Seasonal Decluttering: Ready for the Holidays
The holiday season is associated with happiness, family, and merriment. Behind the scenes, however, there is a lot of prep and planning that needs to be done to ensure our family holiday goes smoothly and enjoyable for everyone. This time of year can cause a lot of stress for the people in charge of planning these get togethers and for preparing for the new season. Staying organized can help ease this tension and make the transition into the winter and impending holiday season smooth and enjoyable for everyone. Here are some tips and tricks to seasonal decluttering that can help prepare you for the new season and the holidays.
Seasonal Transitions
When transitioning your home between the seasons, there’s a lot to prepare for, including things you might not immediately think of. As the weather changes, make a list of what you know you’ll need, including clothes, coats, and snow gear. Keeping everything together ensures that when you’re ready to pull things out, it’s all in the same place and you don’t have to go digging through the house. The same goes for anything you’re putting away - keep it in the same place so you know where to look for next year.
Declutterring Each Season
As you’re preparing to put things away for the season, this is a great time to declutter and reevaluate what you own. Take this time to separate out what you don’t use or don’t want anymore and throw away anything broken or no longer working. You can donate old clothes, gear, and declarations to a thrift store. This will help you make room for anything you’ve added and keep things from piling up. When organizing and decluttering (and sometimes collecting) holiday decorations, less is more is not only fitting with the spirit but a great organizing attitude. Prioritize what you already have and pay attention to what you actually use. This is a great time to highlight homemade holiday items or items passed through the family.
Storing Effectively
Knowing what you need for each season is important, but it’s just as important to know how to store these things effectively. Labels are a great way of being organized; even just a piece of tape with a label can help you keep track of where you’re storing everything. During the off seasons, keep any fabric, clothes, and shoes tucked away in bins to avoid mold and bugs. Anything fragile should be clearly labeled and stacked in places where it won’t be crushed or can fall over. Another choice for storing things is to color code the labels or storage bins so season is color-coded.
Resist the Urge to Accumulate
The holidays are about giving - but often times, they’re also about getting. That might be getting gifts, but it’s also often getting decorations, seasonal clothes, and other tchotchkes for the season. With advertisements abound and social media encouraging a certain holiday look, it can be easy to feel pressured into getting more and more. Resist this urge: your holiday doesn’t need to have a certain look, and it won’t be made complete with one more ornament or cookie cutter. Release yourself from the pressure of a perfect look and instead enjoy your perfect holiday.
Preparing for Holiday Guests
While the holidays are a joyous time to get together with friends and family, preparing for the crowd can be stressful. Make a game plan for the big day ahead of time, giving yourself an idea of everything that needs to be done and how much time it might take. Start early! Procrastination will only add to the stress, but if you get a head start, you’ll feel prepared and raring to go. Once you know what all needs to be prepped, set yourself a schedule of when everything needs to be done. Most importantly, however, give yourself some grace. The holidays are supposed to be a happy time, and you deserve to enjoy yourself too. At the end of the day it is about being with friends and family more than anything else.
The holidays are coming up soon and being prepared can take the stress out of preparation and leave room only for joy.
Also read: Stress-Free Holidays: A Guide to Organizing Your Home and Mind