to feel gutted about packing away the Christmas things?

[kitnkaboodle]

Think I must be menopausal. I actually feel a bit tearful today. I know some MNetters pack up the Christmas stuff on Boxing Day, but I don't put decorations up until around the 20th, and the kids like it left up until their first day at school.

We had an uneventful but nice Christmas - one big Groundhog day of walks, food, games, films, drink. Weather was appalling but ...

Find myself longing for next Christmas! (which could, of course, be awful, given that you never know what's round the corner!)

Someone pass me a grip ...

Don't take them down if you don't want to! I have fairy lights up all year. Only thing that changes in December is that there's a tree with more fairy lights. Ours is still up and I'm not sure when we'll have chance to take it down.

Taken my Dec's down today but have been clearing out cupboards and tidying up for days leading up to it so it feels like part of the process and now my house is fresh and organised for about a week .

Buying fresh flowers is definitely the thing to do here. Spring type ones if you can get them. I've seen daffodils being sold in a few supermarkets. £1-2 a bunch. Some on your dining table, in the living room and in a jug on the kitchen windowsill will do wonders.

I also like getting a new calendar, diary, organiser etc in ready to get out on the 1st of Jan.

And like pp, keep a few strings of lights up. On the mantelpiece, over the bed, over a mirror. Not loads, warm glowing and no flashing and they don't look Christmassy but add a nice comforting glow and sparkle whilst the days are still short.

Mine are a nice warm glow. I like them.

The rest of the house is a tip. Dh has been home and had one of his tidying up sessions. Which basically means that he has blitzed the stuff that was packed away and deposited it all over the house. So now he knows what he wants to keep and what he wants to chuck. And has gone back to work and left the house covered in stuff.

I was not looking forward to taking decorations down tonight when I got home from work
DD and DS had done it all for me! I quickly whizzed the dyson round - moved a few plants round and some flowers
Sat down with a drink and contemplated what 2016 might bring......