My tree is still up. I really hate seeing trees on the curb a day or two after Christmas. To me the Chritmas season doesn’t end until after New Years Day.
H takes down our tree. I take down everything else. I put it all up. This year was the first I decorated the tree by myself. Kids are grown, live elsewhere. Many of you know the story. But i still hate when the decorations come down. Being where I live, it just means months of cold, grey days.
H will want to take down the tree this weekend. I’ll leave other stuff up and gradually take it down. I teach at the college level, so will want most put away before the semester begins Jan. 20th. I do covert the mantle decorations to more of a winter theme and leave up till March or Easter. I also change the red bows on the outside wreaths to white ones with snowflakes. Again a winter theme.
We have such long grey winters, there needs to be some decorations. There also needs to be a trip to someplace sunny and warm- about late February to mid-March!!
@morrismm I always feel a little sad when the neighborhood goes dark after a lovely and bright December. So gloomy… But on the other hand, the days are ever-so-slowly getting longer again.
I love so many things about my job. And I won’t lie-- while they’re not at the very top, the vacations are certainly on the list.
The last week and a half has given my lots of quality time with my husband and kids, and a great chance to be prepared for the upcoming weeks of school. I have a prep that I haven’t taught in 15 years, so the prep time is particularly helpful this year.
I’m thankful about so many things in my life. A job I love, and that I’m good at, where I get to work with some amazing teens, is certainly one of those things I’m thankful for.
Not sure why the thread has taken this particular turn though.
I suppose jealousy? I took vacation while my kids and husband (college teacher) were off. We will take our tree down this weekend because the city usually only picks up once, and you don’t want to miss it!
Tree is down but I went to take the outside lights off the deck and they are frozen in place. I don’t think they are coming off for a few days. I did leave the lights and garland on the mantle; I will probably take them off in a couple of days. It just seems harsh for everything to go at once.
I’m certainly not intending to minimize others’ busy lives I actually had intended on NOT taking vacation between Christmas and new years, just couldn’t find time to get away during the year-and ours is “use it or lose it”. Everyone has their stresses and I agree with OP that taking down the cozy Xmas decorations feels scrooge-y!
I feel the same " sheesh, here we go" in April, July, and October… But its wayyyyyyy more pronounced now.
Green garlands become so dry and brittle by New Year’s Day that I am in a big hurry to take them down usually. Trees last a little longer if watered everyday.
I have a pretty good coffee buzz going, so I guess I’ll get started taking it all down! This thread has given me incentive. I love putting it up, but taking it down is a drag. Might as well get going while I have some chemically induced energy.
I do it gradually. The greens (not tree) went to the yard waste bin yesterday, wrapping paper and ribbon put away and boxes recycles. Today I will change out the table cloth and likely take the decorations off the tree (but maybe not). I will take the wreaths off the door today as well. I’m leaving the back yard lights up for a bit because I am enjoying them. I put the timer outside the kitchen/great room area to always on Christmas eve and have left that set on since. It was nice to wake up to them this morning.
I still have a red and white poinsettia on the kitchen table because I haven’t killed it yet, and I hate to throw away a perfectly good plant. I got the OK from older dd long ago (the one with the nye birthday) to exempt those from the de-decorating.
Just reminding you all that my tree is going nowhere. If I decide to move some LR furniture around, the tree can go in the front hall. I am so happy we switched to artificial.
I understand the comments about working hard after the holidays and wanting a clean slate. I just don’t. With all the gifting pressures, I sort of get into the spirit after the date. The calm after the storm.
I don’t understand taking wreaths off the door - at least not for those living in colder climates. To my mind they are appropriate most of the winter. Ours will stay up until they start to go brown.
I much prefer Christmas decorations coming down now than the middle to the end of January. Many neighbor’s in my development seem to have a great deal of difficulty in removing the outside decorations. In March, when the sun is high in the sky and the daffodils are pushing is way too late in my opinion.
We never take down our outdoor lights. We just unplug them. Nope, the house does not have that redneck look - they are LED rope lights strategically attached so they are hidden out of sight when they are not on. So far, the set up lasted 3 years. The previous ones deteriorated after 5 years of being exposed to the elements, but they were worth it. At Christmas, all Mr. has to do is to climb in the roof and plug them in.
Well, it took me most of the day, but I did it. Lugged all the boxes out of storage, got everything down, lugged the heavy boxes back into storage and everything’s re-packed but the tree. Put the normal stuff back out, vacuumed, cleaned, etc. I’ve got my house back. Started at 9:30, finished at 2:30. Yes, it took that long. Took one short break for lunch, and little ones to attend to D2, who had surgery Thursday.
But it feels really nice. DH will get to deal with the tree, but at least it’s bare.
^^Let me guess-tonsils or wisdom teeth? My facebook feed is full of my friends’ kids getting one or the other. Older DD would have been on the “wisdom teeth” list but she chickened out.
Took everything down today- inside & out. Once I start, I just have to finish it all.
Sad thing is that we plan on moving when DS is out of school -hopefully this summer. So, I had a twinge of nostalgia thinking about all the Holidays we have enjoyed in our home & that next year the boxes probably won’t be stored in the same spot!
