Do you struggle with getting your home (and life) back in order after the holidays?
For years I was overwhelmed with all the decorations I had to take down and all the stuff I had to figure out what to do with.
Finally I decided enough was enough. I was going to take control of the holiday clutter so it wouldn’t take control of me. Since that time I’ve discovered several ways to keep my life organized (and sane) after this crazy and wonderful time of the year. Here they are:
1. Decide what you want to keep.
Not all gifts are created equal. Some of the gifts that we receive are great, some are OK, and some are just a swing and a miss. Most of the time the gifts that we get that we don’t like are from very well-meaning people who just missed the mark. Be honest with yourself about what you liked and what you didn’t.
2. Return and get rid of everything you don’t want.
If you got a gift receipt for the stuff you didn’t want return them as soon as possible. Don’t feel guilty for returning an unwanted gift. It is not a sign of ingratitude. All it means is that this particular thing isn’t something that you want to keep. Don’t let misplaced guilt keep you living in a cluttered and messy home.
For those gifts that you can’t return make it a priority to get rid of them as soon as possible. Donating them to an organization like Good Will is a great way to do this. Not only will you be cutting back on the clutter in your home you’ll be cutting back on the waste in our environment and giving it to someone who really needs and wants it. Just be careful to do it in a way that doesn’t hurt the feelings of the person who gave it to you.
3. Go through your decorations before you put them away.
Before you put everything back in the garage go through it and decide if it’s really worth keeping or not. Does it bring you joy during the holiday season? Does it still resonate with who you are as an individual and as a family? Don’t keep it if you don’t like it, even if there’s pressure to because it’s a family heirloom. Don’t keep clutter just to keep someone else happy. If it doesn’t bring you joy, give it away for someone else to enjoy.
4. Get rid of one old thing for every new thing you keep.
Everyone has things around their home that they don’t need or want anymore. As you bring new items into your home begin to look around and decide what old item you can get rid of to make space for them. Doing this will help you keep clutter from creeping into your home.
5. Put everything away.
At the end of each day make sure to put everything away. Create a space for all of your stuff and put each item in back in it’s place. The more we put things away the less things are lying around and the more organized our lives become.
How do you keep your home organized during the holidays?
Jeff McClung 
Great ideas, Jeff! Getting rid of one old thing for every new thing you keep is probably the hardest one. But I find that I’m drawn to organize and clean out my closet and desk space right after Christmas in order to make room for the new.