Strengthing my "remove from cart" muscle

I have posted before that seasonal decor is my weakness. I ended up doing a big (to me) declutter of a lot of my seasonal decor in July and vowed to be more minimal going forward. I have recently stumbled across several YouTube channels that focus on decorating for seasons/holidays. Now while I recognize that these people go way overboard on their decorating and one literally has an outside warehouse filled with decor, it has really caused an itch in me to buy some of the items I see in their videos. Even though I am thinking of what I can declutter if I get new items, I have been able to hold off. I will literally have things in my cart and remove them. Couple hours later, put them back in my cart and remove them. While I am happy I have resisted temptation so far, I just wish that the urge wasn't so strong. Not getting new seasonal decor is new to me so I understand why it's a struggle and I know I will have massive regrets if I faulter.

Today's struggle was these trees that I thought would look so good on the mantle and could be used for Winter and Christmas. Plus they are 50% off! But... do I need them? No. Do I already have other trees that I love? Yes. I kept going back and forth with clicking "add to cart" and then deleting them. I know soon enough, they will be sold out so hopefully I won't be kicking myself.

Pinecones & White Berries Cone Tree | Hobby Lobby | 6345946

I can speak directly to Holiday decor, specifically Christmas holiday season decor. I am pretty much opposite of you these days, but there was a time when Christmas crap was one of my gazingus pins.


We lived in a picturesque Victorian neighborhood that decorated itself to the nines for Christmas season with holiday parties and neighborhood events and a tour of houses that netted $50,000 and etc. This neighborhood is five blocks from the florist wholesale district which drew me like a cat to catnip. I ended up with several Christmas trees of various sizes, lots of “wholesale “priced Christmas crap, all stored in our very large horizontal closet underneath our third floor eaves. I had to crawl into it, but it was a closet of size. When we moved to Hermann I got rid of all that stuff and swore I would get my Christmas decor down to one or two tubs that held only the things I really valued. I did that when we moved. But since then I’ve been accumulating more yet I’m trying to keep it down.

mainly I dread the storing of this stuff. It just depresses me to think I’m gonna end up with tubs and tubs full of junk again. That’s why I’m trying to go with natural products whenever possible. I still remember something DH said to me decades ago that really stuck in my brain and it is this: we went to the big box store called (I think) Garden Ridge. DH looked around after we had shopped for several minutes and said “there’s nothing from gardens here, it’s all made in China!” And that really struck me because it dawned on me that everything in the store was cheap crap that came from a container shipped from China. There was nothing natural about it. There was nothing nice about it.

So since then I’ve been trying to develop my taste so that natural plant material is mich of our decor but of course that’s limiting.

Here are my challenges:

We are on our town’s Holididay house tour this year. Last year I gave in and purchased a fake tree because the natural trees get dry so fast. It’s scary how quickly they dry up. But I’m shooting for natural garlands and berries for the most part this year although the berries dry and fall off, and I think my dog has been eating them, so they’re probably poisonous for him. He’s such an idiot.

So I need to decorate to make ticket holders to the house tour happy, but it’ will not be excessive. I want holiday decor in every room they see but the house tour is only one afternoon so I’m not going to spend $1000 on it. In my former Victorian neighborhood our holiday house tour was a bigger 1000 people through the houses so then I would’ve gone all out.

besides natural decor, I have the most wonderful Goodwill store nearby anyone has ever seen. They hold all of their holiday decor and put it out after Halloween. I can buy a some stuff there, it’ll be on the house tour on December 6, and then I can take it down and drop it off at Goodwill in those first two weeks of December 2025 when people are still buying that stuff. For me that is a win/win.

A final challenge is that my town has a fundraiser called “holiday tablescapes “and I participate every year. We have to put up a different tablescape each year, we can’t use ones we have used in the past. I have finally developed the formula where I have basic red, green, and white dinnerware that I store for this. Then each year I use different accoutrements to carry out a theme.

All of the dinnerware came from my Goodwill store. I’m telling ya, It is a gold mine!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by iris lilies

I can speak directly to Holiday decor, specifically Christmas holiday season decor. I am pretty much opposite of you these days, but there was a time when Christmas crap was my Ginga pen well one of my gazing pins.


We lived in a picturesque Victorian neighborhood that decorated itself to the nines for Christmas season with holiday parties and a tour of houses that net at $50,000 and etc. this neighborhood is five blocks from the florist wholesale district which drew me like a cat to catnip. I ended up with several Christmas trees of various sizes, lots of “wholesale “priced Christmas crap, all stored in our very large horizontal closet underneath our third floor eaves. I had to crawl into it, but it was a closet of size.when we moved to Hermann. I got rid of all that stuff and swore I would get my Christmas decor down to one or two tubs, that held only the things I really valued. I did that when we moved. But since then I’ve been accumulating more yet I’m trying to keep it down.

mainly I dread the storing of this stuff. It just depresses me to think I’m gonna end up with tubs and tubs full of junk again. That’s why I’m trying to go with natural products whenever possible. I still remember something DH said to me decades ago that really stuck in my brain and it is this: we went to the big box store called (I think) Garden Ridge. TH looked around after we had shopped for several minutes and said “there’s nothing from gardens here, it’s all made in China!” And that really struck me because it dawned on me that everything in the store was cheap. Crap that came from a container shipped from China. There was nothing natural about it. There was nothing nice about it.


So since then I’ve been trying to develop my taste so that natural Plant material forms in a Decker I put out but of course that’s limiting.


Here are my challenges:


We are on our town’s Holididay housemtour this year. Last year I already gave in and purchased a fake tree because the natural trees get dry so fast. It’s scary how quickly they dry up. But I’m shooting for a natural garlands and berries for the most part, although the berries dry and fall off, and I think my dogs been eating them, so they’re probably poisonous for him. He’s such an idiot.

so I need to decorate to make ticket holders to the house to happy, but it’s not gonna be excessive. I want Decker in every room they see but the house tour is only one afternoon so I’m not going to spend $1000 at it it. in my old Victoria neighborhood our house tour our holiday house tour was one entire day and we had 1000 people through the houses so then I would’ve gone all out.

---

I ended up caving. Didn't get those trees but similar ones. Two to be exact. And a wooden Santa. I remembered that I was planning on moving what I usually had on our coffee table to the mantle because I had decluttered most of the mantle stuff. I couldn't think of what I was going to put on the coffee table sooo..... I do think it will look super cute and will reflect the "rustic" style I am trying to go for recently. Less colorful and more earthy/neutral. Also think it will be easier on the eyes and not so much visual clutter due to the more neutral colors. Or... I am just trying to convince myself that I'm not an idiot for caving.


Santa Wood Look Santa | Hobby Lobby | 5701537
Trees (bought 2 large) Wood Look Evergreen Tree | Hobby Lobby | 5756465

Oh, Klunick, I understand. Like IrisLily I dread storing it and these days even putting it out, then dusting around it! But I understand the urge. Iris have you thought you could be the trend setter for a simpler, rural holiday decor?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nswef

Oh, Klunick, I understand. Like IrisLily I dread storing it and these days even putting it out, then dusting around it! But I understand the urge. Iris have you thought you could be the trend setter for a simpler, rural holiday decor?

---

my holiday decor WILL be more simple than what I would’ve done in a Victorian house and my write up for the house tour here does use the word. “simple.”

I never mind putting up the stuff, that’s the fun part. But I hate taking it down. This year I’ll be motivated on December 7 to take most of the fake stuff down and drive it to Goodwill for their seasonal merchandise sales.

I put an expensive label maker, carrier, and additional labels in my "cart" on Amazon. Thought about it for a week and deleted the items. I have always used paper covered by clear packing tape to make large easy to see labels for storage. Could not justify "pretty" which would also be "small" and not as useful.

Darn those Youtube channels and HGTV.

Regarding Christmas. I have decluttered almost all of it over the last few years. Determined we would never have a bigger house or want to take out and put away decoration items. I kept a 4 foot tall wire tree form to showcase ornaments for any holiday, my favorite nativity set and a few large boxes of handmade ornaments.

Iris, are you going to do a popcorn and cranberry garland? Paper chains would probably be in keeping with your little house.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tradd

Iris, are you going to do a popcorn and cranberry garland? Paper chains would probably be in keeping with your little house.

---

I am doing the tree up in pine cones and (fake) red berries. A popcorn and cranberry garland wouldn’t be too bad, but the paper chain is way too gaudy and childlike for me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sweetana3

I put an expensive label maker, carrier, and additional labels in my "cart" on Amazon. Thought about it for a week and deleted the items. I have always used paper covered by clear packing tape to make large easy to see labels for storage. Could not justify "pretty" which would also be "small" and not as useful.

Darn those Youtube channels and HGTV.

Regarding Christmas. I have decluttered almost all of it over the last few years. Determined we would never have a bigger house or want to take out and put away decoration items. I kept a 4 foot tall wire tree form to showcase ornaments for any holiday, my favorite nativity set and a few large boxes of handmade ornaments.

---

I do that, cover paper with packing tape for various projects. Acts as laminator for me, sorta.

Have been going through and decluttering Christmas stuff every year for the past couple of years. Not sure what I have left, but I guess I will find out in about two months. LOL

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Klunick

I ended up caving. Didn't get those trees but similar ones. Two to be exact. And a wooden Santa. I remembered that I was planning on moving what I usually had on our coffee table to the mantle because I had decluttered most of the mantle stuff. I couldn't think of what I was going to put on the coffee table sooo..... I do think it will look super cute and will reflect the "rustic" style I am trying to go for recently. Less colorful and more earthy/neutral. Also think it will be easier on the eyes and not so much visual clutter due to the more neutral colors. Or... I am just trying to convince myself that I'm not an idiot for caving.


Santa Wood Look Santa | Hobby Lobby | 5701537
Trees (bought 2 large) Wood Look Evergreen Tree | Hobby Lobby | 5756465

---

My Santa and trees arrived yesterday so I decided to test them out on the coffee table to see if I liked it or if I should return it. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!! They are so cute and I didn't even have the table runner underneath them like I am planning. They are a really good size too. Definitely not too small and the quality is unbelievable. I am so happy I caved and got these after all. So, now I have all my areas planned out for Christmas and just have wait until December to decorate.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Klunick

My Santa and trees arrived yesterday so I decided to test them out on the coffee table to see if I liked it or if I should return it. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!! They are so cute and I didn't even have the table runner underneath them like I am planning. They are a really good size too. Definitely not too small and the quality is unbelievable. I am so happy I caved and got these after all. So, now I have all my areas planned out for Christmas and just have wait until December to decorate.

---

I’m glad your new decor items look good.

Because our house is on Christmas tour on December 6, I’m going to start laying out Christmas decor in the first week of November. I want to get everything planned. Later, around Thanksgiving weekend, we’ll go to the Christmas tree farm to get garlands and berries, and probably wreaths.

I’m not a candle person and don’t use them in regular life, but I think I’m going to have to sink some money into candles. I keep watching for a decent candles at Goodwill and have not seen what I want.