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I start to feel a little claustrophobic in our house around January. Part of it is the cabin fever of being stuck inside a lot because of extreme weather (we live in West Michigan) and part of it is because there’s usually some extra stuff crowding up our house after Christmas.

Neither of our families go too crazy with gift giving, but we’re still blessed with many extra things that need to find permanent homes in our house.

What really helps with this “full house” claustrophobic feeling is to do some major decluttering before Christmas. That way, our house isn’t already stuffed full and there’s room to put away any new Christmas gifts we may receive.

So where should you focus your decluttering efforts? Well, allow me to make some suggestions! 🙂

If you want the checklist of each area to declutter, enter your info below and I’ll send it over to you:

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5 Things to Declutter Before Christmas

1. Toys

Toys are definitely the number one offender of post-Christmas clutter. Keep this from become a problem by decluttering toys before Christmas.

Schedule a chunk of time to go through all the toys in your house. Discard anything broken or with pieces missing. Declutter toys that aren’t being played deeply with anymore.

If you have a hard time letting go of your kids toys (or are just completely overwhelmed), I highly recommend The Toy Detox course. It was created by a mom with a Ph.D. in Child Development. She really helps you understand how your child’s toys should benefit their body and mind. The short course walks you through the steps to do a Toy Detox and is perfect for helping you declutter toys. Click here to take a look.

Tip: I’ve heard of parents involving their kids in decluttering toys in a special way: They tell their kids that they will probably get new toys for Christmas, but there is no place to put them unless they declutter some of their current toys first. You could also talk about how some kids won’t get new toys for Christmas but they might enjoy some used toys if you donate them… You get the idea. I think this is a great idea to involve your child in the process.

Don’t forget, kids aren’t the only ones with toys! We don’t have kids and our house contains video games, board games, puzzles, legos, and other kinds of toys.

2. Decorations

Somehow we manage to accumulate massive amounts of decor and before Christmas is a perfect time to declutter it.

As you put away any fall decor, think about getting rid of any items that you didn’t put out this year as well as anything that’s not looking too great anymore.

As you put out your Christmas decorations, throw out anything broken (ornaments, lights…). When you’re finished decorating, look through anything that you didn’t put out. Has it been a few years since you’ve put out those decorations? There’s only so much decor that one house can hold. 🙂

3. Serving Dishes & Kitchen Gadgets

Go through your kitchen or any storage tubs containing kitchen stuff.

I like to look specifically at serving dishes and other gadgets that only get used once a year. Often times, there is something that truly hasn’t been used in many years that can probably go.

Also, you may have gotten some new dishes that work for serving that you always end up reaching for instead of digging your previous serving dishes out of the back of the cupboard.

4. Winter Clothing

As the cold weather comes in, take stock of your winter clothing.

Are there coats that don’t fit anymore or that are worn out? Look through pants, long sleeves, sweatshirts, boots… Take out what you won’t end up wearing this season. This is also a great way to take stock of what you may need to buy.

I’ve changed sizes since last winter and have been decluttering most of my winter clothing and making notes on what I need to replace in a different size.

5. Summer Stuff

Now is the perfect time to go through summer stuff.

Since summer is over, look specifically at anything that did not get used. If it didn’t get used this summer, there’s a very good chance that it won’t get used next summer.

If you have kids, look at summer clothes and shoes that have been outgrown or worn out.

Don’t forget to look through outside toys like bikes, kiddie pools, scooters, sports equipment… This might even give you an idea of something to give as a Christmas gift if an item needs to be replaced.

Enter your info below and I’ll send you a free “Declutter Before Christmas” Checklist to get you going!

By spending a little time to declutter strategic areas in your home before Christmas, you’ll make sure that there’s plenty of room to put away any Christmas gifts that you receive.

Plus, as an extra bonus, if you’re hosting any holiday parties, your house will be decluttered and easier to clean!