I plan to start taking things down tomorrow. Today the womenfolk in the family here locally will do lunch out at Cheesecake Factory. My sister, sister-in-law and I have a chatty gals' lunch every other month or so. We live within an hour or so of each other.

Live magnolia (now dead!) went today while yardman is here. SO relieved to get that stuff out. It looked great when fresh, but magnolia dries out quickly. Sometime in the next couple of days, DGS2 is to come and untrim the trees, and take down the outside window wreaths and all other decorations in the house, and put them away in the basement properly. Then his father will come and remove the lights from both trees, and the two of them will then take the trees out to the curb for pick-up.

Then the round table in the LR has to come up from the garage, the table skirt and glass put on it, the lamp for that table and the one in the library where the 2nd tree was, must come up from the basement and go back on that table, too. Then I have all my small tablescape items to put back on the LR skirted table.

Yes, it's a big job and I don't think it will be done again. I've pretty much decided against my annual lobster stew family dinner and most of the decorating in the house. If no one comes, it's a ridiculous bother and expense to do so much decorating. I've also decided that if DS comes for Christmas next year, he should stay at DD's. He is over there most to the time anyway, and that leaves me with a bed to strip and remake (or supervise doing - can no longer do this myself), washing it and ironing the sheet and cases, and washing the towels and bathmat. DD can do that - she has weekly help.

I'm heavily in "self-protective" mode right now.

decorations put away, tree down as of yesterday!! township already picked up tree for recycling !!

so glad for my 'bare' house!!

I bought runners the other day and I could barely get them out of the box before Roxie was in it. My cats love boxes!

NOT a good Christmas and it got taken down (lucky there's anything left as it was more like "ripping" (that's an exaggeration) down) very quickly on Christmas evening. Maggie Moo loved sitting in the wreath when it got put on the floor if that counts?

What a cute cat! My tree is still up. It is supposed to rain again tomorrow, so that seems like a good time to take care of it. No cat helper here. My daughter brought hers for the holidays (and I am always amazed she can just open the carrier and the cat and my two dogs behave like they have seen each other the day before even though it has been two years).

Rob, sorry you didn’t have a good Christmas.

We did it yesterday. I didn't put as many decoration sprinkled around the house, so it was easy to collect the few things I did.

I really enjoyed this last week of just enjoying the tree at night, knowing that the holiday was over.

We still have to take the wreaths down from the windows and door.

Anglo, friends of ours did not put up a tree this year. Both son's were not expected home. Oldest though gave them an ornament when they cruised together last month. When he called on Christmas he asked about the tree and was taken aback that they decided not to put it up. They realized that there was no coming over to see it. They still did their tradition of displaying the Christmas cards they received.

i also like everything fresh when I have overnight guests. During the summer we had DH's niece and family. Two adults, a 10 year old and a 13 year old. I had three rooms ready for however it would pan out. Well, they decided to all bunk downstairs in our finished basement! Easy for me, but I didn't have to do all the work

I don't put up a tree or do Christmas decorating for other people. It's something we enjoy seeing.

That said, the tree is down and the remaining interior Christmas decor comes down tomorrow. Then I put up Mardi Gras this weekend.

I took most of the Christmas decorations down today. I'll put them away this weekend. No cats to help, though... :-)

I started taking things down today -- just the lit paper stars from the windows so far, but tomorrow or Friday I will tackle the outdoor decorations. This was the first year that I put up a tree on the porch, so it will take me more than the usual 15 minutes. I will leave the wreath on the door for another 2 weeks, though.

I only decorated the mantle indoors, again it will take only 10 minutes or so to take the lights and garland down and put away.

I haven't taken my tree down yet. When I mention it,SO tells me "that tree is not bothering anything." It's his first tree ever, so it might stay up until next Christmas....

I took down my decor at work last night. It looks so bare and sad now. Like a prison cell.

Rob, sorry you are having a bad time. Both cats are beautiful.

Did not put up a tree, and haven't for years. I decorate the mantle lavishly, and a buffet in the living room. I also hang greenery in the double doorway to the living room and fill with ornaments. I take everything down a couple of days after Christmas, while daughter is in town, so she can carry all the totes down to the basement.

Everything has been down and away for awhile.

Most of its stays up through January 6th! I like to honor all 12 days of Christmas! Had greenery and miniature poinsettias on my dining room table, and they had to go away on the 30th. Will take-down and put-away everything else on the 7th.

Took most things down today and will pack it up to put away.

We de-christmased today. At least 98% of it anyway. On the one hand, I miss all the spark and the glitter...on the other, the cleaner decluttered look is far less stressful.

Aahhhggg! DO NOT ever have two VERY ADHD males do a Christmas tree/decorations dismantle!!!! The LR tree is out and all the boxes of tree things/wreaths/garlands are back in the basement but not where they belong. Library tree is naked but still there. Table that goes where the tree was, is back in its place but not its skirt, nor it's lamp and the chair and end tables are in the middle of the LR floor.

My "helpers" will return after DGS2 gets off work late tomorrow. I tried to organize this to help with their ADHD, but all was lot when it came time to remove the ornaments from the tree.

Yet another reason for never again having a tree. Could only do so if DGS1 was here to do it all, both up AND down. Unlikely....

I took down the outside lights yesterday; it's supposed to rain over the weekend, so I wanted to make sure it got done. The indoor part will happen this weekend. I, too, miss the sparkle.

Anglophilia, if you need that much control probably a wise decision.

Today, DGS2 arrived to finish...only he only had 20 minutes! He got the 2nd tree out to the curb (misses pick-up this AM but they'll get it Tues), the stand out and the lamp back on the table. LR table and furniture pulled out for tree removal, and putting it all in it's correct place in the basement, is for tomorrow after he gets off work.

What is interesting, is that this boy (he's 16) has worked at a local small neighborhood hardware store now for nearly a year. I ADORES working there and they like him very much. Somehow, he can concentrate to build a huge Weber Grill or a Big Green Egg VERY quickly - and no, he never loses any of the parts. He can help customers find what they are looking for - he knows where EVERYTHING is in this small store with a 1/2 basement as well. He can find a duplicate for that one screw your are missing. He knows all about the differences in glues. He does not yet mix paint and doesn't really want to do so - that is pretty much left to one old guy who has been doing this for decades. It's an art...

ADHD is a funny condition. They no know there are multiple varieties and it manifests itself in so many different ways. I would never have thought someone with it could easily and quickly build a huge grill.

Where will all the fur babies hang out now!?!?! We finished divesting by getting the outside things put away yesterday. I find is so intriguing how many animals choose to sit deep under these trees fake or real a NEW tree appears and they claim it as the best place to be in their house. There has to be something deep instinctual in them don't ya think? It's fascinating to me.