Out with the Old & In with the New

​With the holidays comes an influx of new things.  Whether it’s food, clothes, toys, wrapping paper… it all must fit somewhere.  Your home can easily become cluttered, stressful, and overwhelming.

​How do you avoid the chaos?  We’ve narrowed it down to three simple steps to keep your holidays simplified!
 
First, get rid of what you don’t need.  This is a great time to critically look at what you don’t use anymore and remove it from your space.  This includes clothes that don’t fit, are damaged, or you haven’t worn in a year.  Take a look at the kids’ toys and eliminate any they have outgrown, haven’t played with, or are broken/missing pieces.  Toss expired food and spices.  Recycle old wrapping paper pieces that aren’t big enough to wrap something with.  By being intentional about what you could do without, you cut clutter and make room for any holiday gifts that may come your way.

​Keep in mind, this is also a great time to donate to local charities.  Think of how much another child might enjoy those toys that your children have outgrown, or how someone will benefit from the winter jacket you haven’t worn in years.  If you think of purging as “re-homing” your items, instead of “throwing them away”, it will make it easier to part with.
 
Second, evaluate what you have and what you need after you’ve removed unwanted/unused items.  Did you toss expired herbs that you will need for Thanksgiving recipes?  Do you need more ribbon for your Christmas wrapping?  Add those to your list now so you are not scrambling to restock them at the last minute.  This is also a great opportunity to make some notes for future gifting.  Purging old toys makes room for new ones!  
 
Last, take some time to prepare for the many different items that often find their way into your home during the holidays.  Whether it’s gift-wrapping supplies, food items, or new gifts/toys, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with “where is everything going to go?!?” if you don’t create “available” space ahead of time. Since you already took the time to eliminate items you are no longer keeping, you hopefully have some open spaces.  The key now is to be intentional about putting items away in their “home” in a timely manner.  We fully stand by the motto “A place for everything & Everything in its place”!!!

​By doing a quick run though of the items in your home and eliminating what you don’t need/use now, you make room for new things to come.  You make it easier to find homes for those items, so your home doesn’t become cluttered or overwhelming.