bag it up

Even though we live pretty small compared to most families I am always looking for ways to make things even simpler while still living a colorful, full life at home. Our latest method for organizing and down sizing is bagging celebrations up. Like so.

For example, the birthday bag. Birthdays have no trash around here. From the birthday banner that we use for every family member to the cloth bags and playsilks that we wrap with (which live in the playsilk bag with the toys under the salon table) to the birthday monster who holds a candle and has a chalkboard belly to write anyone's age or name (you can find him via the fabulous MamaRoots)... it all lives in the birthday bag. So when the special day comes we just whip out the bag, set up a colorful celebration, and then when it's all over stuff it easily back in to the bag again.

I have been making seasonal bags too for Nature Table items and little boat decorations.

The exception that I am working on is the winter/ winter holidays. Because we celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, and Solstice around there our celebratory odds and ends exceed my fat quarter of cloth bag limit. I have winter in a tupperware bin (decorations, mini tree, lights, cloth bags for gifts, candles, stockings, ribbon, it adds up!) but I am working on downsizing that too. Baby steps.

How about you? What do you do to organize/ simplify the holidays?

p.s. Speaking of holidays... the code "zachaboardnov2011" is still good for the entire month of November to get you 15% your entire order at Made By Alejandro.