Have you started filling your home with Christmas clutter yet?

During the festivities, whether it’s thanksgiving, Christmas or any other festival, we tend to clutter up with all sorts of decorations, gifts, food, alcohol and even huge trees! But making space for them all can be challenging. Have a quick tidy up now so you don’t get overwhelmed or over cluttered.

Then, in the new year, when all the festive stuff has been consumed or put away for next year, the house won’t feel too much like a tornado has gone through it…

So, here are a few tips for getting through it all with a minimum of disturbance to your peace of mind 🙂

1. Schedule a couple of hours at the weekend or in the evening if possible to go through the children’s rooms. Throw out any broken toys, dried out pens and general rubbish. Encourage the children to help. It’s probably the easiest time of year for bribes to work anyway!

2. Avoid shopping for the sake of it. The shops are full of ways to decorate your home, your Christmas tree and even yourself. Although some of the products are fun and some are stunningly beautiful, ask yourself if you really need it. One way to encourage a little frugality is to go ‘plastic-free’ – easier said than done but reducing the extras can help save the planet and your bank account.

3. Use re-usable gift bags and wrapping paper. Avoid sellotape and go ‘old-fashioned’ with string and brown paper. Or tie coloured ribbon round your parcels. The ribbon or string can be used for craft projects later in the year or kept for next Christmas.

4. If you have the time, make some decorations – there are hundreds, if not thousands of ‘how-to’ craft videos online. You could collect holly sprigs and fallen logs from a woodland walk. Clean off the bark first while you’re still in the woods so any insects get a chance to re-house themselves and you don’t bring any unwanted bugs home. Then arrange holly, dried flowers or pine cones into a decorative centre piece for your Christmas table. These decorations may not last until next year but they are organic and will degrade safely.

5. We’re getting a little close now for home-made gifts, but again, if you have time, a home-made gift is always welcome. If you knit or crochet, a pair of gloves or mittens can be made fairly quickly and could be the answer for the person who ‘has everything’. Use up oddments of yarn and create a colourful gift. – Double benefit here is that you can de-clutter your yarn bag.

And a couple of ways to survive without tearing out your hair…….

6. Do you do a lot of cooking over Christmas? Check out your menu and snack plans now and try and get some baking done and in the freezer. If you have children around during the day, I would suggest doing this in the evenings, otherwise it’s unlikely your tasty mince pies will get as far as the freezer!

7. If Christmas is going to be a whirlwind of activities, visitors, outings and lots of meals to get through, create a Christmas journal now and schedule some time beforehand to freeze stuff, wrap gifts and organise outfits if necessary, so that your Christmas is as enjoyable as everyone else’s.

Have Fun!

Linda x

P.S. This handy download walks you step by step through a painless decluttering.

De-Cluttering

Just two or three years in one place and the clutter starts taking over.

The problem is when it becomes overwhelming, untidy and eventually chaotic. I lived in a van for a few years and believe me, in a limited space, you have no choice but to keep organized – especially when you have kids to feed and clear up after.

It has been shown that a tidy environment can help you focus, apply yourself to otherwise seemingly impossible tasks, and generally enjoy your space and feel good!

Don’t let the clutter overwhelm you. This step-by-step guide to de-cluttering your home is simple to follow and will help you create the home you know you deserve. 🙂

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