Most followers know that I whine about downsizing. The micro manager and I have many conversations on downsizing but we don't seem to accomplish much.
We try and bribe our kids to relieve us of some material but it doesn't work well.
We have not put Christmas decorations up for the last three years so the time has come to part with Christmas decorations. We knew that our daughter was interested in some Christmas items. We haven't checked with our son yet. So our daughter was here this week and we asked here to go through things and pick what she wanted.
She picked a few special items that had meaning to her. That was it. So we spent a couple hours going through Christmas ornaments in July.
We have three tightly packed boxes of Christmas ornaments...not a lot compared to some people. What's left hits the garage sale.
The micro manager carefully bought items over the years from a variety of sources. Some items are unique.
So the Micro Manger told of one decoration that I had forgotten about.
As a young couple we went into a small isolated northern community. We didn't have Christmas ornaments as we'd only been married one year and had gone to our parents for Christmas. This was our first Christmas on our own and surprise , surprise! we didn't have Christmas decorations. We were not able to buy decorations where we were living. We couldn't buy a tree and there were no trees there. So the Micro manager got creative and made some ornaments. She heated up some wax and poured it over figures and that was our Christmas decorations.
The Micro manager made these in the north.
Only three boxes...It looks like your Micro Manager made do with those ornament very nicely:)
ReplyDeleteYes, I know three boxes isn't much in some places. But then there are some super decorators like you.
DeleteI guess you know that I am one of those who has way more than three boxes. I have thought of what I will do when I have to down size, way down. I can't imagine what I could part wit, so obviously I'm not ready.
ReplyDeleteThose are treasures you have shown in the photos. We must hang on to our meaningful treasures. Let someone else dispose of them after we are gone.
I know that you are a super decorator and get much pleasure out of it.
DeleteI'm glad your daughter had a chance to pick out what she liked from Christmas ornaments. I don't have so many either and I haven't put up the "big" tree for 3 years though I did decorate a very small table top one. You remind me I have to do a giveaway of these items. Maybe I'll wait until late October when people are thinking of Christmas.
ReplyDeletePeople will start to want them later on in the fall.
DeleteI have read a few times about how the boomers can't give their stuff to their kids. People these days just don't care about their parent's stuff!
ReplyDelete(I know you are a little older than a boomer)
Somebody will be glad of your ornaments in the garage sale
I hear ya on the boomers not wanting our stuff. Christmas stuff does seem to get picked up on garage sales.
DeleteThat is very creative done, I wouldn't throw them away.
ReplyDeleteWell, creativity or not they're going to go.
DeleteThose are very nice creative ornaments you Micro Manager made. We downsized our Christmas items years ago so all we do now is hang handmade items that my wife makes. It is nice and simple to decorate for the holidays. Years ago it would take hours to decorate now it takes minutes.
ReplyDeleteYes hours to decorate and then take it down after Christmas.
DeleteI was just thinking the other day about the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations I must give away. Our lives are so much smaller and as "they" say, no one wants your stuff! I did pack up boxes of Christmas decorations and gave them to the kids the years they got married so that sentimental task is now done.
ReplyDeleteWell, making gifts of Christmas ornaments is a smart idea.
DeleteMy mom had two trunks full of decorations. She loved Christmas. Her celebration of life took place in July, and was a Christmas theme. I gave them away for a church sale.
ReplyDeleteNice touch for your Mom's memorial.
DeleteHome made are the best kind ... I hope your kids treasure them.
ReplyDeleteThere were other unique ornaments that were picked up on craft sales. There were things the kids mad when they were very young.
DeleteVery creative wife you've got there, Red. And it's always nice to think of ways to decorate when you've got limited resources. :-)
ReplyDeleteShe is able to make do with what she's got. I don't know why she had all the wax.
DeleteThey can build up quick. I am in the same boat but already got rid of them. I decorate at church and sometimes don't have to even take them down LOL
ReplyDeleteNow that's a novel way to get rid of things.
DeleteNeat decorations!
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteWell, that was a creative solution! Christmas ornaments are one of those items that seem to multiply by themselves in the dark of the closet.
ReplyDeleteIt's too easy to add a few ornaments each year.
DeleteI have downsized and moved 1,500 miles across the country! I can see you have a noodle for a back bone, to downsize you have to have a rod. You have to be brutal. You probably are going to need a life happening, a deadline, to strengthen your back bone enough for the task of downsizing. It’s not for sissies. It’s tough work. Usually not ver successful if done slowly.
ReplyDeleteYou've got it. Downsizing is tough. Now I could get rid of stuff in a hurry...the Micro Manager...not so much.
DeleteHello, I am sure the homemade decorations brought back happy memories of Christmases past. It is hard to downsize! Enjoy your day and weekend!
ReplyDeleteWe even had stuff the kids made when they were little.
DeleteThat is really creative. And a very special memory!
ReplyDeleteI had completely forgotten about this one.
DeleteWell I never was one for Christmas decorations and disposed of all the ones I did have many years ago. Then suddenly I felt like Christmas decorations again so I've been building up the stock. No tree though - definitely no tree. I think the decorations the Micro Manager made are incredible. I couldn't throw those away.
ReplyDeleteThe Micro Manager is a resourceful and creative woman. Of course this is to be expected as she hails from Yorkshire.
ReplyDeleteHope you decided to keep the decorations the Micro Manager made. This is such a sweet story.
ReplyDeleteGoing through holiday decos is something we need to do; We did that when we moved to this apt, but somehow the Dept 56 new England village takes up many containers as Grenville saves all the original boxes. We may dispense with a tree this year as we haven't had one in a couple of years...now what to do with the decos???
ReplyDeleteHandmade ornaments have so much more character and memories attached. It's hard to get rid of them.
ReplyDeleteIf that is all you have, it seems that you've already done some downsizing. We have about 5 big tubs of Christmas decorations. Not that we use all of them. In fact, we probably only use 20% or less. Sometimes we don't use them at all. I always try to make sure we are out in our RV until a day or two before Christmas. I'd like to get rid of them all. With all the stores decorating for Christmas immediately after Halloween (music and all), I'm burnt out on it before Thanksgiving arrives.
ReplyDelete