5 Steps to Getting Your Holiday Gifts Organized

When the dust settles after the holidays, and you look around your home, you might be asking yourself “Where can I put all of this new stuff?” Well, the short answer is, you probably need to get rid of items in order to add all the new holiday gifts into your home.

Let’s break down the steps together:

Decide if you want to keep all the gifts that you received. Did your child get a toy they already have? Did you receive a sweater that just isn’t your style? Did someone give you a kitchen gadget that you know you’ll never use? It’s okay to let these new items leave your home. Remember, the gift giver enjoyed thinking about and shopping for you, and you were gracious when receiving the gift. It’s okay to sell, return or donate anything you know you won’t use.

Admire and appreciate the gifts you’d like to keep. Start by assessing the various spaces in your home that the new items need to reside. Start with one room, closet, drawer or pantry at a time. You’ve decided you want to keep the new wireless headphones, but you already have an older pair. Take the old pair, put it in your donation box (you do have a donation box, don’t you?), and put the new pair in its place. Easy start. Now keep going. Maybe you received a new throw blanket for your couch or new bedding for your king size bed. We know these are bulky items and trying to store them all when not in use can be cumbersome. Enjoy the new items and donate the old ones. Keep going until there is a place for everything.

Start small. There is no rule that everything must be put away in its rightful spot immediately but do set a goal for yourself to complete the project within a reasonable amount of time. Start with the small items like the new toys or a piece of jewelry.

Move on to the bulkier items. Once you’ve felt a sense of accomplishment by finding a home for the small items, it’s time to move onto the bulkier items. This is where you might find that you must make some tough decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of in order to create space for the new items you want to keep. Keep in mind that you’ll be much happier if you don’t have piles of items on the floor or on top of the dresser staring you down each day!

Celebrate your accomplishments. Once you’re done, be sure to enjoy your new items, celebrate that your home is beautiful and uncluttered, and take the time to relish in the beauty of your home.

Remember, decluttering is an ongoing process because we bring new items into our home throughout the year. The key is not to let things pile up but to manage the incoming items on a regular basis. If you do this, you’ll live in a well-organized, decluttered home that puts a smile on your face every day.