1.       This year, bring out ALL of your holiday decorations and supplies: table clothes, lights, lawn ornaments, baking dishes, sweaters, candles, wrapping paper, and platters. All of it. Everything. Even the stuff that has nothing to do with December festivities. If you celebrate a variety of holidays throughout the year, bring out all the decorations. Every single one.

2.       Go through everything and throw away the obvious trash - broken bulbs, worn hand towels, stubby candles, etc.

3.       Take stock of what you've got. If you can identify  items that you no longer use, want, or desire, box them up and take them to your local donation center today.

4.       Everything you want to keep should have a nice snug home to spend the long months ahead. Wrapping your things in cardboard boxes is okay, but the boxes should fit into a large plastic bin or another sturdy container.

5.       Tape, scissors, ribbons, paper, and bows can be stored easily in an inexpensive gift-wrap caddy. Extra-tall rolls of paper may stand in a tall trash bin with the lid removed.

6.       For people who celebrate holidays throughout the year: if space allows, containerize each holiday separately but store everything together. 

7.       File seasonal recipes in a single box, book, or binder.

8.       Store decorations in plastic bins that correspond to the typical colors of that particular holiday: red/green (Christmas), blue/white (Chanukah), black/red/green (Kwanza).

9.       Holiday lights: at the end of the season store lights properly using inexpensive reels or bags.

10.   Label all storage containers: there may be some years when you want to do less decorating. Having everything labeled takes the guess work out of what may be inside each container.