Now that the holidays have you in a festive spirit, it’s time to carry that excitement over into getting your home reorganized for the New Year.  Let’s look at some ways to get your home into a new and appealing arrangement that you can enjoy long into 2014.

1.    Have an optimistic attitude.  Be thankful that your home was a wonderful gathering place for family and friends during the holidays and that you helped to create memories that will last a lifetime for them.  Then, take a deep breath and prepare to do some hard work to reorganize your home for the New Year and beyond.

2.    Remove all of your festive decorations and store them safely and securely for next year.  If you’ll invest in some of those handy plastic tubs, your decorations, lights, and garlands as well as your ornaments will be in great shape for Christmas 2014.  Be sure to label what’s in each tub so that you won’t have to dig through each one when you begin to decorate next year.

3.    Clean one room at a time.  After you take down the decorations in each room you’ll need to clean your furnishings and the flooring in your home.  As you complete each room be sure to take a break so that your mind and body will be rested and so you won’t overdo your physical activity.  Also keep in mind that this is a great workout for you:  a great way to work off those extra pounds you might have gained.

4.    If you had a live Christmas tree you’ll want to recycle it at one of your local community events.  If you used an artificial tree, be sure to store all parts in the same box along with the instructions that accompany it.  You also want might to make an extra copy of these instructions to store in your home files so that if you somehow misplace the one that goes in the box you’ll have another one.

5.    If you have decorations that you didn’t use this year donate them to an organization that can use them next year.  It’s a good idea to inventory your ornaments at the end of the holidays to see what you used, what you didn’t, and what you can donate or discard.

6.    You can try your furniture groupings in different arrangements than you had before the holidays to get a new look for your home.  If you received any accessories or new linens for Christmas you can display them to help carry the enthusiasm that you had during the holidays into the New Year.

Sit down, enjoy your new arrangement and let the New Year begin on a new adventure with a new look for your lovely home.