Un-decking the halls

I would like to give a few time saving hints for when one is taking down holiday decorations.

First, is one I wished I used this year. When one adds a lot of decorations for holidays, it can really change how one's year-round things are set up for instance this hutch:

Major decorations were added and/or removed from every level. Since I also decorated for fall and Thanksgiving, I don't really remember how I figured out for it to go normally and since I probably won't for another holiday for a month or two I want to reset it. I wish I had followed my Aunt L.'s example of taking a photo of

the all-season decorations so I would know how to quickly put them back up. By the same reasoning, on should take photos of one's holiday decorations so they can be more quickly put up next year. While one may wish to modify, it seems easier to have a jumping off point.

Second, if you are like me, you have a number of ornaments that do not have any specific wrapping. After years of wrapping them in paper towels, replacing the paper towels, and taking lots of time in wrapping them up we decided to make it easier on ourselves. We found a mailing supplier on ebay that sold bubble-wrap packets like the ones that nativity scene pieces sometimes come in. We bought a couple hundred of them. We use them for ornaments, nativity scene pieces, and snow village figurings. This has saved us a lot of time, and also it seems to better protect the pieces, or at least makes me feel more certain that they are safe.

It may be a little late to use these tips this year, but I thought while I was using/wishing I'd used them, I would post it.