Why & How To Declutter Before The Holidays.

So the holidays are always just insane. You’ve got every single store making you think you need this and that, instagram making you feel like you have to keep up and buy all the things, and so much more.

I’ve really learned how to be minimal and declutter before the holidays come. Even when I do want something new I have a tip here that I’ll share with you as well. It’s worked well for me and makes me not feel so cluttered and overwhelmed during the holidays.

I’ve actually put together a blog already on how to declutter so you don’t get overwhelmed. (It even has a free printable) Check that out HERE. You can also just search my blog “declutter” and see all of my decluttering tips.

DECLUTTER AS YOU PULL OUT HOLIDAY DECOR

I always seem to do this for every season. When I pulled out Halloween, I went through everything and decluttered a ton! So, I did the same for Christmas. As I pulled out totes I went through everything and if it didn’t spark some joy, I got rid of it.

DECLUTTER THE MOST USED ROOM

The most important step is by starting to slowly declutter. You always start with the most used room of your house. Take 1 or 2 hours out of your day to declutter it. Get rid of things you haven’t used in months, years, etc. Declutter any decor you haven’t used in that space, clean out spaces, sweep, move the couch even to clean behind it!

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

I have this little trick that helps me so much. This doesn’t just go for the holidays, it honestly works all year. If i see something I must absolutely have, I buy it. I then go home and get rid of something I don’t use or just don’t feel I need anymore. This helps to not get cluttered. Especially if you live in a small house like me.

DECLUTTER AND SIMPLIFY YOUR KITCHEN

With the holidays, family is over more, you’re baking more, cooking more. A kitchen is a space in anyones house that can easily get cluttered and FAST. So decluttering before the holidays is a must! It makes that time much more enjoyable! My husband is a chef and we have the smallest kitchen ever (I know right? Annoying) So I tend to really declutter a lot. We don’t have tons of space in our kitchen so I start with cabinets, then do drawers and so on. I clean out old towels, etc. Clear the counters to give you more space, go through fridge, freezer and pantry and get rid of anything that’s old, expired etc. Last wipe down the counters and walls to make it feel sparkling new! This will make the holidays truly magical!

PUT THINGS AWAY EVEN IF IT’S A PAIN

This is definitely hard to get use to, things are busy, times get crazy but putting things back where they go right after you use them not only helps you to feel less cluttered but it helps your house to stay a little cleaner during the holidays. We all know how crazy the holidays get, family coming and going, baking, cooking and more. This makes it so easy to let your house become a mess but by putting things away, decluttering and making more space it helps you feel accomplished and less stressed.

DECLUTTER TOYS

This one is huge! Again, we have a fairly small house. We plan to move which is why I love decluttering also but especially toys! My kids accumulate so many things over the year so when it comes time to the holidays I love to declutter the toys. The broken toys, the ones they haven’t played with in awhile, random Knick knacks, it’s all got to go! We tend to be more minimal now for Christmas so we definitely like to declutter the toys and try not to buy many for Christmas.

DECLUTTER ALL CLOTHES

This one is especially important as we all know we get clothes for Christmas and we’re like what do we do with all this?! That or we gift clothes to our kids, etc. So start with yourself and declutter. Get rid of worn clothes, clothes you haven’t worn all year or maybe even just a few times, donate it or give it to a friend! This time is all about giving so why not pay it forward! Once you’ve finished yours move onto the kids! We all know they get so much clothes, they grow so fast, it’s insane! So get rid of anything that doesn’t fit, that is worn, stained etc. This makes getting dressed easier, especially during the holidays when it’s always so busy!

DON’T LET SOCIAL MEDIA TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED

This one is hard, we see things we think we need, we think we have to have and then next thing you know you’re on the show hoarders. Don’t think you have to buy all the new things to keep up. Make do with what you have and get creative.

DECLUTTER YOUR MIND! THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.

Although this isn’t a traditional decluttering project, choosing to declutter your mind before, during and even after the holidays is very important.

Try to let go of any unrealistic standards or expectations you’ve set for yourself during the holidays. Embrace a “perfectly imperfect” mindset during the holidays instead.

We all know we try to keep up, do all these traditions, bake cookies, drink hot cocoa, look at Christmas lights and the list goes on. The reality is we can’t ever do everything we want.

Cut yourself some slack and create a holiday season both you and your family will enjoy. Instead of trying to live up to some impossible standards of perfectionism that will only leave you overwhelmed, burnt out, stressed and exhausted. Just live slow and live in the moment, this is all why decluttering before the holidays is crucial. If you didn’t do it this year, don’t stress! You can start next year!

Xoxo until next time, Cheyenne!