Happy Friday everyone! Some of you are probably Black Friday shopping (it's even become a big deal in Canada now!). If you are out there, I hope you're finding some great deals on things you need or plan to give. It's really tempting to buy things just because they are on sale though and they can end up becoming clutter. We end up getting things we think we want but that we don't really need. I know I've done that in the past (which is why my hubby does a lot of our shopping!). But after de-cluttering so much this year I really don't want to bring anything into our house that we don't need, use, or love.
That's great for things that I can control (like shopping). But what about gifts that are given to us? Over the years we've reduced the number of people we buy gifts for (and thus receive gifts from) but we still end up with a lot of gifts at Christmas.
If you want some tips on how to deal with gifts that become clutter, I found this post really helpful (link below the picture).
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| Source: http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/what-to-do-when-a-gift-becomes-clutter.html |
It's hard to purge things that were gifts. But we can't hang onto everything just because it was a gift. I'm trying to be more practical in the gifts I give to others and as people get to know how much we're focusing on decluttering and simplifying our home they are becoming more aware of what they give to our family.
I'm actually focusing this year on purging before Christmas to make room for all the things that will be coming into our house this season. I think it will reduce the overwhelming feeling I tend to have at the end of December when I try to find places everything.
And it's not just gifts that make our house feel cluttered. We live in a small townhouse and it's crowded at the best of times. But when we set up a Christmas tree and decorate the house for Christmas it always feels even smaller. I love the Christmas season and decorating is one of my favourite things to do. So this year I'm purging even more to make space for the decorations. I think it will be more enjoyable this way.
So, this weekend's organizing idea is to spend time de-cluttering to allow you to enjoy your decorations and gifts this Christmas. Choose an area that needs the most attention and set a timer for 15 or 30 minutes and go nuts. Then repeat for a different area of your home. Continue this for whatever amount of time you have.
I'm focusing on my living room and dining room since a lot of our decorating is done there. I've also been going through all of our clothes to make space for the clothing we'll receive as gifts. And I plan to go through the toys next week. This Christmas I really want to go from overwhelmed to organized!
How do you deal with clutter leading up to Christmas? Do you have any tips for gifts that become clutter?
Happy organizing and have a great weekend!
