I have very strong season-change decluttering instincts. The hard part about the season change to winter is that it happens the week of Christmas. And while I do love a good trash-bag-therapy session, having one just as there is, or will be, an influx of presents and things, is not how I want my children to remember me being at Christmas. The giant sack is supposed to give presents, not take them to the thrift store.
So what’s a girl to do?
Answer: wait, actively.
I know. It’s hard to wait and nobody likes doing it, but there is something more important than a seasonal yeet at Christmastime.
So here are some ways to honor your desires to both clear out and not be a Grinch packing trash bags to donate to Mount Crumpet Thrift.
One) Throw away the trash.
Sometimes what bothers us is seeing trash and feeling like we aren’t allowed to throw it away. Yes, Christmas crafts are fun. But if, after they are completed, they have no purpose it’s ok to throw them away. I have about 20 manger scenes and gingerbread houses made from foam stickers, around my house. No one will notice if the ones on the floor get tossed.
Two) Use up your paper products.
I can’t be the only one with holiday paper plates in various designs taking up space in my house. If storing them is frustrating because they’re only used a few times at Christmas and it’s going to take 6 years to go through what you already have: use them up. You’ve already bought them. The money and materials are spent. Use them up and create some space in your day that was normally used for washing dishes. You’ll gain some storage space and a little time by using what paper products you already have.
Wrapping paper tubes can become numerous this time of year. Use it up! Wrap your presents in bigger-than-necessary boxes! Wrap your kids bedroom doors! Wrap your dining room chairs! While you’re at it, wrap your dining room table, too!
I am all too familiar with wishing I hadn’t bought such a large roll of paper and would rather it just not be here for next year. Time to use it as decorations!
Another way to use up small amounts of wrapping paper is to curl it as the bow on your gifts. You can curl a 1” strip of wrapping paper the same way you would curl plastic curling ribbon! Just make sure you curl the back side of the ribbon so the pattern shows out! They make ringlets and at extra bouncy to put on your gifts. Use that paper up!
Wrapping paper that’s been left out. Treats on the counter. Sheet pans on any flat surface. Craft supplies. School supplies. Candy from decorating a gingerbread house. The donate box from your last decluttering session. All of these things have places to go. Put them there.
Four) Deep clean your kitchen.
One of my New Year’s Eve traditions is to deep clean my kitchen. Beyond normal daily cleaning, remove everything from the counters and wipe them down. I clean cupboard fronts and inside appliances. I clear out my fridge, and assess the contents of my freezer. I toss old ingredients from my pantry and make notes of what I need to use up in the coming months. I sweep really well and then mop with a real mop and soapy water. I want to start my year with a sparkly kitchen!
As with everything, this process takes longer the more kids we have, so I take it little by little and do all these things in the twilight zone week between Christmas and New Years. The first time I did a deep clean as a tradition it started me on my path of doing the dishes every day. I haven’t stopped that habit. You really never know when something is going to strike at the time you need it.
Five) Take a good hard look at your schedule. Are your rhythms serving you? Do you need to implement a new routine? Do you need more freedom and less time with a decided activity?
I know for myself that we as a family need a morning routine and a weekly flow. Our family mornings need to include breakfast, reading, and school 4 days a week. The other three days we go somewhere in the mornings and get our social needs filled, instead of doing school.
For me individually, I need to get dressed, wash my face, do my hair – a few Bobby pins and into a messy bun makes me feel so much more purposeful than a messy bun without anything pinned – and drink a cup of bone broth with collagen.
My house needs me to put away the dishes, make breakfast, and clean up afterward. I try to have the house tidy before going to bed, but if it isn’t, it just has to wait. I can’t throw off my regular morning essentials for a missed nightly pickup. I will pick them up later today. You have my permission to do the same.
One rhythm I’m working on is my evening routine. I have a goal of going to bed at 9:30. I love my night time routine but it takes me 45 – 60 minutes. That means I don’t have time for housework after the kids go to sleep at 8:15, and I need to get it done before going upstairs for bedtime at 7:15.
My kids are getting to the age where they can help and actually be helpful with cleaning. So they are adapting a post-dinner pick-up. They won’t do it on their own, but they have taken well to promptings. They play “pick a hand” to choose between two categories as per what to put away next. It feels like a game. The more they pick up, the more times they get to choose a hand. In the end, we all win!