Dealing with post-Christmas clutter

So Twelfth Night is almost here signalling the end of the festive period and, if you haven’t done so already, it’s time to take down the Christmas decorations and to store them away safely – and in a place that you’ll be able to find them – until next year. Some people hate this task, just because of the sheer amount of stuff that needs to be put away, and others because they‘ve just had enough of Christmas altogether! I have to admit that it is nice to put everything away and to get back to ‘normal’ – whatever that may be!!

I like to apply the ‘out with the old & in with the new’ rule to Christmas decorations. It’s time to get rid of anything you no longer like and to dispose of broken items if they can’t be fixed. Ensure that what’s left over is stored ‘like with like’ which will make things easier when you come to take them out again next year.

There are some lovely storage containers out there from shops & online retailers – boxes with compartments for baubles, long bags for giftwrap, plastic fairy light winders and so on, but a cardboard box and labelled carrier bags will also do equally as well. I use an old holdall to store our indoor & outdoor lights – it’s easy to lift in and out of the loft.

If you’ve been left feeling somewhat overwhelmed with a number of gifts you’ve received that you really don’t want, please don’t be tempted to hang on to them for the fear of feeling guilty – the betting is that you’ll never use them and they will just pile up and become clutter in your home. Consider selling on one of the numerous sites like eBay or Netmums, swapping books or ‘swishing’ clothes or donating on the likes of Freecycle or to a local charity shop. After all, ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’!

If your gifts came amongst a stack of packaging, think carefully before hanging on to it – just in case it might come in useful one day. Often the amount of packaging compared to the gift size is completely inappropriate.

Just look at these three gorgeous L’Occitane handcreams that I received.  They came in a massive box that could have contained 3 times as many!  Whilst the box is lovely, sturdy and might be useful in the future, if I can’t find a use for it in the next week it will go into the paper recycler rather than become clutter in my space.

And finally, if you are still struggling to make at least one New Year’s Resolution, make it that you will get and stay organised throughout 2013!  Need help?  Please get in touch.