It’s here! We (at my house and maybe also in yours) are in full holiday mode. My home is as decorated as I want it to be, my wrapping station looks like a disaster struck, and my calendar is jam-packed with things to do. Does this sound familiar? If it does then take solace in the fact that professional organizers have clutter, too. But I think this is what’s normal around the holidays. Holidays come with clutter this is true. Having said that I want you to know that I believe in something I call holiday clutter control.
I love having my Christmas tree up and in its spot. Having a wrapping station makes it easier for me to wrap and tag gifts as I bring them home. I leave the scraps of wrapping paper nearby in case I have a small present to wrap. To an outsider it would look messy, but I don’t mind because I know it will all be cleaned up before Christmas Eve. Having strategies in place makes it easier to control holiday clutter and helps to reduce the amount of stress you feel during the holiday season.
Swap Regular Decor for Holiday Knick Knacks
If decorating is on your list of things to do, I suggest you clear the space where you want to put up some holiday decorations. There is one simple reason to do this. When you put away your regular décor you focus the attention on your lovely holiday decorations. The two types of decorations aren’t crowded and competing. Here are 3 examples of places I clear in my house before I put up holiday knick knacks.
The table in my entry. Typically, I have an Indonesian Garuda and a few other ornaments on the top of this table. I put Santa there to welcome everyone in as well as a basket to hold Christmas cards and a couple of poinsettias.
The top of the chest in the Dining Room. Ordinarily, I have a Batik Stamp, a framed photo, and a Thai Lacquerware bowl sitting on this table. For Christmas, I put a table runner and a small, sweet manger scene.
The mantle above the fireplace. Usually, I have five framed photos on the mantle. Now, I have hung needlepoint stockings, a couple of small candles, a glass bowl filled with colorful ornaments, and some tiny poinsettias.
What did I do with my regular décor?
I packed it away in the boxes in which I keep my Christmas decorations. This makes the transition easy. When I’m ready to put away the Christmas décor I will take my regular tabletop decorations out of the box and put them back where they belong.
Wrap and Tag Gifts as You Buy Them
It may be a little late in the season for sharing this advice, so I’ll repeat it earlier next year. Wrap and tag gifts as you buy them to avoid being overwhelmed by the number of things you must wrap.
I also like to keep track of who I have bought for, how much I have spent, and if the gift is wrapped. This helps me with my Christmas spending, and it lets me know I can stop thinking about buying a gift for that person.
If possible, create a central wrapping place in your home. Have scissors, tape, wrapping paper, ribbon, and tags – and several pens in a caddy or a basket on the table.
I keep these supplies in a large chest of drawers in my family room. I set a card table up in the corner and then wrap, tag, and hide the gifts until it’s time to put them under the tree.
Doing this helps control holiday clutter. A bonus is that everyone in the family will know where to wrap their gifts.
Stock Up on Hostess Gifts
Plan ahead and purchase a few small hostess gifts in advance. Things like a scented candle, a bottle of wine, or a box of chocolates are easy to keep on hand in case you receive an unexpected invitation.
I also recommend you have a few gift bags and tissue handy so you can quickly and easily package the gift.
Develop and Follow a Basic Maintenance Routine
One of the best things you can do for yourself is develop and follow a basic home maintenance routine. We all know that when the holidays arrive everyone is busier than ever.
Decide for yourself what important things to stay on top in your home and create a routine for yourself and your family so these things are done and the holiday clutter stays under control.
You may want to have a simple rotation of tasks to keep everyone in the family involved so that no one person shoulders the burden of maintaining the home.
Things like clearing the kitchen counter, taking out the trash, emptying the dishwasher, and tidying the family room take very little time to do and make a big impact.
Let Go of Doing Everything
You may want to remind yourself about your intention for the holiday season. We can sometimes get caught up in the glitz and glitter of the promotions and forget to enjoy the moments.
Schedule, attend, and enjoy the activities that are meaningful to you and your family. Try to avoid doing things just because everyone else is doing them. If it sounds like fun, you have the time, and the thought of adding one more thing to your day doesn’t give you the shivers then go ahead.
But be aware that for everything you say ‘yes’ to, you are saying ‘no’ to something else.
It’s ok and healthy to have unplanned, unstructured time in your day or, in this case, holiday. It allows you to enjoy the things you do more completely.
Conclusion: Simplify to Enjoy the Season
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’m all about keeping things simple. I believe there’s no need to complicate anything. When you keep strategies simple, you help yourself to avoid stress.
Let’s review the simple ways you can help yourself keep holiday clutter under control:
Swap your regular décor to make room for your holiday décor.
Have a wrapping station with all the essential supplies
When you’re shopping, pick up a couple of hostess gifts
Create a basic home maintenance routine to take care of essential tasks and keep holiday clutter under control
Stick to doing the festive, holiday activities you love and that bring you joy and let go of the rest
Taking these small steps and being intentional about how you spend your time can simplify the season. Essentially, bring you back to basics.
If you would like some help or guidance putting any of these suggestions into use, please contact me for a free 30-minute phone call. Email me at: dnqsolutions@gmail to schedule the call.
Diane N. Quintana is the owner of DNQ Solutions, LLC. She is an ADHD Organizing Specialist, a Hoarding Specialist, and a Chronic Disorganization Specialist. Diane is also an ICD Master Trainer, Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization, Certified Professional Organizer and co-owner of Release Repurpose Reorganize LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia. She specializes in residential and home-office organizing.
I love the idea of the Garuda and Santa hanging out together for the holiday season. It’s multi-cultural and so welcoming!
At this time of year, I find myself getting second-hand agita from all of the posts about decorating and decluttering for the holidays. I’ve never celebrated nor decorated for Christmas, and even the Hanukkah decorations we had when I was a child were limited to kiddie stuff on the front storm door, not counting the menorah, which isn’t really (or at least primarily) decor. It can be exhausting to read and see how overwhelmed typical households are at this time of year, but your calm and common-sense advice is exactly what people need.
I love your gift-wrapping advice; I think that’s another place where I’ve avoided the trouble, as almost all the gifts I exchange are shipped directly to the recipients. I only seem to wrap one holiday gift a year, for a round-robin nationwide gift exchange for a web site at which I’m active. I think it’s been at least a decade since I purchased wrapping paper, but even today I had a mess of scissors, wrapping paper in pieces large and small, packing material and a variety of boxes until I made it all work out.
Your advice is centering and yields a calm but joyous holiday. May you and yours delight in the kind of surroundings you advise.
Thank you, Julie. My goal is to simplify and provide some no-nonsense, down to earth, user friendly tips so we can all enjoy the season.
I keep things pretty simple at our house. For those who love to decorate you have some great ideas. I love to plan to have a few extra hostess gifts just in case. I always seem to need them.
Thank you, Kim. Extra hostess gifts come in handy all year long!
I’ve done some of these things on occasion, but seeing it all spelled out like this is great!
Thanks, Janet!
I feel better after reading your calm, sage advice. While I don’t celebrate Christmas or decorate for the holidays, I appreciate the philosophy you’re sharing. It just makes sense. There is no need to stress yourself out unnecessarily. And with some preparation, boundary setting, and planning, you can do less and enjoy the season more.
I especially like your advice on cycling the regular vs. holiday decor. It makes so much sense to put regular items in the holiday boxes so that when you switch things back, you can easily find them.
Enjoy this beautiful season!
Thank you, Linda.
It took me awhile to get onto that trick of taking my regular decorations down to make space for the holiday decor. I used to just add it in, and then over the years, I accumulated more, and suddenly it was a mess. Now I swap the decorations out. I have a cabinet in my family room whose primary purpose is to hold decor LOL.
We’ve had the flu in our house this week, so that regular maintenance has been augmented by me running around with bleach wipes all day long.
Ah, winter!
I’m so glad you now swap your decorations, Seana. And.. I’m equally sorry you’ve had the flu in your home. I hope everyone gets better soon!