Managing Holiday Decor
When it comes to something like holiday decor, it is easy to get a bit carried away. I’ve been in those aisles of Home Good’s and Marshall’s filled with the sparkling, light up, holiday fun. It can be really easy to fill the cart with all that holiday goodness. And then we get all those gifts that we want to display. For some of us, it is just really fun to decorate and it can be really easy to get overwhelmed with all that stuff. And on top of all of these we have massive expectations about what we should do during the holidays.
In this past blog post, I outlined practical strategies for managing holiday decor. I share strategies for things like how to store lights so they don’t get tangled and how to protect your ornaments from breaking.
This post will focus on the more emotional part of managing holiday decor. Decorating can be fun, but it can also be overwhelming and get a bit time consuming.
This is a time when I suggest you focus on curating your items rather than just collecting items.
Let’s start with the idea of collection. Collection is really about amassing items. It is about gathering items together that are of similar characteristics. The reason they are part of the collection is because they are similar to the items already in that group of items. But there is not really a deeper meaning behind having those items.
Whereas, when we start to curate those items, we have a standard, or even moral value, for what we collect. We don’t just collect everything with sparkles or lights. We collect items that speak to who we are and what our lives stand for. It is about more than just collection. Curation is about spending time reflecting on who we are, and how what we own portrays who we are.
There are two steps to curating your items:
Consider what you value and what you want to communicate about your life.
This is a big step. And it might take some time to really think this through. You might not have the time this year, but plant the seed in your head about it.
Keep items that communicate this value to you.
This might take years of work, and thoughtfulness.
For me, I value travel and memories, so when I curate my decorations, I prioritize ornaments that remind me of my travels. When I travel, I often get ornaments. This helps me remember my trips long after I’ve taken them. In fact, each year, as I pull out my decor, I remember those stories.
This holiday season, as you take out your decorations, consider the decor that communicates your values rather than just the pretty stuff. This act of curation is an act of self care and depth, rather than a show for your family or friends. Additionally, it is less overwhelming and more about displaying a part of you. Every year, when I take out my decorations, I get to review the stories and the values of my life. I get to share those with the people who enter my home.
Click here to take M.O.M.s home management quiz. You’ll learn more about your home management style.
