Decluttering for the Holidays
This time of year is full of extra stuff—events, gifts, travel, treats, and calories. As a result, I always find myself in a purging mood right before Thanksgiving and Christmas. On the one hand, I know that our kids will be overly blessed by lots and lots of presents—both at Christmas and their birthdays at the beginning of the new year.
To make way for the influx of new toys, I make a sweep through both of their rooms, encouraging them to pull out any old toys they’d like to donate. Not only does this clear some space, but it also reinforces the act of giving something to those who are in need. And, I’m always proud of how generous they both are.
But the other area that needs a little help this time of year is my holiday décor stash. For us, everything is kept in boxes up in our attic. But for others, you may have a closet, cabinet, or another hiding place for these items. No matter where it’s at, between late September and mid-January, it’s a mess. Rotating between each holiday, swapping out the season, it can just get a little crazy. But here are a few tips to help you declutter, organize, and make decorating for the holidays a little easier.
Gather up totes, boxes, and containers to store all your stuff. Start by pulling everything out and sorting it by holiday. While digging through old boxes and organizing, check your string lights. If they are burnt out, too tangled, or have wires popping through, TOSS THEM. This could be a great time to organize them by outdoor vs. indoor lights as well!
Look through all your other seasons and holidays. If something is broken—fix it or toss it. If you just don’t love it anymore? You know what to do.
When was the last time you put out and actually used those hand-crocheted Santa Clause oven mittens? Here’s the thing, we love sentimental value. It’s priceless. But if it really isn’t priceless… let’s get rid of it. A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t put *insert décor piece here* out for the past year or two, then you probably won’t be using it this year either. We outgrow our décor, change up our themes, and sometimes we just need an upgrade. So it’s okay to let go of material things.
Just like with the kids’ toys, I can’t say this enough: DONATE. Donating your unwanted holiday décor is a great way to declutter and get organized. Anything that is still clean and in great condition is ideal for a Goodwill donation. Check out your local Goodwill for donation drop-off hours.
Once your final items are sorted and ready to repack—label those totes. While you are at it, you can even color-code them (orange for Halloween, green and red for Christmas, etc.). This helps you stay organized while trying to pull out your holiday decorations, and honestly...my OCD appreciates it.