What To Do With All the Stuff: Tackling Post-Holiday Chaos Like a Pro!
The holidays leave behind a trail of glittering decorations, wrapping paper scraps, and a whole lot of clutter. Lucky you! We are here to help you tackle that post-holiday chaos like a pro! We have a fun step-by-step process for decluttering and organizing after the holidays, from storing decorations to purging excess holiday items. Get ready to kiss clutter goodbye and start the New Year with a fresh and tidy home!
Step 1: Declutter as you go
Before you do anything, get yourself into a decluttering mindset. Now is the best time to declutter and purge any excess holiday items. Critically examine your holiday décor, gifts, and other items and ask yourself if you like them enough to store them for another year. If not, let them go. Donate gently used items to local charities, recycle wrapping paper and cards, and dispose of any damaged or unwanted items responsibly.
Step 2: Goodbye decorations
The first step in tackling post-holiday clutter is to get your decorations out of the way. Start by taking down your tree, wreaths, lights, and other decorations and packing them into separate boxes or bins by type or location. Make sure to label each container for easy identification next year. Label maker labels are small and hard to see. Using painter’s tape and a black marker is simple and makes changing labels from year to year easier. If you have delicate or heirloom ornaments, it might be a good idea to invest in special ornament boxes. While some special organizers are more trouble than they are worth, wreath storage boxes are a good way to protect your wreath investment. Storage is more than having things out of the way; it also protects your decorations and keeps them clean.
Step 3: Sort gifts and remaining items
Once your decorations are safely stored away, it’s time to sort through the remaining holiday items. These can include gifts, cards, leftover wrapping paper, dishes left behind by friends or family, holiday dish towels, and clothes, as well as gifts received throughout the holidays.
Identify homes for as many things as you can, being intentional about where they go. If you already have the same type of item, consider replacing the old one with the new one instead of keeping both. Assign homes to new things by asking yourself where you would look for them. If you know you will never use an item, go ahead and send it on its way.
Store Christmas clothing, dish towels, blankets, etc., with your other holiday items. They aren’t used enough to take up such valuable space in your home. Separate the remaining items based on their next destination: donation, trash, back to a friend, etc.
Step 4: Reset and refresh
With the holiday clutter out of the way, it’s time to return your home to its pre-holiday state. Return furniture and all-year décor to their rightful homes and give your home a thorough cleaning.
Step 5: Return to normalcy
Finally, take a moment to sit in your home’s sanctuary. Enjoy the feeling of a clean, imperfect home that is back to normal. Give yourself a mental high-five for surviving the holidays one more time.
The holidays are overwhelming, but closing them up shouldn’t be. Hopefully, these practical steps can help you get your home back to its baseline and ready for the New Year.
