First out, last away...

[zchristy]

The kids are back to school today (or supposed to be...my little guy has a slight fever and huge tonsils so he gets one more day of vacation). So today's the day I get my last post-Christmas chores done.

We did the tree and all the other stuff between Dec 27-Jan 3, but today I wash and put away the kids Christmas bedding and take down my favorite 2 nativities. If I knew it wouldn't wreck their "specialness" i'd leave the olive wood one out all year, but I know it needs to be done.

What is your "first out/last away" item?

Guess it's time to stop procrastinating and take that nativity down....

 

[Terrylee5151]

zchristy,
I can never wait to get my house back to normal so I usually put everything away by the week after Christmas. I did leave out a snowman and some glitter balls that look like a snowball for my dining room table. I will leave that up for a couple of weeks yet and then get Valentines day things out.

 

[christmascreations]

zchristy did the 12 days of Christmas with decorations I see...lol

We still have our tree up. Granted all the ornaments are off of it, we still have to put the tree away, maybe tomorrow morning while I am off of work!!!

 

[dejavu]

My 'last away' item is always something unintentional- I just missed it when putting things away. One year it was the greenery above the bookcases in the family room. Another it was kids' snowman shower curtain- I won't even tell you when my eyes finally focused on it and went " WHat the...??" It was WAAAYYYY after I put away the other things.

We never put anything away until Orthodox Christmas is past (it's today, by the way.) If there was snow outside, I'd be likely to leave everything for another week. Since it was in the 60s today, it really tempted me to start the dismantling process now.

I have a sickie home from school today too so didn't get much done- only laundry, dishes and catering to him.

 

[DahliaDoll]

Our live poinsettias. We like to go to the nursery right after Thanksgiving when everyone else is at the Mall to get our poinsettias. They usually last well past Christmas!

 

[Holiday Joy]

Well, like dejavu stated, the 'last away' is usually something unintentional that I just miss seeing, or something that I rely on others to do, like the outside decorations that my sweet DH STILL has out, though not lit.

But purposefully, my first out, last away is usually my beautiful nativity scene! And I did leave it out all year one year. I LOVED seeing it, but you're right -- something special was missing when it was actually time to put it up that next December. I missed the anticipation of unwrapping each piece and placing it where it belonged.

 

[KimD]

First out and last to be put away is the Christmas village. It has to be the first taken out because it takes so long to put together. It is always the last to be put away for the kids because they love to look at it. Also they have grown fond of seeing everyyear and even though they did not know my grandparents they are very sentemental about it. For me it's hard to say goodbye to it for a whole year. It has been like that since I can remember I have been like that. It was my grandmothers and many pieces are very old and I just love it.

 

[KimD]

Our live poinsettias. We like to go to the nursery right after Thanksgiving when everyone else is at the Mall to get our poinsettias. They usually last well past Christmas!

DJ do you keep these year to year, or get new ones? My mom has had one for about 5 years now.

 

[Gingerbug]

SORRY...off topic...Welcome zchristy....I have missed reading about your backyard summer camp stuff with your kiddos.

 

[zchristy]

Thanks for the welcome, Ginger! Glad this community is keeping on.

 

[campncook]

Put away? I have everything out...well almost everything. I have put away my Christmas dish towels.
I have a VERY hard time putting Christmas away each year - hence, my year round Chrustmas corner which gets bigger each year!
Once everything is put away, I'll let you all know. arty:

 

[Grannyloveschristmas]

My last decoration is usually one left out unintentially too. :slap: It has got to be a tradition with my eldest DD when she comes round, she and DGS play spot what's been left out this year!!

Of course the poinsettia's are still looking wonderful. I was going to ask how long people had managed to keep their plants going. Last year mine was still looking great by the summer which i thought was a record until i read kimD's post about her mum's being 5 years old :!:
Am i wrong in thinking they aren't meant to last long??
Who has the longest blooming poinsettia??? I'd love to know.
Granny

 

[appleton]

Not sure what the first item I put out was... I have a glass picture frame w/mirrored (silver) snowflakes thats been out since December 2006. I've always loved using it during the winter months. The picture is from several years back of our dogs in the snow! Maybe I didn't want to put it away once Spring came since we loss one of the dogs the previous year (2005). I love looking at it so much... I plan to move it from the mantel once Spring arrives back to the bookshelf.

Otherwise I haven't really put anything away. The tree is still up for a few more days & then I slowly start packing away most of it. Several goodies will stay out until mid-February.

 

[momof4]

Our first decoration out is always our Advent wreath - very pretty resin one with figurines of a couple shepherds, sheep, 3 kings, Mary, joseph, and baby Jesus. It is also the first put away.

The last thing I wrap up is my "nice" nativity. We set it up on the mantle and it's gorgeous. My DSIL painted it for DH and me for our 1st Christmas together. I get so many compliments on it and everyone wants to take a closer look when they see it for the 1st time. I hate taking it down, so it often stays up until well into February!

 

[jampss]

Well, the first out would be 'everything' ...
The last away ... well, it not put away yet! Yes, the outside is down. The dry tree was gone two days after Christmas. I'm not sure when I'll do the rest. We are kind of 'used' to it!!!!!!!!!! :rnament:

 

[Cathymac]

I'm also not sure what the first out was, but I still have my snowmen and the snow villages-big and small- out. I leave them out until after Valentine's Day. Then I'm usually tired of them and ready to put them away. I love my snowmen and even added snowflakes to the light fixture over the table. I've also left the red berry garland and ivy with white lights around the kitchen windows. I like the way it looks, may leave it all year!

 

[coffeenut]

First up is my snowman shower curtain and bathroom decorations. They are also the last to come down. I still have snowmen in the rest of the apartment They will come down the last Sat in January. :bigsnow:

 

[jampss]

We just put away all of the rest of Christmas decor yesterday ... Jan. 12th!

I like the idea of leaving snowmen out till the end of January. Cute idea. Might do that next year, as I do have a few snowmen!
:bigsnow:

 

[Snowbelle27]

I really love the idea of leaving out the snowman stuff until the end of January as winter decoration. Will definately do that next year as I've already put them away for this year.
Great idea!

:bigsnow:

 

[zchristy]

I like the idea of leaving snowmen out till the end of January. Cute idea. Might do that next year, as I do have a few snowmen!

Don't forget snowflakes too! My girlfriend has snowflake dishes and glass snowflake ornaments that stay out until Feb.

Here, the kids and I cut silver and blue glittered snowflakes and hung them in our huge front window with fishing line at different lengths.

And I also have a little garland of tiny wool mittens that stays up here too.