Christmas is over and everyone is feeling stuffed. The house itself looks stuffed: with wrapping paper, bags, ornaments, a tree, and new items that have entered your home. The cookies no longer seem quite so appealing, and you are done with Christmas, completely.
Now it’s time to put everything away, but where do you begin? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the clutter. Here are a few steps to take.
If you didn’t do a pre-Christmas toy purge, do it now. Take inventory of the children’s toys and put the ones that the kids don’t use into boxes for future grandchildren. Donate them to a secondhand shop if your kids are all right with this. Give them to younger friends and family who might enjoy them. Keep only the potential family heirlooms. This makes room for other toys that have come into your home.
Go through your wardrobe too. Now is the time to shop post-Christmas sales with Christmas money and to integrate new items of clothing you received. Donate your old clothing or hold a swap with friends to save money.
Create boxes for different Christmas items and pack them away neatly. You will thank yourself next Christmas. Create at least one box for indoor Christmas ornaments, one for tree ornaments, and one for outdoor ornaments. Clean up and dry everything out before putting it away, then seal it into boxes for next Christmas. Label the boxes and put them in an easily accessible place.
Go over your finances from Christmas. If you owe money, tally up the total and determine who you owe it to. Create a monthly plan to pay it off by next Christmas and save some money every month, besides. This will give you a good, in control feeling as you enter the new year.
What are your post-Christmas cleanup strategies?