Tidying Before The Holidays

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How is it the end of October already? It seems just like yesterday that the ball dropped and we were celebrating the beginning of the year. I personally love the end of the year. I love celebrating all of the holidays but understand that this time of year can be hard. But it is also special because we start to contemplate how far we’ve come and where we’d like to go next as we head into next year. Because of that, the final days of the year hold a special significance in many homes. They mark quieter days spent together indoors where families can celebrate and look forward to the bright new year ahead. The holidays are also an ideal time to be grateful for what brings us joy in our lives. Why wait until next Spring for Spring Cleaning when you can bring in a spirit of gratitude as we prepare to welcome in the holiday season with some tidying? In this blog post, I’m sharing seven tips for tidying before the holidays begin using the KonMari method.

Visualize

Before starting, imagine how you want your holiday season to look and, even more importantly, to feel. When you think of the perfect evening of spending time in joy and merriment with your family, what do you visualize? Do you see thoughtfully-planned meals enjoyed around a robust, and beautifully decorated table or a quiet night spent drinking tea or hot chocolate with someone you love? Visualizing your ideal holidays will help you decide how and where to focus your energy in your home first.

Take Inventory

I have already been seeing posts in the Interior Design / Home Decor / DIY spaces and we are all chomping at the bit to start pulling all of the holiday boxes out and setting it all up. But before you do, address any special holiday needs. Start by taking stock of how your home feels to you right now. Use your ideal vision and move through each room taking note of any areas that don’t match up in the upcoming months. What feels out of place? What doesn’t spark joy? Pay special attention to the spaces where you’ll spend the holidays: the living room, dining room, and also kitchen.

Schedule by Category

I love the specific schedule that Marie recommends using, but I think the important thing is to just get it on your calendar and schedule it! Marie recommends setting a schedule for each weekend so that you address a specific category on Saturday and another on Sunday. I put together a sample schedule with various categories, which might look something like this:

• Saturday, Weekend One: Clothes, Books, Papers
• Sunday, Weekend One: Office Supplies, Money, & Hobbies
• Saturday, Weekend Two: Health & Beauty, Electronics, Linens,
• Sunday, Weekend Two: Food & Food Storage, Tools For Cooking & Baking, & Tools For Eating
• Saturday, Weekend Three: Tools For Utility, Cleaning Supplies, Pets, Holiday Decor
• Sunday, Weekend Three: Sentimental Items, Toys, Furniture & Home Decor

Make Room to Receive 

When I get a Christmas card in the mail, I’m so giddy! With holiday traditions that often include gifts, packages, and cards arriving by mail, more elaborate meals, or perhaps a tree, you’ll likely need to rearrange spaces and temporarily store unneeded furniture and items. I would recommend that you start by choosing a place to store everything you plan to put away – preferably somewhere out of sight like a garage, attic, or dry basement. Then, pack items away by category, so you can easily return them to their proper places after the holidays. 

Holiday Kindness Bonus Tip: Donate any unneeded items to your local food bank or another holiday drive!

Make Space to Decorate

When you bring all of the holiday decorations out, you do not want to be standing there wondering where everything is going to go leaving your house in need of tidying before the holidays. They need assigned spaces. Whether you’re making room for a Thanksgiving table or Holiday Garland, plan out where you’ll display each item. Remove any day-to-day objects that distract from your ideal vision that you’d like to create, placing them in the area you’ve created for temporary storage. This step will keep your house feeling tidy even with the addition of many bright decorations. 

Holiday Kindness Bonus Tip: As you unpack annual holiday items, pause and ask whether they still make you smile. If not, donate them to a local church or Habitat For Humanity.

Add Joyful Touches

During the holidays, the little details make all of the difference. Ask yourself how you can bring joy to those you love in unexpected ways. I like to have a diffuser going with Young Living’s Christmas Spirit to cleanse the atmosphere and brighten spirits. You can light a holiday-smelling candle like this one from Studio Mcgee in shared spaces, including guest bathrooms, creating a special ambiance as well. I also play all of the holiday music. It just makes a space so joyful!

Accept the Unexpected

I live in the Midwest and winters are very real here. Whether it’s a last-minute snowstorm or burning an important dish just before New Year’s Eve or even Christmas dinner, you can’t predict every unforeseen circumstance. We eat ham normally but tried duck one year. It did not go well. But it’s okay! Let go of whatever happened that isn’t joyful with gratitude. Let’s celebrate this season for all that it offers, including the random complication. These can often lead to fun and a good time!  

In Conclusion,

Holiday planning is so much fun. It feels great to think about the parties you’ll host and the food you’ll cook and the memories you’ll make with your family. But when it comes time to actually execute those plans, sometimes the fun disappears a little and that is why it is so important to take this time now before the hustle and bustle pick up to do some tidying before the holidays. You and your house will thank you!

Cheers!

Love,