• A Clutter Free Christmas

So it’s time to start thinking about the holidays (someone has Christmas music playing around here already), and all the “things” that we bring out while decorating for the holidays. Is it possible to create a clutter free Christmas? If you’ve downsized already (or perhaps your parents have) you may not have a lot of clutter to contend with, but others among us have a trove of things we want out and on display.

One year I managed to get all the non-Christmas things put away before I brought out the Christmas treasures, and I looked around the living room before decorating and realized how nice it looked. I only put out a few Christmas ornaments that year, and honestly enjoyed the elegance of a simpler room. After New Year’s when I put it all away, I did not put all of the usual ornaments and doo-dads back out. I left them packed away and enjoyed the openness of a free space. Since that time, my Christmas and non-seasonal approach is that less is more, there is beauty in having a few special things out (especially if they are very sparkly for Christmas), and it’s easier to dust!

Here are a few strategies for managing the holiday clutter:

• Too many ornaments and baubles and sparkly toys? Consider donating decorations you no longer use. Although some of what you have may have a lot of sentimental value, there are probably also things that you keep packing and unpacking, that bring no joy to you anymore, and that could be appreciated somewhere else.

• Get clear about the amount of clutter you have. If you’ve got one of those slightly broken reindeer, a figurine of Santa with the arm missing, or those pipe cleaner candy canes with no fuzz left, think about their current and future purpose and put them in the garbage bin. Be gentle if you have to, but don’t display them or pack them up to think about it for next year. Enjoy any of the fun memories they have for a moment, and then move them on.

• Big bulky trees don’t fit so well in small apartments and or an individual room in an assisted living facility. If you’d like to treat someone to a small tree, stick to the small variety and make sure the person is able to turn the lights on and off – switches placed behind the bed, or on the floor (in addition to being  a tripping hazard) need some thought, and they don’t work that well for a lot of seniors or the elderly because they are hard to use. There are all kinds of options available, including battery operated trees, so make sure you do your research (and include spare batteries!).

Do you like these kind of posts? Are they helpful? Let me know!