Decluttering While You Prepare For The Holidays
I’m all about helping you (and myself) simplify the holidays. It’s a time that can often make you feel overrun by things to do and overrun by STUFF! It’s a time of giving and often receiving items that you don’t necessarily need or want. You need to have a plan for your home as you move into the holiday season to get control of what’s coming in, as well as what’s staying. Here’s 3 tips to help you declutter while you prepare for the holidays with ease.
1. Declutter as you decorate.
Of course, if decorating for the holidays is not your jam, you can feel free to skip this section. No sweat!
As you start pulling things out to shift your home to feel ready for the holiday season, I want you to take an objective look at each item you pull out.
Here’s some questions to ask yourself about each item:
Is the item in good shape?
Do I still like the item, is it still my taste?
Do I feel excited to pull this item out + see it in my home for potentially months on end?
Will this add more joy + not stress to my home while it’s out?
Is it worth the space it takes up to both store before the holidays + the space it takes up in my home while it is out during the holidays?
Do I still have the space to store this item when it’s not in use?
Now with these in mind, edit as you decorate for the holidays. Donate items locally in good shape that someone could joyfully use in their own home. You can also offer them to friends and family or put a free bin down at your curb (not on a trash day)! Also, aim to not bring in anything new to your holiday decor unless it is a 1 to 1 swap.
2. Declutter your outerwear.
Think jackets, coats, sweaters, gloves, scarves, boots and cold weather accessories. Most of us deal with some sort of seasonal weather change. Even if it’s not a big change (like my sister who lives in Miami), this is still a good time to check in on light jackets, raincoats, rain boots, etc.
What to ask yourself about your outerwear:
Does it fit properly?
Am I comfortable in it?
Do I look forward to wearing it?
How practical is it to wear + do I actually wear it?
Does the piece pair well with the season of life I’m in?
Does it need to be set aside for repair or alterations?
For items that are in good shape that you’d like to part with, consider local groups who have people in need of these essentials/basics for the temperature changes. I drive by a church close to my home that puts out a coat rack during the colder months where you can drop off a coat or pick one up if you’re in need. I LOVE this idea. ‘Coats for Kids’ might be in your area (another great one). You can find more donation resources and ideas here:
3. Declutter the extras.
I know this sounds vague but I’m going to get this clarified and dialed in for you quickly. I am talking about all the things making your home and life feel heavy, especially around the holidays. They need to go.
Here’s some examples things you can remove now:
Outgrown toys, books + clothing.
Extra decor around your home that you no longer enjoy (look room by room - think art, pillows, blankets, knick knacks, items given to you don’t use or like)
Items covering your fridge (edit to as minimal items as possible).
Things that you’re holding onto that have a negative memory or association with them.
Countertop clutter (items that need to be relocated, tossed, recycled, or simply put away).
Emails cluttering up your inbox (take a few minutes to unsubscribe from marketing emails from people/places/business you no longer want to hear from).
Aside from these tangible and digital areas to declutter in your home, it’s important to address old ideas, thought patterns or traditions that don’t suit your current season of life (this is a mental decluttering strategy - remove thinking causing stress/overwhelm unnecessarily, create helpful/healthy routines that will bring joy and value to your home, life and the people around you). I really like the approach on this post on decluttering your mind and keeping it that way by Simple Home | Simple Life blog.
Decluttering before and during the holidays will help everyone in the home clarify what’s most important, gain clarity on what all is actually in the home, and have clear direction on any needs/wants to communicate with others around you who want to gift something to you. Be sure to ask and listen to others on their needs as well so you aren’t adding clutter to someone else’s holiday. I hope you’ll find these decluttering tips helpful as you prepare for the holidays and move into this new season.
If you’d like MORE HELP decluttering and resetting your home, here’s a few great places to start.
No B.S. Guide To Decluttering Parents + Kids Guide To Decluttering
Free Declutter Guide Learn the basics of Decluttering Organizing Basics
