let's hear it for head games! And in fact, your decision to ditch those ornaments wasn't really a head game--it was the truth. Other times, it's sort of the truth anyway!

I was pointing out to the family last night that, if we have to rent a storage unit to stash stuff in so our apt. will show well when we try to sell it, it needs to be stuff we care enough to spend money to store.

I've gotten to the ornaments point that I'm trying never to add another storage box, and if I get something new, it has to be wanted more than something I've already got. (I just don't let the kids see when I toss anything Christmas--they get really hung up on the traditions)

I keep adding storage boxes for Christmas decorations. I feel pressured to decorate as we have the (large) family Christmas party here every year. I think if it wasn't for the annual party, I wouldn't even put up a tree...baa humbug, then I would have so much space! The 13' fake tree and its decorations is the real culprit, how do you store that sucker 10 months out of the year? In case you asked, I donÂt get it taken down until February although St. PatrickÂs Day is my personal record.

It amazes me how many self-storage warehouses there are in our area. It would be interesting to know what percentage of the contents is junk. And folks pay monthly to store it!

that's one thing I like about the real trees we get--they mostly go away at the end of the season. (I say "mostly" because we find needles in the oddest places all year long. We have a game we play now: "gee, maybe the Christmas tree needed to go to the bathroom," "gee, maybe the Christmas tree had cold toes and was looking for some socks in your drawer!")

LOL I know what you guys mean. (This is coming from the woman who, for several years in a row, had a Christmas CHAIR where we piled all the gifts! LOL)

Now that we have GKs and they come to our house for the holidays we do the lights, tree, whole bit.. Yuck! LOL

I never thought that I would succumb to an artificial tree. But three years ago I came across a tall skinny tree that looked very real and was 1/2 price. I had been struggling finding a real one that was tall and lean, they were costly and very heavy, so the artificial made sense/cents. The trade off is storage issues.

Excellent thoughts here -- I reall dread having to go through the Xmas stuff which is stored in the attic above the garage.

DH (pack rat) simply hates getting rid of the stuff BUT we do now have a smaller artificial tree -- and just enough ornaments to fit into a small buffet that sits in our bedroom (VERY small!) So when I decorate -- things simply comes out of their hidey-holes -- and then go back in when New Years Day comes around.

Still leaves those blasted containers in the attic --- hopefully when the weather cools -- I can persuade him to pull some down and clear them out!

Having an artificial tree is one of the best things we have done regarding Christmas. My only complaint is that it is too big. DH likes big, so that's what we got. It is nice to have a real tree when the children are little--picking it out could be called fun by some people, the smell is good in the house.

Do you think those plastic boxes actually encourage us to save stuff?

Well, I don't know, but I DO know having to buy a couple of containers made me look at things and consider whether or not they "deserved" money spent on them! LOL

I have 10 enormous storage containers for Christmas decorations, 66 quart Sterlite totes that are clear with a white lid. Several years back, I decided that all I was ever going to have was 10 Christmas boxes. Now of course most of you are probably thinking that's excessive, but I should add that each of my children has their own box (so 7 of the 10 are children's) for their own decorations (many have a nativity set, a small tree, a Hallmart ornament or two they've received as gifts through the years, their stocking, stuff they've made in school, etc). My decorations like our large Italian nativity scene, tree lights, Advent wreath, tree skirt, Christmas videos and music CDs, a few ornaments, strings of garland, etc. occupy the remaining three boxes. So while I do have a lot of boxes, years ago I made the decision to cap the number at 10, so I'm careful not to purchase anything that can't fit in the boxes. We buy a real tree each year, heaven only knows where we would store an artificial one.

Several years ago I was doing a project in a grocery store right next to the produce section and noticed the clerk unpacking large navel oranges that were shipped in boxes with several layers of forms which held each orange in its own compartment. He said lots of people take the boxes home for christmas ornaments and was good enough to save me one. Its big enough to store about 6-7 layers and I've been using it ever since. Sure makes things easier. Sandy

Well, shoot, Sandy, I've SEEN some of those! What WAS I thinkin'!? (Sounds like NOTHING, hu!? LOL)

Thanks for the idea. May have to check out the produce department and I know the manager!

I got one of those ornament totes w/ the little compartments made of interlocking cardboard strips.

But I found that I often wanted to get to ornaments on the lower two levels, but I couldn't, bcs I couldn't take the top level out.

SO.......I got out some spare cardboard and the duct tape (LOVE that duct tape!)

I cut "sides" to go on the cardboard that lies flat between the layers, to make a "tray" with edges. The duct tape worked well bcs it's flexible, so I could leave a tiny gap (covered w/ duct tape) between side and bottom, so it could bend; and I could use the duct tape to connect the sides at the corners, and it would still flex to fit the box.

One of the smartest things I've ever done!

My husband dropped the ornament box once--but nothing was broken!

I have those ornament boxes too TalleySue, but have never thought to remodel them like you. But then I put mine all out at the same time, so rarely do I need to go to the bottom for just one.

We were able to get our two artifical trees up in the raftors of our garage, so that saved us a lot of space. I have organized for Christmas as much as I can. I really just need to par down!

Brenda

Bouncing Pig:

I really wish the builders of my home had not finished the ceiling of our garage. I'd love to have rafters for store camping stuff, patio furniture, etc. Lucky you!

Des Arc Ya Ya:

Thanks so much for the gracious email!

You are truly welcome.

I gave up the Xmas decorating except for the tree. I have 3 boys playing Basketball in December & am at games M-Sat, then church & Youth Group Sunday.

I have the big family gathering in my house - and no one has said one word about the lack of other decorations. And if they did, I'd ask them to come over and decorate for me if it means that much to them!

And as for buying containers to store stuff - that is my pet peeve. Sometimes I spend as much on a container as I did for the item!

Momma, We could be sisters! I gave up decorating, I have the big family gathering at my house, I spend too much money on containers. I think I think it's the old "throw some money at the problem". While driving to WalMart, KMart, Big Lots, BBB to get organizational tools, I think I could be spending this time to actually organize and actually have sustainable results instead of more empty containers.

well when I posted on here about storing things in a crawl space no one thought it was a good idea..so good luck with that.

As far as the Christmas things, I have a tree, kept the box it came in and store it in the garage rafters. works ok there no animals have bothered it in the many years we have had it there.

I have underbed totes for my Christmas and other holiday items..(one fall)..i noticed this year that two entire totes were taken up with a porcelain nativity that I no longer put up..so I attempted to sell it on Craigslist..didnt sell..thinking about donating it to a church, it was a very expensive set..large porcelain figures all from the kings animals and shepherds and angels to the wooden stable.

lovely, but i don't really want to set it out and would rather have someone else be the caretaker of it now.

thus said this will chisel down my stored ornaments to only tree, skirt, and wreaths, and lights..which is fine with me, also one small fontanini nativity..which is non breakable.

I wanted to store these items in my crawl space which is totally dry ..but was strongly warned by people on this site against it..so they are still all under the bed..in roll out plastic totes.

still have the creche for sale..or going to give..and i am on a mission to clear out more and more every year until i don't need extra storage totes for anything..and i will never rent a storage unit..ever.

After 40 plus years of Christmas I have collected a ton of stuff. The last few years I had my daugters go through and take what they wanted. So many were from when the were little. We had so much fun remembering the years. I still have some things I need to get rid of but all in good time. I have small twig type tree now and it is so easy to out up and decorate.

For a long time I had kept my big tree. It was huge but such a bear to put up. I finally gave it away. The young gal had a new home and was thrilled with it.