While this time of year is magical and fun, it can also be super stressful and chaotic. There are family and friend gatherings, holiday parties to go to, gift exchanges, and extra school activities for the kids, on top of the everyday busyness! Our goal is to always bring you joy, peace and less stress through organizing your everyday, so here are 5 tips for a clutter-free holiday.
Tip #1 - Start By Examining Your Decor
Before you start decorating, if you have several boxes of decor, pull them out, go through everything and be ruthless about which items you keep and which items you donate. By pairing down your decor to only the items you love, it will help create a more clutter-free space and leave space for the meaningful gifts to enter (with less to clean up afterwards too!)..
Tip #2 - Donate Toys Before New Ones Enter The Home
Be ruthless with this one too. Don’t wait until January when things have piled up even more in your playroom ! You’re going to need room for new toys they receive, so keep the things your kids love and get rid of the rest. There are so many places that are accepting toy donations right now for kids in need. Also, be mindful that in our professional experience, parents tend to be more attached to the toys than their kids, especially if it’s something they’ve outgrown.
Tip #3 - Clutter-Free Holiday with a “Gift Station”
Create a dedicated gift station in your home - this can be a table or a carved out space in the living room or dining room. The idea is to have a space where you can go through each item after it’s been received and decide what to do with it. Make sure that each item gets the proper home after you are done going through everything!
Tip #4 - Be Intentional About Gift Giving
Think about quality versus quantity - and try to limit the amount of gifts being given (to others and within your own family). Think about how gifts might physically fit into your home before buying them for family members. Think about… “where will this item live? Will it be worth the space it occupies? Do I have the space for it?”
Tip #5 - Give (And Ask For) Literal Clutter-Free Gifts
I love what my fellow organizer Lauren over at Clutter Kicker recently wrote about gifting from local businesses. While this list is specific to her area of the country, it can give you good ideas on supporting similar local businesses. The idea is consider more meaningful gifts such as: Experiences (tickets to a concert, season passes, a gift certificate for a massage), Gifts of Learning (cooking classes, museum memberships), Consumable Gifts (wine, subscriptions, beauty products, baked goods etc), or a Gift of Service (Mom’s Day Out, Meal Preparation, or better yet your favorite Professional Organizer near you!).
The best gift is the gift of less clutter!
Leave a comment below about your favorite gift you've ever received or maybe the worst one that just did not help with creating a clutter-free holiday.
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