organize |

Ah December.

A time of Joy……… and a time of clutter!

Paper, boxes, decorations, more toys and food!! I find that everyone’s garbage days in December are over-flowing. It can be over-whelming, and most times brings un-needed stress into the family.

There was a day when this season put stress on me, it threw me for a loop. But now…… I’ve learned to conquer it. I conquer the clutter every December, and every season.

Decluttering brings simplicity to your home. It’s true – less mess, less stress! You can have this peaceful simplicity too. Here are a few ideas:

Start small …….

Take an afternoon, or an hour to go through a closet, a room or a cupboard. Start in one place (so you are NOT over-whelmed) and choose to throw out 1-2 items that you don’t use anymore, and then move on.

If you do this at least once a week, you will eventually see a big difference in the state of your home.

Every November, moving into December, I take a scheduled day with our kids, and we gather items to give away. NOTE: I schedule this! I put it on the calendar so that nothing else gets in the way of us working together to get it done.

I give every child a garbage bag, and they start in their rooms. We go through their drawers, closets,and under their bed. Eventually, their bags are full because we’ve found clothes that don’t fit anymore, toys they’ve grown out of, and some items that they just want to bless someone with. And yes, this happens each season.

This brings me to my next point – Involve your children in the process! I am a big believer in “filling other people’s buckets”. I find it’s especially important around Christmas time to show the children that this season is NOT about them, but it’s about Jesus and others.

This year, we had the opportunity and honour to take several bags, food and items to the Hamilton Dream Center, and Bibles for Missions. This is what we want our kids to see – giving to, and supporting local charities are huge!. When children are involved, they see it as part of our lifestyle.

Next step – organize the areas you eliminated from. Cleaning these areas and seeing the space, will make you feel like a million dollars!

There are so many benefits to decluttering your home! It’s not only healthy for your home atmosphere and family, but it’s great for peace of mind.

To summarize: