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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Thoughts on Thursday...

I started decorating for Christmas the Friday after Thanksgiving. I'm starting to get the urge to take things down. However, I've never put any decorations away before New Years.

Next week I have Wednesday and Friday off...by then the house will have that "blank" look which is what I need after all the "things" are put away.

How about you???
  • when do you take your holiday decorations and/or your tree down
  • do you get the itch to un-decorate
  • do you need the "blank" house look too
Have a great Thursday,
~Karen~

61 comments:

  1. I have started putting things away, I usually wait till New Years but I am ready for a blank space. My tree is still up.

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  2. I always leave mine up until after New Years. I really would like to get them down now, but I just don't have the energy to go up and down the stairs right now!! LOL (hubby and I have both had the flu for Christmas this year!!)
    Happy New Year!!

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  3. I take my things down gradually but begin immediately after the children leave. :) blessings, marlene

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  4. I just can't stand to take it down before New Year's! I just love the Christmas bling!!! And like you say, everything looks so blank afterwards. I always think my house looks nice until after Christmas.

    This year, I am actually thinking of leaving it all up one extra week because I am hosting our book club and would like the house to look decorated... undecided though whether that would just look ridiculous to have it out that long?

    Have a wonderful New Year!!!

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  5. I wait for the 12 days of Christmas to pass before I take my tree down. Lots of the decorations will be put away before, but the tree is up until the 6th of January. Happy New Year!

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  6. I really don't enjoy all the Christmas stuff after Christmas Day. I usually leave it up until about mid-week, so yesterday I started taking it apart. I will spend the better part of today finishing up. I'm so ready to move on to other projects & new decorating ideas!
    CAS

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  7. Usually we wait until after Christmas as well but we too had the urge to take it all down early. I have resisted doing that but think tonight may be the night....I just want to get the house in order before we go back to work on Tues.

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  8. I leave everything up until January 6 When I was growing up the tree was put up by Santa on Christmas eve AFTER we were asleep (no wonder my parents were yawning in most pictures) but the MAGIC of the living room being transformed was something!
    It was a live tree so by Jan 6 it was ready to go.

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  9. Like you, I start decorating right after Thanksgiving but I normally take mine down the day after Christmas. All in one day. But this year I am traveling and I won't be home till later today. I will certainly take it all down the first chance I get.

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  10. Taking the decorations down today.

    I love that "ahhh" moment when you sit down and see everything gone. So much more serene.

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  11. We are Episcopalian and celebrate all 12 days of Christmas. I do not take down my tree until the day after Ephiphany. I do put away all Christmas gifts the day after Christmas. I cannot stand all the clutter under the tree.

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  12. We usually decorate Thanksgiving weekend and take down New Year's Day. This year however, my grandkids, age 1 and 2,were here and sadly the tree took a beating so we took it down the day after Christmas. We will take down the rest on New Year's Day.

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  13. We always wait until after Jan 6th to un-decorate so that we can celebrate the full Christmas season. But by then, the kids have usually been back in school for about a week and I am ready for things to get back to normal! So probably next week, I will start putting some of the Christmas decorations away, leaving the winter snowmen out for the season, and the weekend of the 6th, we will spend time undecorating the tree and putting it and the nativity scene and all other Christmas decorations away for the year. I like to clean a bit at this point and then enjoy the 'empty' look for a while!

    MGM

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  14. It took me 10 whole working days to get it all UP! I will start taking it down after New Years. I am retired and don't need to hurry. Next year I plan to start earlier since we go to my sister's for Thanksgiving.

    I do yearn for that 'blank' look......

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  15. I really cut back on decorating this year. I am hoping to have everything put away by the end of the week end. (I haven't started yet.)


    Wishing you a year of health, happiness and creativity! Happy New Year!

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  16. I usually wait till after New Years. I have Monday off, so I will put everything away then. But then I will also have the "blank" canvas to see what I can do next. Maybe time to paint and rearrange items.

    Have a wonderful New Year.

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  17. My stuff hasn't been up that long but I will take it down this weekend. I wasn't ready for Christmas and I am glad it is over...I know I am a HUMBUG...sorry.

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  18. My husband is from New Orleans, and they leave all decorations up until Jan 6. My family took everything down before the New Year. Sooo... I take the ornaments down little by little after Christmas, and by Jan 6th, I have only the tree up. I miss the decorations for a bit, but really love the clean space.
    Cheers!

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  19. I think I am ready to take it all down but my children would have a fit. We used to have a New Years party at our home, but since my hubby will be staying with his 90 year old Mom Sat and Sun night, it won't work this time. I love all the pretty Christmas decorations, but I guess as I have gotten older, I am ready to get back into the normal routine of life ;-) Happy New Year!

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  20. I leave everything out until after 12th night! I really hate the naked look of taking everything down!

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  21. It's already gone! I undecorate Christmas the day after. I goes up the day after Thanksgiving. I wonder why I love to decorate for Christmas so much when I also love to remove it a month later. I already have the winter wonderland look in my home.

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  22. Down and put away already on 12/26, needed it out of the way...

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  23. i take down the xmas decorations after the Epiphany's day

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  24. My family was also in the mode of putting the tree up 12/24 after we went to bed and keeping it up until after Jan 6th.

    Now, I slowly put my tree and decorations up during December and then wait until after the 6th. I will start taking down some of the other decorations sooner than that, but the tree stays up.

    This year I purchased smaller, thin trees with lights and I am thinking of leaving them in various corners of the house for greenery purposes. It would be easier than watering larger plants.

    The smallest would look nice in the quilt room.
    \liz

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  25. We always wait till Epiphany before removing anything--the time after Christmas seems to be the only time for me to really relax and enjoy it anyway! I still leave any wintery (ie, snowmen) items up through January because I just love it all so much. Normally, I like an uncluttered feel in my home but something about Christmas decor everywhere makes it cozy and I hang on to that as long as I can. Then I get excited about a little Valentine's decor--love reds. After that, I am usually ready for the clean/blank look.

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  26. I,m waiting for my husband to get boxes out of attic so I can fill them and put them back up there. I.ll have it all put away by tomorrow. It feels good to have it put away for another year.

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  27. I've taken the tree down (it was a live one)...but nothing else will come down until next week. I'm always ready for the blank look...it kind of motivates me to reorganize!

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  28. Usually I decorate on December 23th and take everything down on January 1st - unless we have family staying for the New Year's like this year. Then everything is gone before their fight has departed. I most certainly crave that blank look and it feels like our living room has a lot more space, at least for a few hours.

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  29. I don't start decorating until after Thanksgiving and I will probably take everything down tomorrow. I feel like things are really cluttered with all the xmas decorations out and like the blank look much more.

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  30. I am already itching to take things down. We had most of the kids home and now they are all gone. Seeing the decorations seems to remind me they are gone... Normally we take things down on New Years day, might be a day early this year. I must admit I love the glow of the tree lights in the living room. Going through all the boxes of decorations and getting rid of some things. Happy new year!

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  31. I usually start taking things down on New Years day but this year I have the week between Christmas and New Years off so I started early. Since I have 8 trees and many decorations to take down it will still look like Christmas for awhile. I hate the un-decorated look it has though. Last year I think it was February before it was all done and that is not happening this year! Things did not get put back in the right place and it was a pain trying to find what I wanted for each room.

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  32. Now I am embroidering some 31 shirts for a customer. while my machine is humming, I sneak off to the living room to take down yet another decoration. It is sad, but I need things to be in order so I can get ready for the new year and so many of the new designs swirling around in my head! I will leave the nativity up until the 7th or 8th of January. My granddaughter, Hadley LOVES kissing that baby Jesus!

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  33. I must be nuts, but I think when a holiday is over, it is O-V-E-R. I take down everything the very next day. I do like the clean slate after the coziness and over decorating that Christmas brings. I can start my new year refreshed and calmer. That being said we are having guests for dinner/parties all weekend and for the first time since I have put up my own tree, mine is still up and will be taken down on New Year's day...hopefully. I think this is a holdover from my teaching days. I used to have to change the calendar for the new month before leaving school on the last day of the month or before holidays. Kind of makes sense to me to have stuff put away and a new beginning ready. Happy new year to you!

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  34. We wait until January 6th - the Twelve Days of Christmans - to take the tree down and decorations down. That's my DH family tradition, and yes he hekps to take down and put away all of the decorations. (My family right after New Years's Day.)

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  35. Taking the stuff down now. My daughter decorated for me, the day after Thanksgiving, and all the decorations are starting to get dusty! Time to put them away til next year.

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  36. My tradition is to decorate the day after Thanksgiving and put everything away before Jan. 1st. I love my Christmas decorations, but I start to get claustrophobic quickly and need everything back to normal and somewhat simplified. This year, I un-decorated on Dec. 26th!

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  37. I don't start putting up decorations until after Thanksgiving, and slowly add until the tree goes up, usually a few days before Christmas Eve. This year was the 22nd. Everything will stay up until after Jan 6. I hate it when everything is gone, the house looks so dull and empty--sad.

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  38. We wait until Epiphany. That is unless the tree has become a fire hazard!
    Paula ~ Mise en scène

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  39. I had mine down by Monday at noon. I have three kid still relatively small and a dog so I was tired of everyone running into it, plus it was a real tree and it was getting pretty dry.

    BTW I love your blog I have been telling everyone at work about it!!

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  40. I am definately wanting to take the decorations down so i can get to decorating our house in a normal way. Plus i am recently on a huge organizing high and your sight has given me lotssss of ideas so i am hoping to get them all down by sunday:)

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  41. Usually the day of day after New Years the decorations stay up, however even a week ago I wanted to get rid of the dangerously crispy dry tree for safety reasons. It's still up, husband thought it would be ok.
    I don't really understand what the "blank house look" is all about.
    I like my house neat and clean and functional which is better without the decorations.

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  42. I like to start decorating for Christmas the weekend before Thanksgiving (which is usually held at another family member's house). Then I typically start "disassembling" everything the last weekend of January.

    After everything is put away I always feel just a little sad but I also feel like I have "space" again - which is refreshing!

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  43. I put mine up weekend of Thanksgiving too. Was really enjoying all until Christmas Day and the CRUD hit me!! Now I'm ready for the 'blank space' too..At least it waited til AFTER the fun to hit!! Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to put some away. Happy New Year all.

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  44. Hi Karen -- We always leave everything up through the 12 days of Christmas, until the Ephiphany, Jan. 6. It was a tradition in my husband's family, and we have continued it. I don't start my decorating until the beginning of Dec. keeping that in mind. BTW, thanks so much for the tip about unlocking your email address on your profile. I had no idea mine was not visible! Colleen

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  45. Deseamos de todo corazon que el 2012 te traiga todo aquello que mas deseas....felicidad, amor, creatividad, entusiamo, tiempo...y lo mas importante....seguir con nosotras.
    Miles de besos.
    Paqui y Mari Jose
    http://miss-pereas.blogspot.com

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  46. Oh, how I love your blog! Thank you for the many wonderful ideas you share, my friend!
    I find myself decorating for Christmas using more snowmen, snowflakes and wintry scenes. When the day comes to put things away...my nativities are the main things to be stored. I don't go through withdrawal...you know, when all of a sudden the house has an echo!!
    This is a gentle way to move into another season for me.
    Blessings and warm wishes,
    Carolynn....grammycarolynn(flickr)

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  47. I took everything down yesterday. I'm waiting on my husband to take the tree down and put everything back in the attic. We usually put the tree up a week or so after Thanksgiving. I'm ready for everything to come down as soon as all of our get togethers are finished.

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  48. I live in Spain. Here we have two holidays in december, 6th and 8th, and I usually have our tree up these days. And still up until Jan.6th, we celebrate the three wise men (los Reyes Magos), is the day that we have all of our Christmas gifts, so the ornaments are getting down after this day.
    Happy new year! I'll be here to follow your blog in 2012 too :)

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  49. I put my decorations up right after Thanksgiving, and by New Years, I am more than ready for them to come down!
    I love your sewing room, and am using it for inspiration in the new house we are building, where I will finally have a "real" sewing room.

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  50. I used to be really bad about leaving the tree and all up forever. I mean, it would be March and the tree would still be up. I always did it all myself, and by the end of the season, was just too unmotivated to put it all away myself.

    However, I am much better now that we live in a smaller house and there is more disruption to leaving it all up. I have a long weekend off next weekend, so it should all be down by then. I need to get creative and in the sewing room again, and can't really justify it while the Christmas is still up.

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  51. I don't like the blank, empty look, after the trees & Santas are packed away. I buy discounted snowflake & snowmen ornaments to decorate the mantel for the month of January. It's the only snow we see here in southeast Texas.

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  52. I usually wait until after my New Years Eve party but I couldn't wait this year. My tree and decor are already tucked away in the attic. The weather here in Savannah GA has me itching for bathing suits and a tan.

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  53. Most of my holiday decorations have been taken down. I'm really glad to have the almost blank house look now!

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  54. I live alone. So after the family has left and I'm leaning back to rest, the itch comes on me. I usualy have all the decorations off by bedtime. One son or another will come to take lights off and pack the tree away. Whew! The Holidays are wonderful and only come once each year.

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  55. I don't like clutter so we don't put that much up. In fact we have to put away the regular decorations to get the Christmas stuff out. We have picked up the cards from the mantel and I put away my seasonal fabric. All that is left is the 3 little potted trees on the mantel that will go outside until spring, and my little lighted tree that will go back into its box. Then comes out my china music box collection.

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  56. The morning after Christmas day - I'm like a hurricane... everything comes down and gets put up. I want to have some "clean" time before I have to go back to work after New Years Day!

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  57. All my decorations are up by the last week of November and nothing comes down before Jan. 6th. I never get tired of it and I always miss the lights once they are gone.

    Jen

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  58. Hello Karen!
    Christmas decorations in Mexico never are put away before January 6th.The night before Ephiphany my family goes to watch the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos (a Parade), we have a supper of "Rosca de Reyes"& hot cocoamilk,children leave their shoes under the Christmas tree with a letter to Melchor, Gaspar & Baltazar asking for a present.Early in the morning -5am- or before they wake up to see what toys Reyes Magos brought.
    Greetings from Irapuato Mexico

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  59. Hi, Karen,
    I will be leaving my tree up for another week. The house feels so empty when our daughters leave, that I like the warmth of the tree and Christmas lights.

    I have put away all the other Santa stuff tho'

    Happy New Year~Natalie

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  60. Hi, Karen,
    I will be leaving my tree up for another week. The house feels so empty when our daughters leave, that I like the warmth of the tree and Christmas lights.

    I have put away all the other Santa stuff tho'

    Happy New Year~Natalie

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  61. We leave our tree and decorations up until January 6th (three kings day that we don't officially celebrate but use as a guide). Our tree gets up a little later than we'd like and with a real tree this seems to be a good balance to enjoy things (and store Christmas gifts until I find homes for them).

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