It has been a few years since we have even got out our Christmas decorations. Since we have traveled at Christmas the past couple of years, we didn't put up a tree. It is easy to collect Christmas stuff, and wise to go through it at the end of the season each year and decide what you want to keep for the next year and what you are ready to find a new home. So get out all those Christmas things where you can see everything at once and get started. There will be some that are easy to let go of, and some that you definitely want to keep.
There are so many ideas on how you could declutter Christmas stuff. Maybe you want to set a limit on how much to keep. Maybe you want to get a box and fill it up with stuff to donate and then be done. Maybe you want to get rid of one thing a day for the month of December. You can choose to do whatever you want to do. It is hard to know where to start sometimes, so here are a few guidelines:
First, is it broken? If so, maybe it is time to pass it on. If it is a very sentimental ornament, try to fix it or maybe find another one that is the same on the internet that can replace it.
Did you use it this year? If not, will you ever use it again? If you have Christmas items that don't come out, maybe it is time to take a second look at whether they should stay.
Do you even like what you have? When we were growing up, my dad had a silver fake tree with blue ornaments. I never wanted to have a fake tree when I grew up, and luckily we live in a place where you can go cut your tree down for $5. It is a fun family activity and you can smell the fresh pine scent. I love it. Others may not like having needles that fall or worry about watering a tree. Several years back, I changed our colors from white and gold to red and green again. I got rid of the old colored ornaments, etc. As you go through your things, ask yourself if you like it and if it really brings you happiness to have that item in your house.
Are you sending e-cards now? If so, maybe it is time to donate the rest of your Christmas cards to a charity that recycles them or use them up this year and don't buy any more.
Do you have more than you need? Are there multiples? If you have several sets of Christmas dishes, napkin rings, place mats, serving dishes, etc. do you really need all of them? Do you use all of the current things you have? Maybe it would be good to make a list of what you really have used each year and put the list in with the Christmas stuff you have. We make a record of our garden, writing down the things we planted and where, and it is SO helpful to have this each year in making decisions on what to buy and where to plan. A written record can help in making decisions about what might want to keep and let go of.
When our kids were young, we would have them go through their toys about a month before Christmas and gather some to give to charity. It gave them the chance to share with others before getting their own Christmas gifts. That is a good idea for all of us, whether before or after Christmas. Before Christmas, our donations can bless others. After Christmas, we can replace some things with the gifts we got for Christmas. You can even do both. Figure out what works best for you. There is no right way to declutter.
Good luck with your Coronavirus cleaning, whatever you choose today.
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