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Seasonal
Storage
The holidays are over and it's time to pack away
the decorations and put away the gifts. Here
are a few pointers for storing your belongings.
SEASONAL STORAGE
-
Pack away your items room by room, rather than
like items together. That is, rather than
placing all towels together, place your
bathroom decorations in one box, your
kitchen decorations in another, etc., so
decorating will be easier when you pull out
the boxes next year. Label boxes clearly
so they get to the proper room when pulled
out next year.
-
Pack away all tree-related items in one box.
Place ornaments, lights, garland, tree
skirt, etc., into one box for each tree you
set up. Layer in the box in reverse order
of the way they are placed on the tree. Egg
cartons work well for small, fragile
ornament storage. Again, label boxes
clearly before storing.
-
Coil Christmas tree lights on organizers or
empty wrapping paper tubes so they aren't
tangled when you unpack them the following
year.
-
For hanging decorations, cover them with
plastic bags or cleaning bags and tape
securely at the bottom. Then hang the bags
from the rafters in your basement or attic.
-
Take inventory of your paper, tissue and bags
before packing away so you know what to buy
during after-Christmas sales, or at the
beginning of next year's holiday season.
Store in plastic containers separate from
your everyday gift wrap. Store tape,
scissors and pens in with your gift wrap
also, so you won't have to hunt around for
those items next year.
-
Break down gift boxes still in good condition
and store them flat with your gift wrap.
They'll be easily accessible when it comes
time to wrap next year, and you won't have
to buy as many.
GIFT STORAGE
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First determine if the gift you received is
something you will use on a regular basis or
for special occasions. If not, return it
for a more useful item. Ask the giver for
the receipt so you get the full value of the
item. Remember, gifts you will never use
just create more clutter in your home.
-
For every new item you bring into a room, try
to remove one old item. For example, did
you get two new sweaters for Christmas?
Sort through your closet and choose two
sweaters you rarely wear and donate them to
a charity. Did you get a new movie or two?
Trade some old ones in for in-store credit
you can use on rentals. How about books or
puzzles? For every one you received, donate
one to your local library for their
fund-raising sales. This is a
tax-deductible donation for you. By
following this process, your rooms will
never become overcrowded because you will
not be adding to the amount in them, just
equalizing it.
-
If you received several gift cards, store them
in a drawer or basket near your door. That
way, when you go shopping, you can easily
retrieve the ones you need. If the dollar
amount isn't on the card, write it on the
back so you know its value before you
leave. Finally, check each gift card or
gift certificate for expiration dates, as
some of them do expire.
-
For gift items that came with a warranty, write
the serial number and model number on the
warranty booklet, along with the date the
gift was received. If you do have problems
with an item down the road, this information
will be as handy as the phone number in the
brochure. Keep all warranties and manuals
together in your file cabinet for easy
access.
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