Declutter Your Home Now to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
Imagine your home as a cargo vehicle that has to pull over to a weigh station before and after the holidays. This blog post aims to help you hit even on the scale.
In preparation for all the precious cargo that comes with the holidays (people, food and stuff) we want to ensure your home has enough space to accommodate everything/everyone and that all is running smoothly so your home can carry the extra weight with no distinguishable lag. In this metaphor, the “lag” would be you feeling overwhelmed by stuff in your home while more stuff is coming in, quickly.
Here are some common household items you could offload now to have a smooth holiday season:
Expired Food
Review your pantry and fridge. Dispose and replace any necessities past their expiration date and donate non-perishables you haven’t and won't use. Make room for the holiday season by cleaning your fridge now!
Unused Kitchen Gadgets
f the banana peeler is what’s stopping that drawer from opening, and you only used it once years ago(!), let it go. Be honest—if you haven’t used that bread maker, after three years, it’s time to let it go. Donate or sell it.
Outdated Clothes
Don’t be caught wearing something that makes you feel frumpy. Gretchen Rubin wants you to get rid of any clothing if you wouldn't want to be seen in it when you run into your ex. Cas from ClutterBug says that clothes in your closet that don’t fit are bullying you to change something about yourself. Them some strong concepts from some strong women and I think you should take the hint. Sorry, not sorry for that dash of tough love.
Unused Body/Beauty Products
Sort through cosmetics and skincare. Toss anything expired, donate items that are unexpired and unopened. Let me remind you that your skin is your largest organ. Don’t put expired items on it, like sunscreen, or it may not work as effectively as you need it to or may have other undesired effects.
Linens on Their Last Leg
It may be a good time to take inventory of what sheets and towels you have. Are all bed sizes covered and how many sheet sets do you need to keep per bed? Replace worn-out items. Donate gently used items to shelters.
Paper
Marie Kondo may be soft spoken and small statured but her take on paper is loud and bold. Nope. Keep only what you need for immediate purposes and forever papers like taxes or important records. Digitize and discard the rest. Gentle reminder, if an account exists online (bank, utilities, phone) check to see that you can retrieve what you need there then discard all paper statements. You can also google manuals and instructions. Everything is online.
Old Magazines
Are you still getting physical copies to your home? Would a digital subscription work for you? These can pile up quickly. Set a limit—keep the last six months’ worth. Recycle the rest.
Books you have never read or don’t plan to re-read
Something I have come across fairly frequently with clients are old study materials and textbooks. If the items are near or past ten years old, there’s a chance they may be outdated. Also, be honest with yourself. Would you refer to those old materials or just google the information? We no longer use two spaces after a period so that English guide book is not useful anymore. Let it go. As for regular books that you have never read, for any reason, you can pass them along to someone who will.
Neglectibles: Collectibles Gathering Dust
Collections are great but are meant to be maintained. Collectibles gathering dust literally lose their luster. If your collections are weighing you down and no longer bringing you joy, it’s time to find a new home for them. Sell or donate.
Gifts You Don’t Love or Use
The gift is in the giving! It’s okay to part with gifts that don’t resonate with you. Someone else might cherish them.
Empty Boxes
Gurrrrl, boxes are as plentiful as teenage heartthrobs. Another great box will be popping up in your home before you know it. Unless you’ve started an Amazon or tiktok shop and have physical objects you are shipping to others, set a limit on your cardboard box collection. We love a bag of bags, try a medium box of boxes (flattening some would help). Then practice Dana White’s container concept: have that box of boxes SET THE LIMIT! Once it gets full it’s time to edit them down so they fit in the container you’ve set as the limit. We all need to set limits and this is a great place to start.
Things You’ve Borrowed
Return items you’ve borrowed, or if they’re no longer needed, let them go. Take the time to get items out of your home that aren’t yours anyway.
Outdated Home Décor
Refresh your space by donating or selling decor items that no longer inspire you. Does that wall sign still speak to you or have you outgrown it.
Decluttering can feel overwhelming, but tackling it one item at a time makes it manageable. Choose a few items from this list and set a timer for 15-30 minutes to start the process.
Don’t get weighed down by clutter this holiday season. Your home deserves to be a space that brings you joy and comfort, free from the weight of clutter.
Could your home and you use a hand? Feel free to reach out if you need some additional assistance. You can live anywhere as I work remotely (Zoom sessions) and in-home sessions are available in the Seattle area.
You are enough and you have enough, I’m glad we’ve had this talk!
Amy-Ellen
