Monday, January 3, 2011

Deck the Halls with...

Hooray!

Go me!

I am so cool!

I rock!

I'm da man! (Ummmm.... OK, that one was a stretch!)

The good news is...

I am all done Christmas decorating for 2011!

Ta da!

It's true!


Yesterday I decided it was time to take down all the stuff I just put up to make my house feel festive and filled with the holiday spirit and then I realized...

I would have to go out to the frigid garage (Is so! It's been in the 20's at night here in the low desert... so there!)...

...and find all the boxes I just took the stuff out of...

...and put all the stuff back in the boxes...

...and nag ... I mean... ummm.... sweetly encourage ... Mr. Jenny to put all the boxes back up...

...and then I'd have to find all the stuff I took down when I put all the stuff up in the first place...

...So!

I had a brilliant idea! I'm just going to re-arrange a few things and voila! 2011 decorating already achieved.

...

...

Hooray?

Go me?

I rock?

Huh?

OK. Fine. Spoil Sport. You and Mr. Jenny are all kinds of negative at the start of 2011.

Just. Fine.

I'll take the dumb decorations down now.

I hope you're all happy.

But just so you know. I'm not singing any Christmas songs while I do it!

I'm going to be pouty and sulky and naughty and not nice.

It's not like Santa will remember my behaviour after 12 months have passed anyway.

Sigh.

PS. Just so Santa doesn't think I'm a liar, too, that's totally not my house. Mine is decorated wayyyyy better than that.

PPS. OK. It's not. But it could be if I tried harder. And moved. And hired a decorator.

PPPS. Sigh.

post signature

55 comments:

Theresa said...

Oh it is a pain to take down! We tackled the ALL of the other decorations last night! The tree came down on Saturday! Fortunately ours goes up in the attic so no freezing outside! Hope you get yours all UN-decorated and put away, it does feel good to have the space back! Have a blessed Monday! HUGS!

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

Why does the tree seem so bright and sparkly when you first put it up, then by New Year's it's like a big, dense, black hole sucking the life out of your living room and taking up way too much space? Maybe it's just me.

noexcuses said...

I got as far as taking the ornaments off of the tree. I'm lucky our schools don't go back until tomorrow! Your picture is beautiful!

Thanks for the motivation!

Deb said...

I think you had a great idea...sorry everyone did get on the bandwagon...would save so much time...

mub said...

I think that's a brilliant idea... in fact, if I had more space I think I'd just leave my tree up year round!

Boo to the party poopers who think it's not acceptable!

La said...

Thanks, Jenny!

Today is my first day back at work and I'm not feeling it, but you just made me smile.

Have a great week, Sweetie! La

Unknown said...

We just undecorated yesterday, and it was really only the enthusiasm of the kids that sped up the process. They can tear stuff off the tree at lightening speed, as it turns out. That means mama had to find the correct boxes at lightening speed. Not quite as simple a task....

Terra said...

ok, taking down the decor sucks. Simply put. I do have a neighbor that leaves their front door garland up year round and just doesn't turn the lights on it...hmmmm.

Debbie said...

You just plain delight me.

That's all.

Kat said...

Ours came down Saturday. The boxes are still sitting on the dining room floor. I'm thinking of stashing them under the table and getting a really LONG table cloth. What do you think? I mean really, a few bruised knees throughout the year is better than a broken hip from lugging them up to the attic, right? Just sayin'.... Kat

Jeanie said...

You could have just taken all the christmas bulbs out and added eggs and you would have been ready for Easter....sort of.

Brenda said...

Oh man I was just getting ready to tell you how lovely that tree was! I took all mine down yesterday. Scooted the boxes to the entrance that either goes out to the garage or down to the basement. Set all the trees, I have some of those skinny trees that I place together in my living room and boxes by the basement door and hubs will get the notion to carry them down when he passes. No nagging because he does not like things out of place. I just weave my way through them until he gets irritated with it. lol. Have a great week Jenny!

Willoughby said...

I saw a TV show about people who collect Christmas items. Most of them have every room in their home decorated for Christmas year round. So as long as you refer to your decorating as a "collection", I think you'll be okay.

We have to rearrange our living room a bit to make room for the Christmas tree each year, so I'm usually de-decorating by 9:00 a.m. on December 26th. This year, I procrastinated and did it on the 28th. The boxes are still waiting to be taken down to the basement, though.

Cassie said...

Heehee....Jenny, I haven't taken my stuff down yet either! I'm blog-hopping to procrastinate. Like I need an excuse.

Let's go git 'r done.....when we're good and ready!

Pat said...

I will leave mine up if you do too! Thinking you are on to something here...besides our tree still looks so fresh even after two + weeks.

How about we wait & decide around 12th Night??
Have a great week.

ImagiMeri said...

Hi Jenny,

You can take the route I took......don't even start with the decorating thing! Oh, okay, I put up a couple of things, but we didn't go mucking all over the place for a tree. My brilliant friend Sandy (of 521 Lakestreet) got me a 4' tall white tree, pre-lit with multi-colored bulbs, and that was this years tree. I did miss the smell of a fresh, live tree, but I sure don't miss having to haul all those boxes in from the garage to un-decorate. Once I start having grandchildren (no rush) our house will go full on Christmas wonderland, but for now it's just the hubby and I and our teen, Abby. I hope we can get together soon to play.

Love ya,
Meri

RoeH said...

And THAT is why I don't put them up. Well - not all the reason why. Hank would tear the tree down in three seconds and when you don't have anyone else in the house, I just take the easy road and not put them up. But I know about taking them down. That was always the sad hard part.

:))

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Jenny I kid you not I told Mr ALC that I could just leave the tree up all year and well he just sorta looked at me, so sigh, I guess it has to come down...they just don't understand do they?

"Alone again.... naturally!" said...

Sigh.....took mine all done yesterday too and no matter how hard I try, there is always one or two I have forgotten and have to drag out the boxes yet again to find the one they belong in. Live to decorate, hate taking down.....sigh!

Terri Steffes said...

Do like us! Wait til the Wise Men come before taking it all down!

Pondside said...

The kids will be leaving for the east on Friday, and I guess we'll take everything down after that. I couldn't possible do it while they're still here.
I wonder - people have summer cottages - how about a Christmas House? I could leave it decorated all year and just add a thing or two as I go along. It would really take the pressure off.
Talk to Mr Jenny about it......

Pat Tillett said...

The decorations are easy to put up and take down. It's getting the huge and heavy tubs out of the rafters in our garage that sucks!
I don't know why, but we took everything down on the 31st.

Marlene said...

Happy New Year, Jenny!!

And what's wrong with leaving Christmas up all year, anyway?!! You just never know. Santa may make an impromptu visit and leave presents for you when you least expect it. Take THAT, Mr. Jenny! Heeheehee.

Jackie said...

You don't have to take them down until the 12 days of christmas are over which is wednesday or thursday . Take the time to enjoy things a little while longer , don't worry , be happy .

Cheryl D. said...

You should have stuck with your initial plan. Pure brilliance!

Jo said...

I have a friend who left hers up till march ... but eventually she got tired of it and took it all down ... mine's down ... and put away ... well except for the little things that we forgot to pack ... there always seems to be some christmas stragler that refuses to hop back in the box!

Judie said...

Well, Rod put it all up, and guess what! Rod took it all down!!! And put it away! You just need to learn how to work the system! Guilt is a major contributing factor.

Busy Bee Suz said...

I can't believe Mr. Jenny would not go along with this marvelous plan.
Tell him his is a "Fun Sponge." :)

Busy Bee Suz said...

I mean: HE is a fun sponge.

Susan Anderson said...

This made me laugh because Dave and I made the same decision last Saturday. We are going to "keep Christmas" all year long by never taking down our decorations.

It's a perfect solution...and I know we will be in a state of constant Christian good will and childlike anticipation.

;)

Bossy Betty said...

You da' woman! I'm going to follow your example!

The Quintessential Magpie said...

I never got to put mine up, and everyone is already taking theirs down. Sigh. I'm having Christmas even if it's Feburary!

XO,

Sheila :-)

My Grama's Soul said...

Hello Jenny...It is soooo much fun putting the decorations up but not much fund takin' it down....I so agree with you. (O:

Xo

Jo

La Petite Gallery said...

Jenny Happy New Year, everything is packed up but my tree. How have ya been.??
Stop by when you can Yvonne

Amy said...

I don't know what everyone's problem is. I think it is a brilliant idea. Mr. Jenny just doesn't have the foresight you have. So there. And besides, once you get it all down, the house looks horribly bare, and then you have to go through the trouble of finding your old decorations, and putting those up and re-arranging, and making it look nice and remembering why you hated that thing on that shelf and moving it all over again, and then rearranging your furniture to make it look like someone else's house and not so bare... it is just too much work! And surly doesn't suit you. Better to just leave it up until Christmas, and sing those holiday songs with glee. Christmas all year round. Once a month you could open gifts... I am liking this idea!

Red Couch Recipes said...

Jenny, first of all I received the recipe book and I lOVE it. Of course as I paged through the book I found that YOUR recipes were the best! I am anxious to try some! Thank you so much! What a great collection of recipes! You are way ahead of me. All my decorations are still up and I guess I could leave them up and then take them down for Christmas 2011 -- sort of an un-Christmas. What do you think? Thanks again! Joni

Bonnie said...

Packing the Christmas decorations away is the pits. My Mother in law usually comes for Christmas and is great about helping with that!!

The Words Crafter said...

=P That sounded like a fantastic idea to me!!!

Go you!
You rock!

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

O.K. crazy lady. Yes, it is time to take down the decorations. It would be nice to be able to just leave them if they weren't in the way and if you could dust around it all. I will be doing less this year believe me!

Maude Lynn said...

I haven't even started taking stuff down, yet!

Anonymous said...

Taking it all down and putting it away is never as much fun as putting it all up is it? I leave my tree decorated all the time and hubby helps me move it into the closet after we use it. It takes a long time to put up all the decorations though. I didn't decorate this year so I didn't have anything to put away.

I bet your home was just as pretty or prettier than that picture. Hugs

Betty said...

I always leave my stuff up way longer than anyone else. I got it all up late this year, so I'll probably leave it up even longer. I like it to stay up until the Epiphany which is technically January 6, but celebrated by a lot of churches on January 2nd this year...the Sunday closest to the actual date. I think it's a lot of work to put everything up and I like the way the house looks when it's decorated, so I leave it for a good long while. I refuse to give into peer pressure. What's with these people taking it all down on December 26th?

Melinda said...

H F

A U

V N

E !!!!!!!!


Melinda

summersundays-jw said...

We were lucky enough in Mo. to have 2 days last week in the 60's so I loaded up the boxes & put them on my wagon & put them back in the basement. You have to be inventive when you live alone. Jan

Annesphamily said...

Since my stuff went up on Christmas Eve morning I am still loving it! My late sweet mom always said to leave up your Christmas decorations until the 6th of January which is the feast of the Three Kings. So in honor of my mom I keep them up. Plus it is so cold here so I don't want to go to the garage and deal with that! Brrr....Plus our garage is filled to the rafters with stuff from the old house. Perhaps this Spring...
Thanks for the link tutorial. I appreciate any help. WHy that happens to me I just don't know. But thank you and Happy New Year! Anne

Vicki/Jake said...

HOORAY!
GO YOU!
YOU ROCK!

Carry on....

Veronica Lee said...

It look me less than 5 mins to box up my 2 1/2 ft ready-to-go fibre optic christmas tree! LOL!

Stef said...

Hahah. Don't let anyoe tell you that is lazy. It's simply good planning!

Stef said...

Hahah. Don't let anyoe tell you that is lazy. It's simply good planning!

Gattina said...

On the 2nd January I noticed that I was allergic to the sight of a Santa, an angel and other Christmas ornaments, so that I asked Mr.G to bring me the suitcase (we don't use anymore for travelling and which is very big and anyway empty) and in one shot put everything in it !! Then I looked at the "empty" room and pushed a shigh of relieve ! Now I can start 2011 !

Unknown said...

Too funny! Shhh, don't tell anyone but I've kept my Christmas decorations from last year up and they're still there! Of course, I live in a tiny apartment with nasty fluorescent lighting and funky cream colored walls so the decorations bring a bit of cheer to the place all year round. Hey, at least I hide the little felt Christmas tree we have under some pillows!

Tina said...

haha I recognised the picture from a screensaver I had last year and thought Jenny's either fibbing or I had a screensaver of her living room!!!!

Happy New Year Mate x

Tina

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Good try, Hon.

Excellent try, even.

-chuckle-

Maybe next year..............

Gentle January hugs...

21 Wits said...

I feel your pain and your joy! Funny how we do it all those years for our children (and yes confess ourselves) but then we still have to keep it up for our grown-up children and their children...thank goodness the hubbies of the world help now and then....more so then years back! for me anyway! it does feel sooooo darn good when it's all back to normal again!

Splendid Little Stars said...

Oh, just leave them up! Cover them with a sheet if you will. an invisibility cloak--even better! Just think how envious everyone will be about your incredible organizational skills, how ahead of the game you are!
Yep! You rock!