How to avoid Holiday Clutter

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

organizing your home simplifying your house for Christmas and thanksgiving

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It may also be a time of anxiety for some. If clutter causes problems, today, I offer smart solutions. My goal is that you and I can be ready to enjoy the holidays and all the goodness it brings.
You and I have 21 precious days till Thanksgiving and 52 days till Christmas. In my area of the country, the holiday markets are starting this week. I am attending one for the first time and I am so excited about it! My goal is not to bring half of the market home with me but just to walk around and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells. I also like to be inspired by all the creativity I see around me.
Back to you and I preparing for the holiday, here are 4 strategies to get organized for the upcoming season:

  1. Decide ahead of Time. Now is the time to decide what type of holiday season you will have. Ask yourself, “how do I want to feel? What do I want to experience?” I know this much, you and I do not want to feel stressed. Let’s be smart about what causes stress and let’s work on the root cause of this problem. My goal is to be stress-free so I can enjoy my family during the holidays. Clutter is a source of stress for me so I’ve been using my 45-minute solution to get organized. Family gatherings can also be a great source of stress for some. I have written in the past about the subject to offer some hope in this area. The goal is to avoid the usual causes of stress so that you can enjoy the season from the inside out. As you decide ahead of time how you want to feel, you will be inspired to take on these next 3 tips.
  2. Dive into Time Savers - We’re all pressed for time. Are you serious? 21 days till I have a turkey on the table? Oh, I forgot to tell you that my husband’s birthday is also around Thanksgiving. Talk about a busy month! My advice is that you and I take advantage of time savers such as Grocery Delivery Services, Housekeepers, Mommy Helpers, Caterers or anyone else who wants to pitch in and help you. Last year when I was working, the PTO offered to wrap our Christmas gifts. They did a marvelous job and for the first time in years I didn’t stay up till Midnight wrapping gifts. Time Savers give you the gift of time and you should totally accept it. I know not everyone can afford a housekeeper but if someone in your circle of life offers to keep your kids so you can run errands, let them. I don’t have an issue taking 3 kids to the store but when I go solo I get in and out much quicker. There’s also the wonder of Grocery Delivery Services available in many areas. If you can save 2 hours by ordering this service, use those 2 hours to do something you really need to do to get you ahead for the holiday season. The goal is to save time and decrease stress. Another time saver many people enjoy during this season is ordering gifts online. Can you think of any Time Savers that will give you back some precious time this holiday season?
  3. Organize before you Buy - Impulse buying will be at an all time high this holiday so let’s avoid it by simply organizing our stuff. I’m not talking about an entire home makeover (are you serious, we only have 21 days!), but I am speaking about specific areas of your home such as your kitchen pantry. Most of my shopping will be food, so I am slowly organizing my pantry so I don’t buy things I already have. Because of my 45-minute Organization Solution, I was able to organize my closet, have a yard sale and donate what was left over so we are good to go when it comes to extra clutter. If you always impulse buy during the holidays, take a day to at least take an inventory of your holiday decoration needs. You will be so glad to know what you actually need and what you can do without. Don’t bring more clutter home because mostly likely, you are the one who will have to deal with it.
  4. Develop a plan of action for holiday Clutter - People really are super generous during the holiday season and I often get 8 bottles of sparkling cider. The funny thing is, I start to see people regifting those bottles over and over and for some reason, I end up with 12 of them at home. I need to develop a plan of action for the extra holiday clutter I always get. I also get a few holiday baskets and unless I have a plan, the volume of clutter will increase as we welcome the new year. For my bottles, I can give it to someone who actually uses those to make punch. For the baskets, I often save them and I recycle them. I have used those baskets for storage and I have also filled it with different items and sent it out to as a hostess gift. If you think about your past holiday experiences you will agree that people often give you the same things. Decide now what you will do with the clutter so the clutter doesn’t bother you for the next 12 months.

I hope these solutions have inspired you to take control of the outcome of your holidays before the parties started. I'd love to blog about our schedule during the holiday season next time. I believe we're all busier than we need to be. Stay tuned for smart time management solutions for your holiday schedule! Thanks for reading and have a marvelous day.

Related Posts:
45-minute organization solution
• How to have a Clutter-free Holiday Season in 45 minutes