Tag Archives: Christmas tree

Deconstructing and Dismantling

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Today I needed to dismantle the Christmas tree and pack it away.  However, I had a problem.  When we got the tree out of the cupboard to put it up the carry bag ripped beyond repair.  You can see what it looked like in better days here.  It was made from a similar ‘fabric’ to the green shopping bags and it had become brittle with age – we have had it for about 5 years and someone else owned it before me.  Apart from ripping, the idea of a bag is great – much easier than trying to wrestle the back into the original box.

I decided to make a new bag using the original as a pattern. So, I deconstructed it and removed the zip so I could reuse it.

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I had a heavy cotton bedspread lurking in the linen cupboard which seemed perfect for what I needed so I set to work.

This was the result.  As well as reusing the zip, I also reused the carry handles as they seemed reasonably sturdy.  If they do not stand up to the job I can always replace them with fabric handles at some time in the future.

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All packed up and ready to be stored for another year.

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Christmas is Coming

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Time to put the tree up.

2012-12-08 01Miss O and Izz with everything ready to start.

2012-12-08 02We had to learn how to assemble the pieces.

2012-12-08 03Then there were all of the decorations to put on, but finally it was done.

2012-12-08 04Tonight we went to see some Christmas lights.  There was lots of wonder as we took it all in.

2012-12-08 05It is a real joy to share the delight of Christmas with children.  Do you have any particular activities or traditions  that you do every year?

A Christmas List

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I have started to get my Christmas list which was in my head, down on paper.  It is not a list of what I want but a list of Christmas related activities and tasks.  I need to check that nothing gets forgotten.

Over the last few years it has become an unwritten rule that nothing overtly Christmassy happens until after 3rd December.  The significance of this is that it is Miss O’s birthday and I think that it is important to be able to focus on her special day and not let it become overwhelmed in the lead-up to Christmas.  Our darling turned 5 yesterday so has the adventure of starting Prep and the whole new world of school next year.

But back to the list…………

Plan menu for Christmas lunch
Put up Christmas tree
Finish Christmas letter
Write Christmas cards and post
Finish hand-made gifts
Check gifts complete for immediate family
Take granddaughters to see Christmas lights
Check for carol service appropriate for granddaughters

I am sure there will be other things to add to the list but that is the main focus for us.

Christmas lunch will be for 4 adults and 4 children (aged 6, 5, 5 and 3).  It will be gluten-free/ grain-free (in line with my eating plan).  I will write more about this in another post.

The Christmas tree will go up on Saturday afternoon when Miss O and Izz are here.

I need to get serious about finishing the Christmas letter which is half-written.  Many of our Christmas greeting are sent via email but I would like to get the cards in the mail by the middle of next week.

The gifts are an ongoing project which is coming along nicely.  I think I have planned gifts for everyone – just need to check the box in the spare room again.  Nothing is wrapped yet.  In fact, I will not be wrapping gifts this year as I have made re-useable gift bags in assorted sizes from Christmas fabric.  I won’t miss the piles of ripped wrapping paper all over the floor on Christmas morning.

We will be going the see the Christmas lights on Saturday evening when our granddaughters come to stay.  Once I find the time and date of the carol service I will organise to go with Miss O and Izz.

Writing everything down helps to clarify exactly what I need to do and when.  We have a fairly simple, low-key Christmas which is naturally focused on enjoying it with the children.

Over the next week or so I will post about each of the things on my list in more detail.

When do you start your Christmas preparations?  How are you going?  Please share your plans.

Seasonal Storage

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My last post really sparked some interest!  Welcome to those of you who have become subscribers.  Thanks to everyone who responded by sending a little bit about themselves.  Although I know there will always be many unidentified readers, it is nice to be able to connect with my regular readers.  I hope you keep coming back and please let me know your thoughts on the content and direction of the blog.

Now that the holiday is over is is time to re-focus on the organising aspect.

In my reading the other day, Carol posed the question, “Where do you store your Christmas tree?”  When Carol was clearing out the main bedroom in readiness for it to be painted, she pulled the box containing the tree from under the bed and found it covered with dust and felt that it could not be healthy to have a collection of dust under the bed.

I do not store anything under beds for this very reason.  In fact, the base of our bed is only about 5cm off the floor so storing anything under it is impossible.  I regularly enlist The Duke’s assistance and we remove the ensemble (mattress and base) from the frame and I use the opportunity to vacuum the floor and damp dust the metal bed frame as well as the skirting boards.  I also wipe down the window sill and about once every 3 months I clean the windows and insect screens, too.

Back to the storage dilemma.  I have a storage bag for Christmas tree that I was lucky enough to find on Freecycle.  You could easily make a similar bag from an old sheet.  My storage bag has a zipper but it would be just as effective to make a drawstring opening at one end.  Before I acquired my storage bag I had always kept the tree in its original box, but like so many things, it is a challenge to fit it back into the factory packaging.

Since there is only the two of us at home we have the luxury of plenty of storage space, so I keep the Christmas tree in its bag on a shelf in the wardrobe in the guest room.  I have recently rationalised and re-arranged the Christmas items that we keep from year to year.  These are now all in a plastic tub which is next to the tree.  My tree decorations are fairly minimal and I have a wreath for each of the external doors plus a small table centrepiece.

I have added the wrapping paper, cards and gift tags that I have accumulated, to the tub and am determined that I will not buy any more until all of those are used up.  That has been my line for about 3 years and still I have plenty.

I have a balloon pump and 4 stands for making “balloon topiary trees” for festive table decorations.  I have had these for over 10 years and have used them for 18th, 21st and 50th birthday celebrations as well as a school reunion.  I will use them again in a couple of weeks for an 80th birthday celebration.  I will probably recover the stands to refresh them for their next use.

We do not really have any other things that are specific to certain seasonal celebrations.  However, there could be Easter items or Halloween costumes.  How do you store and keep track of things that are perhaps only used once each year for a few weeks?