Impress Yourself

Every once in awhile I impress myself.

And last year, when I was putting away my Halloween decorations, was one of those times.  But I didn’t realize it then.

It wasn’t until this year, when I got out my Halloween decor, that I was impressed.  I wanted to pass on these time saving ideas as you take down Halloween, so you can impress yourself next year too when you want to put Halloween back up.

When my first box came out of storage, it was labeled every so nicely.  Not only did the container say Halloween, but it also told me which room it was for and what decor it had in it.  I knew exactly where each box needed to go and what was in the box. 

Tip #1: As you take down holiday decor, don’t just put it away haphazardly. Store things more organized– either by room or by like items. And then make sure to label the bin very specifically.

Then I opened up the first box I found this: (yes, I even found the candy corns.  I saved all candy that was just used as decoration.)

It was a list of Halloween projects to work on for this year. I could immediately get to work on what needed to be done, rather than wait until I had everything up to see what I needed.  I am happy to report, although I didn’t get to everything on my list, I did “fix spooky banner” into one I am much happier with

and I took “poison bottles” to an extreme:

Also in the box was  a calendar for October 2011 with a list of activities to schedule. And I had written in a few things to do on certain dates because it seemed like I was always a day late.

Tip #2:   As you put stuff away this year, write a note to yourself about what you would like to do next year, specifics about what worked this year, what you need to buy, what you need to schedule, etc.  Right now Halloween is on the brain, and by next year you will have forgotten.

Lastly, when I opened my bin labeled “Pumpkins” I remembered that I had taken pictures of last year’s pumpkin collage.   The collage was a new addition to my Halloween decor so my sister and I worked on it for quite a while.  We tried to channel West Elm as we tweaked, adjusted and evaluated the arrangement until we go it just right.

So this year when I went to set up the collage, because I had a picture to work from, it took me all about 5 minutes.  I did have to make a few changes because I didn’t have the two orange pumpkins that were from my garden, but the basics were in place.

Luckily, I took a picture of this garland from last year too.  I referred to it several times as I set it up this year.

Tip #3:  Before you take down your Halloween decor, make sure you take pictures– even what you think you will remember.  Take pictures of your mantle, candy jars, shelves, entry table, or your table centerpiece for example. It will make setting up next year so much faster.

Follow these 3 time-saving tips when you take down Halloween this year and  you will be impressed with yourself when you get out your storage bins in 2012.

(Here’s hoping I was just as on it when I put away my Thanksgiving and Christmas decor last year.  I have a sinking feeling I used all my energy on Halloween.)