For those that celebrate it, with Christmas over its time to de-clutter and put away the decorations and gifts that have been unwrapped. My motto is “In with the new & out with the old!”
I find the end of the year and post holidays is a great time to re-evaluate the clutter and get more organized. Here’s some tips I’d like to share with you to implement now and some to help throughout the year:
- Kids received a lot of new clothes as gifts? Sort into two categories (1) Wear Now & (2) Grow Into/Wear Later. The wear now pile should be placed in the hamper, washed and put in the respective closet/drawers. The grow into pile should be stored/placed where you will remember it in the Spring/Summer/Fall when the size & season is correct – remember to utilize out of season clothing by layering. For example, tank tops that my daughter received last summer for her birthday that were too big are fine this winter as undershirts with PJs or school clothing to layer and keep warm!
- Kids got a lot of new toys as presents? This is usually the case with gifts from aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, grandparents, Santa, parents, etc. At Christmas and Birthdays, we just let our daughter open 2-3 new toys (more than that can be overwhelming and messy) and we put the others away in a closet for later – it’s great to have them select a new toy to open when they are sick and home from school, as a reward for being super good/helpful, during spring break, summer vacation, etc.
- Time to re-evaluate clothing and toys the kids outgrew. With all the “new” stuff in the house from the holidays, it’s a great time to start getting rid of some of the “old” stuff. Clothing that is worn out/faded or a bit outgrown, toys that are almost broken or outgrown for your kid’s age. What I find super helpful and easy to maintain throughout the year is to keep a plastic tote or garbage bag in each walk-in closet to collect the clothing & stuff that you will sell (Craigslist is great – see my blog posts for tips on using Craigslist whether you are selling or buying) or donate/give away! When the tote/bag is full you know it’s time to drop it off at church, Amvets, Goodwill, etc. Also, if a charity makes periodic curbside pick-ups in your neighborhood, you are prepared to gather & combine the bags/totes and donate!
- Evaluate your own stuff! Did you get a new robe, slippers, sofa throw, coffee maker, etc. as a gift? Do you still really need the old one? Decide to either donate or try to sell the old things that you don’t need and de-clutter your home!
- Re-gifting? Yes, I’m going to touch this taboo topic with a 10 foot pole! A lot of us do it…did you get a gift (with no gift receipt) that’s not useful to you, doesn’t fit, a duplicate of something you already have, etc? Maybe you maintain a “re-gift” pile in a closet or just donate the item(s) or if you have a friend/co-worker/family member that can use it and appreciate it, just give it to them now so the item can be useful to someone now.
Share your tips by leaving a comment. Thanks!
