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Is it normal to feel kind of blue at the end of the Christmas season, when the decorations come down and the house looks so empty? I have felt this in years past and wonder if anyone else feels this way and if so, what do you do to help the blues pass?

www.alwaysnesting.blogspot.com

Funny, I haven't felt much like posting of late but for some reason I wanted to answer this. Many on this forum are thrilled when the "stuff" comes down and things are back to "normal". I am NOT one of those. I used to feel the same as you so I've amended my thoughts (after all it IS my house, so I can do what I d*** well please!)
I have lots of things that I leave up until almost spring. My mantel is little white lights on greenery with some red flowers. Since when are little white lights Christmas??
In fact, at the campsite I visit all summer, there are little white lights glowing everywhere. While I put my beloved Spode Christmas tree glasses away, I use my holly berry glasses all winter. My snowman ARE winter, not Christmas, so I tend to leave them out. Same with my snowman candle holders.
You get the drift. In fact, I was so lazy this year that I left my planters with the little trees out the whole year and lit them with red, white & blue for all legal holidays! Found little jack-o-lantern light covers and made them Halloween trees! There is nothing like coming home on a cold snowy winters night and seeing those little trees lit for me!
Re-look your stuff, you'll find a way! Good luck.

When I take my Christmas decor down, I don't really have time to feel blue, I use the time to reorganize my storage and also to sort what I no longer want and get it to a thrift store.

When getting caught up in the Christmas spirit and getting such high expectations, it is easy to see why there would be a let down afterwards.

The older I get, the more even-keeled I try to be, in other words I do not get overly built up by the commercial side of Christmas, and focus on my family as I do year round.

Also if you have family visiting and then they go home, that can make you feel sad, and understandably so. When my visitors leave, I call them a few times that first week and then again the second to lessen the withdrawal! I sometimes make a special package to send to my sister to keep that special holiday feeling going.

I wish a happy and more cheerful 'after Christmas' this year.

Plan a new theme of decorating with special Spring decor this year. After taking down your Christmas things try to replace them with real flowers in vases and set up uplifting vignettes in your home. Flickering candles (the battery kind if you do not like real ones left lit) and also a set of the plain clear or white Christmas lights in a vignette! That might give you the light-hearted feeling that will last for as long as you want to keep it!

We are going to install a lowered crown in our dining area to put rope lighting behind. And I will put Christmas lights in my silk palm tree this year to leave on until they burn out. That will give me some festive look to my home to bring about those Christmas decoration special feeling.

I have lots of snowmen, abd blue decorations in with my Christmas things. Typically most years I put away everything that is obviously a Christmas decoration but leave out the snowman and winter blue items through January.

I had a very hectic fall this year and just didn't feel up to pulling out all the Christmas decor . Since my LR is creamy yellow with red furniture, I use greenery with red berries(not holly) and a bit of frost on it. All I did this year was pull out some items in that color scheme to decorate the mantle and a couple of tables. I was thinking that this too looks like winter and just might leave it out past Christmas!

I think maybe leaving part of the decor out in this way might help alleviate some after Christmas let down because everything isn't here today and gone tomorrow- it kind of goes away in stages.

Becky56,
What a GREAT idea! Winter decor is so special by itself and very festive!

My Christmas decor stays up into January and I leave some of the 'winter' (not Christmas) stuff up even later. This year I used a lot less Christmas and more 'winter' decor so may leave most up until well into February. I have a white Christmas tree so might even turn it into a Valentine's tree! I'll have to look for more red decorations on sale after Christmas!

I find mood is often a choice altho always feel better when I eat well and take my vitamins. Here in the north winter can be a difficult time for some people as it's mostly white and without much color and more difficult to get around for some. I won't let that bother me and long ago decided I would like winter and I do!

Always, I recommend as soon as Christmas is over you plan how you will tweak your non-Christmas decor and do a few fun whimsical things that make you smile.

Here's one of my whimsical 'Christmas decorations' I'll be leaving well into the New Year altho I might remove or replace the Christmas ties/bows on the bears. My GD will love having all these out, most usually live in the closet and I just put a few out for her to play with. I removed the cushion from the bench so they stay in place.

Lucky,
Those bears made me smile! How could I resist those cuties?

I admit that I am one who loves when the Christmas decorations come down are put away and my house is back to 'normal'. This year has been very unusual. We have a greatroom concept house and are in the process of replacing the flooring in the living area. DH is doing the labor and it's been on going. Nothing is where its supposed to be, he's been dragging his heels which is just exasperating for me. That said, we did no decorating this year. My house has no Christmas spirit at all. I'm not liking it! I really need to do a thorough editing of my Christmas decor anyway. I plan on doing it sometime before next year. We are having no company this year so it hasn't been a big deal, but I do miss having my tree up. My only Christmas wish is that DH will get the flooring done sometime before March, lol!

janetaz,
What you wrote COULD have been written by me! We are in the process of remodeling as well. We have had some stalls due to health issues that are never planned.
I also need to go through my Christmas decor too and edit a bit more for storage reasons (can't even get to the storage area where it is kept right now).

We are in the middle of phase 2 for our kitchen remodel and upgrading. We are also doing the work ourselves and it is going very slow. Then DH had a health scare a few months back, and seems to be doing OK but I can't rush him. We are enjoying customizing our kitchen, but Christmas seems to have come up awfully fast! Then I have Cataract surgery in January! So, the end is no where in sight for getting things 'in order' and normal around here.

I wrote this because I wanted you to know YOU are NOT alone! I am having the same Christmas, AND Spring, possible... year! LOL
BUT when finished, we will not have to do any of this remodeling again, this is our retirement house, so we designated the first 2-3 yrs in making it fit us. But, it has stretched to saying now first 5 yrs in the house! The 'under construction' type feeling is not a good one to wake up to every day!

We sold our house in Virginia to move here to Florida to our retirement house. In that Virginia house (almost 3,000 sq ft, Florida house 1800 sq ft) we had one room under construction for about 5 yrs of the 9 we lived there. But the house was so different, two floors and each room easy to isolate, we just closed the door and went on our routine until we had time to return to that room and work on molding, hardwwood flooring then painting. Then economy changed, we sold that house and moved.

I wish you all the REST and comfort for you in this season. Buy yourself some fresh flowers for your table and concentrate on a few good sit down meals with a nice setting, soft Christmas music and watch some movies like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Christmas Story, or whatever your yearly seasonal favorites are.

DH and I are watching some Indie movies (Netflix) and Documentaries about people who have made the world a better place. Adds the 'feeling' of connection that is missing when we are not 'joined in' with others doing the whole Christmas thing... gives us something positive to think and talk about and share with others.

are you in a warm climate, or area where you get a wintery season?

Look at this photo I found on Pinterest! How Fun, I will try and plan this for my front yard for next year! My neighbors will get a chuckle out of it! We get no snow, nor much winter, only a few weeks in January where it is cold enough to put the heat on.

quote:

I find mood is often a choice

Actually I don't. Anymore than people "choose" other characteristics of their personalities or beings. It is kind of heavy to have to feel guilty on top of feeling depressed. However that being said age usually adds coping skills to whatever nature has inflicted upon us and they certainly can come into play at this time of the year as at any other.

One could be not entrusting too much happiness into an expectation of the perfect Christmas. Another could be not becoming physically exhausted by Christmas preparations. Not making an overload of decorations so the house looks bare an empty without them. Or introducing (think Mary Ruth said this) a whole different or exciting element into your decor.

About mood or depression. A very dear friend once said to me, "I never get depressed, I never let myself" I responded, "Oh, I never get eczema, I never let myself" Makes as much sense to me.

My dd use to get really sad after opening her presents. The build up was so big and then you know it is all over for another year. christmas often respresents gatherings with loved ones and friends.

Always nesting, I think it is normal for many people to feel that way after christmas. I may not feel that way because I get so worn out over christmas. I have up to 30 people here Christmas day. I took over the meal and nighttime gathering. I love it all but am glad to get my life back to normal. I think what helps me A.N is having some type of project to look forward to. This year, my hubby is going to make me a closet for the entry. I found some doors and am looking forward to having a "real" closet there.

My suggestion would be, find something interesting to do, take a short class in something, volunteer work, take up a new craft, etc. I think that will help.

With our family gatherings spread out over a time span, helps a little. Makes it feel like it is not over in just one day. I just love the time between the 25th and 1st.

My village stays up past Christmas.

I do miss the decorations after they are put up. Good suggestions about adding something new or changing something.

Have never come up with a good door decoration after the Christmas one is taken down. Most times stays bare until the Valentine one goes up.

What I miss most are things like the stair garland, and the front porch. But I have some things I leave up all winter, winter, not christmas, but since I am in a warm climate, some think my snow landscape art and snowfake pillows are Christmas decor, not winter.

One thing I aleays do is plan ahead to re decorate the mantel, and maybe buy something new. And my paperwhites to bloom in January instead of for Christmas. I just plant them about a week or so before Christmas, and hopefully will have blooms by mid January.

quote:

Originally posted by lady of shallot:

quote:

I find mood is often a choice

Actually I don't. Anymore than people "choose" other characteristics of their personalities or beings. It is kind of heavy to have to feel guilty on top of feeling depressed. However that being said age usually adds coping skills to whatever nature has inflicted upon us and they certainly can come into play at this time of the year as at any other.

One could be not entrusting too much happiness into an expectation of the perfect Christmas. Another could be not becoming physically exhausted by Christmas preparations. Not making an overload of decorations so the house looks bare an empty without them. Or introducing (think Mary Ruth said this) a whole different or exciting element into your decor.

About mood or depression. A very dear friend once said to me, "I never get depressed, I never let myself" I responded, "Oh, I never get eczema, I never let myself" Makes as much sense to me.

Well said. I agree 100 percent, especially about depression and the eczema analogy. Very apt.

What I said is "I find mood is often a choice altho always feel better when I eat well and take my vitamins." OFTEN not ALWAYS. In my experience with people (and dealing with sick people was my job for many, many years) I found that people can talk themselves into feeling blue. It takes a lot of positive self-talk to cope with some of life's negatives and many people do not provide their bodies and brains with proper nutrients and depression and mental illness can result. Junk food doesn't lead to a healthy body or mind.

As far as eczema is concerned, there are many causes and if one determines one's personal reason, it can be eliminated. So one could "never let" themselves get eczema if they know and avoid the causes. http://www.eczema-natural-heal...auses-of-eczema.html

While I don't want to cause anyone increased guilt (there's too much of that around anyhow and usually for the wrong reasons) I do know we currently live in a culture where too many will not take responsibility for their situation. Too much "poor me" and too little "I can fix this if I put in enough effort". A healthy happy life requires effort, it doesn't just fall in your lap and there is no quick fix pill for it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: joyluck,

I have been a bit depressed lately, so decorating was hard for me. I pushed through it and it's done. Not great, but done.


and yes, I will be depressed when it comes down because I never know what to do with my mantel!

Thank you so much, everyone, for all your input. Taking on new decorating projects that I love, or at least the excitement of planning them, is high on my agenda. I'm definitely going to leave up "winterish" as opposed to specific Christmas decorations. One of my gym buddies told me she keeps her tree up and decorates it for Valentine's Day. I can only imagine what that looks like but it's a great idea!

Wanda, glad to hear you persevered and got your decorating done. I know there are times in the middle of my decorating when I 'hit the wall' and don't like anything I've done but know I have to change it to be satisfied. Can be frustrating and sometimes I wonder why I bother. However getting it done with some measure of satisfaction always feels good. IMO sometimes 'good enough' really is 'good enough' no matter what some say. I'm too old to expect perfection 100% of the time.

I hope that after Christmas you will post pics of your mantel and decorative items you might like to put on it so we can help you with it. Many of us like a project and can always give an opinion!

For those who tend to feel depressed please make sure you get enough B vitamins, either in your diet or with supplements. Lack thereof is known to cause depression.

Always Nesting, I don't know if it's normal or not but you are definitely not alone. I've suffered from "after Christmas depression" for years. I love Christmas season SO MUCH and always get so hyped up about it that when it's over I always have a MAJOR crash. I come crashing down REALLY hard. And it used to be even worse when Grandparents and Uncle were alive and sisters, nieces and nephews all came to visit. After it was over and they left, I was absolutely miserable. I still get that way, but not quite as bad. I hope it's easier for you this year.

Doesn't it just figure! Bless his little soul, DH went ahead and invited a bunch of people to come over Saturday night! He thought it would make me feel better! Not that I mind that much because every year I've wanted to have a Christmas party, I put up a ton of decorations, lights outside and inside, and every year seems everyone is busy and I feel I've done it all for nothing, but this year I've done practically nothing, my mother's in a rehab/nursing facility and work is busy, and now I have to get the house ready and decide on food!

Yikes! C'mon peeps, easy food suggestions??????

Wanda,
*I make the little smokies wrapped in dough for my parties and they are always a hit. I just buy the buttermilk biscuits in a tube of 10 per tube. Then I tear the biscuits in half and wrap each half around a little smoky and bake according to package directions for the biscuits. That way I get 20 bite size treats per package. You can pre-wrap them and have cookie sheets of them ready under a cloth dish towel and bake them as needed

* Another easy one is use Boursin Cheese, pico de gallo and white balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing. I place the Boursin cheese on one side of a large platter, then arrange small pieces of bread around it in a semi-circle (I get a baguette at the store and have it sliced there).
I break the cheese up a bit, sprinkle the pico over it and drizzle it with the vinaigrette dressing. Then just insert a small spreader into it and it's ready to spread on the bread, Yum!

*Get a fruit or veggie platter at the grocery store, (no prep time unless you wish to move it to one of your own platters) and dieters always appreciate that.

*You can do the same thing with a store cookie platter or buy the tubes of cookie dough and have fresh baked cookies w/o the mess. I have purchased the peppermint sugar cookie tubes and bake with a small piece of the chocolate/peppermint bark on top of each one. They look homemade with very little time and effort on your part.

*A red velvet cake from the store is festive and you only need to have the cake server ready, although I find it usually necessary to cut out one small slice before the party as the guests never want to be the first one to cut into it, LOL

* Shrimp rings from the store are always a hit.

* Buy a cheese log or cheese ball and serve with an assortment of crackers.

* Hot Wassail as in the song "Here We Come A'Wassailing" can be made in advance and in either alcoholic or non-alcoholic form. I use a spice tea mix and make a quart of it then add 1/2 qt. of apple juice or cider and 1/2 qt. of cranberry juice and simmer it on the stove with a large cinnamon stick. You can use hard cider or an alcoholic beverage to spice it up if desired.

* Put a square of cream cheese on a platter and pour jalapeno jelly over it (sounds bad, tastes great) and serve with crackers.

The above items are all favorites of my guests when I host a party and none of them require much prep time. They can all be grouped on a buffet table or in various places around the room, whatever works best for you.

Merry Christmas,
Candy

Always Nesting,
I totally agree with you as the house seems so bare when the Christmas decor goes away, so I have now done as some of the others and leave snowmen/snowflake, holly, and greenery through January and then start on some Valentine decor.
It does help ease the "Christmas Withdrawal" LOL, and brightens up the house through the darker days of winter.

Hope all of the great ideas here help you after the holidays.

Merry Christmas,
Candy

Thanks CC! Those are great ideas. I love those little hot dogs. And any drink will definitely be alcohol related