Your Year Of Decluttering – December (The Spare Room/Guests Coming?)

365 days. 12 months. 52 weeks. You could do ANYTHING in that time, couldn’t you? Renovate a house? Declutter a house? Let’s do December.

Ah, you just sprinkle a bit of glitter and Christmas is done! That’s what people think isn’t it? Sooooo easy!

December is a busy month for us all. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, it’s still the holidays for many.

For Professional Organisers it’s extra busy!

We get phone calls like this:

My wife is so stressed, her parents are coming to stay and we need to declutter urgently!

I have NO TIME! My kitchen is so disorganised and it’s my turn to have the family around. I’m cooking for 17 people!

Our kids have too many toys and Christmas is coming, they’re going to get SO many presents from our family and friends, I don’t know what to do!

Are You Over Thinking Your Decluttering?

Already overwhelmed with all the things you have to do for Christmas? All the events in your calendar? All the shopping you have to do? All the organising and driving and coordinating?

The last thing you want to do is declutter on top of all that right?

So don’t.

Take us as you find us!

This house is lived in, get used to it!

Don’t mind the mess, it’s called life!

But…

If you just can’t say that, and you feel like you have to do something to tidy up, here are some ideas:

Christmas Post! Guests.

Move Things Around.

Need the spare room? But the spare room is your junk room?

Kitchen already stuffed full? No idea how to fit the Christmas platters in?

House generally in a state of chaos?

Option 1.

23rd December – Race around at the last minute in a frantic state of high stress. Screaming helps. Find other places to hide things. Make piles and chuck a sheet over it. Hide things under the bed or in cupboards. Chuck it all in the garage and lock all the doors.

Option 2.

No screaming required. Start now. You don’t have to get rid of anything unless it’s obviously the best move. Re-home things somewhere else in your house. If you needed it, where would you look? That’s where it belongs.

You CAN Have Those Decluttering TV-Show Results!

Store It All Somewhere Else.

Nowhere to move things to?

The time is going way too fast! Quick! Think of something!

Shove everything in the car and take it away. But where?!

Mum’s place? Sister’s place? Friend’s place?

Pay for a storage unit!

Get one of those mobile storage box thingys!

Burn it all! (Just kidding)

Or…

Domino Effect of Organising.

Start Now, Declutter & Donate.

Start early. Start now. Reduce your stress.

Breathe. There’s always time. It just depends on what you say no to.

Prepare. Get bags and boxes to put donations, recycling and rubbish in. Make room in the car if you’re taking it away yourself.

Get someone to give you a hand. Family, friends, your community, a professional. Get baby sitters. Arrange a play date to get the kids out of the house.

Donate. Make sure you have a way to donate that’s easy. Don’t let it get complicated. Find a place you can donate everything to in one go. Make it easy.

Get a charity to pick it up. Get friends or family to drop it off for you. Schedule the pick up so you HAVE to get it done and out of your house.

Donations

Recycle. Before you yell “GET A SKIP” check out where you can take things to be recycled. But make it easy. Put the same stuff in a bag or box so it’s easy to carry. Get someone to drop it off for you. Or call a junk pick-up service that will do recycling.

Be Smart, Be Ruthless.

Be Smart – You know your family best. What can really go and what should really stay? What have they actually forgotten about? What’s in the wrong place? Read some of my blogs to get ideas on how to do this without causing a big fight.

Be Ruthless – What is your priority here? You want a clear spare room and have no other space? Have you used the things in that room? Are they covered in dust? Should they be decluttered right out of your house? You were probably going to declutter them anyway right?

Decluttering Toys ~ The Secret To Not Traumatising Your Kids.

Be Kind To Yourself.

Say no to more things. You don’t have to do EVERYTHING. You or you kids don’t have to go to every event you’re invited to.

Could your guests stay somewhere else? Can you all eat somewhere else? Why not change up your holiday traditions? Maybe change how gifts are exchanged?

Get help whenever possible. Get your family team organised. Delegate. This may mean you have to let go of certain standards you prefer.

But it is NOT an excuse for you to be treated with anything less than respect.

Take the easy path. Choose the things that are doable in the time you have. If you have to buy instead of make, so be it.

Planning in advance and doing in advance will save you a lot of stress.

Give yourself the luxury of time.

Keep it simple.

Everything will be ok.

Liz.

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