It may seem far away and there are still other holidays before it…but it’s time to start thinking about Christmas!
We still have most of October left, all of November, then most of December.
It’s not really a lot of time!
If you want to have a less cluttered or less chaotic Christmas/Holiday season, it may be time to start purging your stuff! Here are five top areas of your house to purge to get in tip top shape for the holidays!
DECORATIONS
Sort through your decorations, pull out your bins or boxes of decorations and really go through them with a critical eye. Get rid of anything that looks “tired”. Anything that is broken. Anything that you don’t really LOVE spending the effort of setting up (and of course taking down!) Use the process to sort through not only Christmas decorations, but also fall decorations or Halloween decorations.
KITCHEN
Go through your kitchen with an entertaining mindset. Go through platters, serving trays, extra large cookware, pitchers, even other kitchen appliances. Think about the way you entertain, and how many guests you often have. Use it to guide how you think about what you are keeping. Sometimes a classic serving tray is more useful than a themed holiday one, not to say you can’t have seasonal serving ware but it’s a way of thinking a bit more critically about what you are keeping and why.
FREEZER
While you’re thinking of the kitchen, why not take some time to think of your freezer! If you have an extra freezer start going through the food that’s in it and start really making an effort to use it up. Make some space for turkeys or hams or roasts. You can also clear some space for making some baked goods ahead of time for the holidays. Think of the easy gifts if you start baking ahead. How great is it to have some delicious baked goods to give as hostess gifts, or to pull out for unplanned entertaining?
TOYS
What kid isn’t expecting to get at least some sort of new thing at some point over the holidays? Even adults! (Even if they are buying it for themselves). The best way to make room for the new stuff coming in, is to concentrate on getting rid of some of the toys you already have. Think about what the kids use, get them involved with what they keep. Get rid of any broken or unusable toys. Get rid of sets of toys by selling them or donating them.
SHOPPING LIST
Use some time now to create your big holiday shopping list. Write down all the people you typically buy for (don’t forget teachers, or coaches, or other people aside from close family and friends). If you have already purchased any gifts, make sure you add the item to the list beside the person’s name. Use upcoming events like Amazon prime day, or Black Friday to get some of people crossed off your list. Start looking around and thinking of ideas for various gifts for the people you shop for, by having your list handy any time you are shopping. (Pro tip: use your phone for the list! That way you always have an up to date list of what you still need).
If you use the next while to focus your energy on these five areas of your ‘not so distant future’ – then your holiday season will go WAY more smoothly!
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