Filipinos look forward to Christmas, which is the longest & most celebrated holiday in the country. We can't help but give Christmas presents to friends, loved ones & associates. We also look forward to those we will be receiving.
Now, the gifts have been opened. Before you start focusing on your work or business for the coming year, try these post-holiday gifts organizing tips:
Sort & List.
When January 2 was declared a non-working holiday, I decided to block this off to sort & list. A gift may be classified depending on its use to your household. My suggestions:
a. Keepsakes. These are those that you want to keep in your 'Memory Chest' like gifts from your kids or cards from friends abroad.
b. Stockpile. These are those that you use a lot of & can be kept as part of your stock. I usually include under this list items such as, candles, lotions, home scents, kitchen towels, memo pads, etc.
c. May Be Of Use Later. These are gifts that you would want to keep in case you might be able to use them later on. Common ones are picture frames, decorative items, & other house wares.
d. Others. If a gift does not fall under any of the category above, I suggest you put it under this one. It may be a decor that will not blend with your existing ones, a blouse or shawl that is not your color, a book that is not within your interest, or simply an item that you have an overflowing inventory of.
Sell Unwanted Gifts
According to a new survey by Ebay, 85% of people in the US admit that they received a gift they don't like & half are willing to sell. A service is also being offered to help people enlist their unwanted gifts to sell on Ebay. Selling online particularly in Ebay is becoming a trend nowadays to rid closets & storages of unwanted items. Another way is to hold a post-Christmas 'as-is' garage sale. Check well, though, that none of your neighbors' gifts are included in the items you are selling.
Re-Gift?
Though this idea does not appeal to some, this has been a common practice by quite a number of Filipinos. Many, especially in the economic situation we are in right now, consider re-gifting practical. I am sure that over the past couple of years, we have received at least one present which may have been re-gifted. If you must re-gift, give special care & attention to the process keeping the receiver in mind. The sincerity of the gesture still counts the most. (Tips on the 'art' of re-gifting will be touched in a future post)
Donate Past Year's Gifts
My personal thinking is if a gift has been in storage for more than a year, it is time to give it away. I have given some that were raffled off to my househelps & their guests during their noche buena party. This year, I will be donating to white elephant tables in bazaars, to flea markets, or as raffle prizes, all organized for charity. This, for me, is the merriest way to clear my home in time for the gifts my family will be receiving next Christmas.
In our next post: Storing Christmas Decors :-)
