porcelain villages houses, I use these bins. They have strong dividers and can be stacked on top of each other. They also store collectible caroler statues and medium-sized nutcrackers. For random items that are still in their original packaging, or soft things that I can store in ziplock bags, I use these bins from Lowe’s. They are strong, waterproof, and stack safely in threes.
A few weeks ago, we talked about storage and organization for holiday wrapping supplies. Here’s a link for that blog post, and many of those items will also be going on sale this month and next month.
Finally, outdoor lights. While my husband takes care of these items, he does use the Lowe’s bins (mentioned above as well) as well as these storage containers as well as these light storage containers. While all of these containers can add up in price, now is the best time of the year to find them on sale. Even if you buy them now and store them until next year, before we know it (in 10 months!) we’ll be dragging all of these things out to decorate the house for the 2022 holidays. Then, when you’re putting things away in January 2023, you’ll have everything you need to organize your holiday decorations then. And you will have done it with 2022’s sale prices!
I hope you all have a great weekend, and next week we’ll go back to our decluttering schedules and begin to work on our Family Disaster Binder. I can’t wait!
If you want to catch up before next week, here’s a quick recap with links to the homework we were working on before the holidays arrived:
Week One’s assignments was to make a list of all the possible disasters that could happen in your area. Anything floods to hurricanes to blizzards to riots. On the second half of the page, keep a list of the disasters that have happened to you or your family personally. Keep this list on your refrigerator or someplace where it would be easy to add to. This will be an ongoing list we’ll use later on when we begin long-term planning. Then we’re making a meal list–listing every meal you eat in a month. So this is ongoing homework until you feel you have a good idea of what meals and foods/snacks you eat and drink every day, every week, every month. (this is not a grocery list!)
Week Two’s assignments was to make a list of all the cleaning supplies you use in every room of the house. And note those products you love and don’t love. When that is done, it’s time to do a deep review and clean of each room. And don’t forget to set up meals and rewards ahead of time!
Week Three’s assignment: Figure out your menu for the next month or two (depending on the holidays you celebrate and all the things/visitors you have planned). Make an ingredient list and, from that, make a shopping list. Don’t forget to include any cleaning supplies that you might need (from last week’s list), especially any specialty or seasonal items like silver polish and Lysol.
Week Five’s assignments: Think longer term about non-perishable food and household products (cleaning, paper products, etc). Make a list of what you need for the next four months to get you through the worst of the winter. Collect coupons and check prices and make a plan for how and when you’re going to purchase these things before the stores run out.
