Decluttering Your Home Before the Holidays

Well, it’s that time of the year again. Yep, it’s time to do what we’ve been delaying all year: it’s time to clear the house of defective or dated Christmas ornaments, lighting, decorations, etc. that never should have been kept to begin with. But most of us are guilty as charged. After all, soon the house will get filled with gifts, wrapping paper, new ornaments, perhaps a new tree, etc. Whether it was for sentimental reasons, a touch of laziness, or just avoiding a tedious, boring task, we stored things away in drawers, corners of the garden, the basement, or drawers that need to be dealt with. With this, ahem, Socrates-like wisdom in mind, here are some tips which may help.

Start with the big items first (for, example, if the tree needs to be discarded and replaced). By conquering these major tasks early, you will feel that you are making major progress, and the stress will be reduced.
Get rid of decorations, garlands, stockings, ornaments you don’t love, are dated, or you’re tired of looking at every year. This can also give you a psychological boost when new ones are put up.
During the holiday season, you’re likely to do more hosting, cooking, baking, etc. Therefore, clean out the kitchen of appliances that aren’t working properly or are spotty in their functionality. Replace them with new ones. You want each party or dinner to be seamless – no glitches, and therefore, no embarrassments. Also, clear out your kitchen cabinets to make room for the new goodies. And while you’re at it, clean out the fridge of things that are passed their sell by date, or items you know you’re not going to eat. This will free up valuable space for holiday foods and treats.
If you have kids, consider getting rid of or gifting toys that aren’t liked or not being used. Also, kids just grow older and the old toys are no longer interesting to them. This could potentially clear lots of needed space.
It’s also a good idea to go through your closets and get rid of anything you no longer wear or stuff that is out of fashion. After all, you’ll probably be getting some new articles of clothing as gifts.
Declutter your mind. Take care of tasks you’ve been delaying, like filling out that long form for some government agency. This will improve your mindset for the holiday season.
Lastly, balance your sentimentality with reason. If you’re not sure if you want to keep something, you probably don’t need it. You probably looked at the same item last year, kept it, and didn’t wear or use it all year.

On the other hand, if you take the advice in #7, and realize that you shouldn’t have thrown something away, after all, don’t blame me.

Happy holidays!