Holiday

[gardenman]

So, why does it take me two days to get the house decorated, but I can take everything down, pack it carefully away, sweep, dust, put the furniture back, and have the house to its "normal" shape in three hours? I started putting stuff away at 8:30 this morning and by 11:30 I'm done and sitting down at the computer. (I even snuck in a few breaks here and there along the way.)

You would think putting everything away would take longer. Decorating the tree, I open a box of ornaments, find an empty space, place the ornament. Taking the tree down I open a box for ornaments search the tree to find the ornament/ornaments that go in that box (I swear some of them have taken up hiding) and pack them away. It should take longer to find the ornaments to put them away than it did to put them on the tree, but somehow it doesn't. Weird!

Anyway, all of the indoor stuff is now down and packed away until next November. The outdoor stuff will follow shortly. It hasn't been lit since Christmas due to the smart plug controlling it deciding it was taking a holiday itself. Fortunately, I now have a lot of spare smart plugs to replace it.

I experimented with using a smart plug to control the lights on one of my aquariums and was pleased with it, so I bought three others to control all of my aquarium lights. When I was setting up the Christmas tree I had to move stuff near the fish tanks and realized that all of the lights were plugged into a powerstrip and I could control them all with just one smart plug that controlled the power strip instead of a smart plug for each light. Duh! So, while everything was exposed this morning I went ahead and redid that so I now have three spare smart plugs with just one controlling all four lights. Oh well, it gives me a few spares to replace the one that's on holiday.

[Still Stylish Lady]

Add to that how long it takes to prepare a big holiday meal and how little time for everyone to eat their full. 

Still it gives me pleasure to have them. 

[FastDogWalker2]

You're right - never thought of that before!  We got all of outside decorations down and packed up before the rain started.  Everything inside is down too, except for the main tree.  I will keep that up a bit longer.

[AuntG]

Good point. I does seem removal is faster than set up.

[Marsha2003]

I think putting things up takes longer because we are fluffling branches, thinking about how we want to use our decor, finding all the bits and bobs that were separated when we put things away the prior year, etc.  Normally, I don't take anything down until after New Year's Day, but I started removing holiday decor last night.  I wish I could do it in two hours like you, but I'm sure it will take me a day or two at my snail-like speed.  Plus, I want to think about donating a few items that I've been using for several years and that take up a lot of storage space.

[LindaSal]

I agree with  @Marsha2003  that we tend to spend more time preparing it all.  I know in my case I am taking up time deciding what I want to put where and don't ask me why I do that because it usually ends up in the same place every year!  ( LOL )   Oh well, I guess it's kind of like when you take a road trip, it always seems like the drive back is shorter, for me anyway.   I won't take anything down until after New Years day.

[ECBG]

@gardenman 

Thank you for this post.  I'll think of it the way you described.  Some of the dread is already better.

[knittykitty]

I take pix of my 'final' decor after adjusting over a few days. that way, the next year is a snap: I check to see what I did before, what went where and assuming no new things to fit in, putting up is fast and stress-free. well, mostly: this year's addition is a new young cat I adopted....she's been stealing some things off the tree to play with. 

right after Xmas, I switch out santas for snowmen, otherwise, leave everything up until I am ready to put it away. this year not until inauguration or maybe even end of January as the tree lights (all white) are cheery in dark winter days. 

even tho' its just Mia and me, I always fully decorate my condo, inc bedroom, den, front porch and deck for each season or holiday. 

[Nightowlz]

That's a good question. Probably why it's taking us so long to vacuum dust off walls & wash walls so we cant paint. LOL!!!

I like the hallway without all the pics on the wall. It looks so much larger, cleaner & brighter.

[Kachina624]

Setting up decor is a creative process requiring thought and consideration, whereas putting it away and straightening up is purely a rote, maintenance process.