Posted on Dec 31, 2015 in
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Alex Belt
Alex Belt is a Memorial mom, business owner and all around in the know kind of gal. Friends call on her relentlessly for advice on how to plan a party and what trend is “in.” With the holidays behind us and décor waiting to be stored, we’re doing what everyone else does – asking Alex!
Q: I have tried many different tips on how to store my Christmas ornaments, but nothing seems to work. Do you have any suggestions?
A: Sorting ornaments can be a nightmare, but I finally found something that works for me. I store all of my ornaments in Sterilite drawer containers. These come in all heights, widths and depths, and some offer varied drawer sizes, which are useful for separating decorations that require little space from those requiring deeper space. Be sure to tape the drawers closed, so when you are transporting them, the drawers don’t open and your ornaments do not break. I place larger ornaments and sprays in a big Sterilite colored tub that matches the other Christmas tubs.
Q: How do you store your Christmas tree?
A: My cousin Evette stores her tree by shrink-wrapping it. She takes off the large sprays and large breakable ornaments, then literally wraps her tree up, decorations and all. She gets her industrial shrink wrap at either Home Depot or Lowe’s.
I store my tree in rolling bags from Frontgate. I remove everything but the lights, then put the tree sections in the bags. Do not forget to store all of the electrical cords inside the Christmas boxes. If you use the same cords just for Christmas and then store them, you will not be running around looking for an extension cord when you put up your tree. I love these bags!
Q: Trying to organize my Christmas card list is a nightmare! Can you help?
A: I organize my list at the end of each holiday season when taking the tree down. I write down every card I received and to whom I sent one. When I get a card, I immediately put that envelope inside my Christmas card binder. This is also a good time to see if a family has a new address.
Once I am finished organizing my card binder, I put the binder inside one of the Christmas storage boxes with the decorations so I know where it is.
Q: I had to replace my Elf on the Shelf because I misplaced it. Help!
A: Put the elves inside a small box, draw a big heart on the outside of the box, then tape it shut. I do this so that when it is time to decorate the house, my girls will not see them in the opened Christmas decoration boxes. I act like I’m organized, but this year, once I opened the box, I placed the elves in a hiding place until it was time to have their magic work, but I forgot where I put them! Moms can’t do it all, and it is so hard to keep up with everything. It’s okay. Order a new one online, and when you least expect it, you will find those lost elves.
