You don't have to be Clark Griswold to have problems with your holiday lights. Cords get tangled, bulbs burn out, the static lights blink, and there are never enough outlets or extension cords. Lights are such a big part of making your home look festive though that most people grin and bear it year after year. If you'd like to find a less stressful way to manage your lights this is the post for you. We'll have some Stockpile easy home inventory tips and other great info to help you out.
Cardboard Is Your Friend
Most people don't save the box that their lights came in. For one thing it takes up more room and besides, the lights never go back in the way they were so the chances of the box closing are pretty slim. If the box came with a plastic insert or your lights came on a roll, you're in luck. Just hang on to that and it will be easy to store your lights and keep them untangled. If not, all you need is a sturdy piece of cardboard. It doesn't have to be large, about the size of a shoe box lid is actually perfect. Then just wrap your lights around the piece of cardboard being sure to secure both ends of the strand so it doesn't come unrolled later. You can also use a marker to label the cardboard so you'll know if these are the lights that blink or the ones that don't.
Spare Parts
Even a good strand of lights seldom lasts as long as you would like it to. Inevitably a bulb will burn out, sometimes taking half a strand with it. If you can find the culprit and swap it out you're back in business. If you're using the cardboard method and you know which strand of lights the spare bulbs go with you can tape them to the right piece. Otherwise you'll need a small container to hold all your spare bulbs. Those tiny lights will easily get lost in whatever bin you keep your lights in if they are just floating free. A small plastic container with a lid will do the job nicely.
You Have the Power
If you have extra extension cords that you only use during the holidays, why not store them with your lights? Wrap them up in neat coils and they will easily fit right in the bin with your other decorations.
Hidden Treasures
Finding a hidden treasure is usually a pleasant surprise. When it comes to holiday decorations that might not be the case. It's better to know what you have and where to find it. That's why it's important to use Stockpile to track all your decorations. It can be hard to remember what you have, especially when you only put the decorations out once a year and you probably added some new pieces thanks to the end of season sales last year. Creating item records in Stockpile is quick and easy. Holiday decorations are a great way to get started. These items are already grouped together and are likely stored in one or two spots within your home. This means you can organize the whole lot in no time at all. You choose which fields to include in item records. This means you won't have to waste time trying to tweak the system to meet your needs. Only add the information that matters to you. We'd recommend brand (in case you need to order parts or buy a new piece), size, color, style, and year purchased. If there's other information that you'd like to track you can add that as well. You can even include a photo so that you can "see" your decorations at any time.
Remember to use both areas and locations when creating your records. This allows you to be very specific about where items are stored. You can record the exact shelf, bin, or closet that holds each decoration. This makes it easy to find what you're looking for.
It's also important to keep your records up to date. As we said before, lights don't last all that long. If you have some strands that aren't going to make it to next season update those records in Stockpile. Then you'll know what to look for on sale and you'll save yourself the headache of searching for something that you already got rid of.
Using Stockpile can help make your holidays happier and less stressful. Once you enter all your decorations you'll want to keep adding items in the new year so check back soon for more posts on how to use Stockpile at home. Ready to see what we can do for you? Try Stockpile now!
