Happy Holidays from Load of Rubbish!
Did you get everything you asked for for Christmas? Perhaps an item or two you rather wouldn’t have received? It happens to the best of us. Once the wrapping has cleared from under the tree, it is time to put all your new presents away. For items you plan to return to the store, make sure to have the receipts handy, then put said items into your car to get rid of them pronto. For items you plan on keeping, before you put them away, think about where they are going. Are they replacing items? Do they add to a collection? Is there room for them in your home as it sits?
Before you just jam those new items in without a thought, take the time to be mindful about your home and the amount of clutter in it. A good rule of thumb for anything is;
For every new item in your house, remove an item (if not two… )
You will thank us for that piece of advice, if you haven’t heard it already. Now is the perfect time for mindful organizing, as you put Christmas away for another year.
As you pack away Christmas, a little mindful organizing goes a long way. You don’t need to keep everything, including that creepy Santa statue you inherited from your Great Grandmother
Mindful Organizing after Christmas
If the doll your daughter received is more dated than dear, don’t give the girl nightmares by keeping it in her collection. Get rid of it!
Christmas is a beautiful time of year, but it also seems to be a time when we add to our excess and clutter. We feel the need to give gifts to many, regardless of whether those gifts are wanted or needed. While it may be the thought that counts, when you are drowning in “thoughtful gifts” it can be stressful. Too much stuff is clutter; pure and simple.
So, if you really don’t love that ugly Christmas sweater that Aunt Jean bought you, don’t feel obligated to keep it. Explain your concerns about the health of the planet and the lack of room in your closet, and return it to the store knowing that is one less piece of detritus in your home.
Same thing goes for knick knacks, games, books you’ll never read, and anything which you don’t love. Just because someone else thought you might like it, doesn’t mean you should clutter your space with it. Space is precious and you need to hold it in esteem.
Of course, not everything you receive is unwanted. You might receive a new frying pan that you really love. Great! Before you toss it in the drawer, remove an old frying pan to make space. Anything with scratches on the surface isn’t good for you anyway. Likewise goes for towels, linens, and blankets. Keep enough for practical sake and donate old items to ensure you can still get into your linen closet. One in, one (or two!) out. Period. Someone else will be happy to have your old items!
Organize your collections to maximize your enjoyment from them
What about collections though, you ask? We get that it may be important to have a whole set of hockey cards, action figures, or anything else you consider worthy of a collection. If that is the case, make sure you display and store it properly. It won’t retain its value, if your collection collects dust in a moldy cardboard box in your basement, or if it is not stored together with other piece in your collection. If you truly value it, make proper space for your collection in a pride of place in your home.
Don’t forget about your Christmas decorations! If something got broken over the holidays, throw it out. If a string of lights on the Christmas tree is only half-lit, save a few bulbs for your other strands and get rid of the old one. Don’t feel you have to keep old snows globes that are more yellow than white when you shake them. And if you found you streamed all your Christmas music this year, maybe it is time to purge all those old Christmas CDs that are full of scratches. Anything you plan to keep, make sure to store properly, so that it brings you years of happiness. Once your Christmas decor is safely tucked back into its storage bins, sit back, pour yourself the last of the eggnog and enjoy the rest of your holidays.
Happy New Year!
