loopyloulaura

OK chaps, we have 6 weeks to go until the mayhem that is Christmas. Time to get organised, time to plan…

Right so let’s start with the kitchen.

Go through those cupboards. Check if anything is out of date (left over from last Christmas…???) and decide if you will use it or not (go on, be a daredevil, it’s only a bit ancient!)

Also review any other storage areas that you use to keep food. We have shelves and boxes in the garage that we use for extra storage space. We need all available space to store Christmas treats!

Look under the sink: what cleaning products will you need to use and does anything need replacing.

You want to decorate the living room. Only problem is that life has taken over in the last 11 months and the place that the tree is supposed to go is heaving with junk. Gird your loins and go for it. Move everything out of the space and start the grand old game of chess, moving things around until it settles in a new home.

Christmas means presents, yay! Time to get brutal and look at what toys/books etc can be removed. I recommend doing this secretly while the kids are at school.

Be strong, get rid of anything broken or that hasn’t been played with for 3 months or more. Remember they may not notice and they have new things on the way.

Look in your hiding places and review which presents you have already bought. I am guilty of buying things, forgetting about them and buying them a second time!

Next up: clothes. I have a tendency to wear things until they fall apart so I have socks that are about 20 years old that are almost worn through but not quite. There are clothes in my wardrobe that I have kept just in case: jeans with holes in, trousers that are too big, tops that are too small.

I think it is time to declutter! Christmas is the perfect time to ask for more socks! If my waist gets bigger again then hopefully it won’t be for another 10-15 years so will I really want to wear something from my early 30s when I’m in my 50s?!

Get other family members involved. Ask the children what clothes are getting too small etc. Plan a trip to the charity shop for anything that still has wear potential and a trip to the textile recycling place for anything else.

Do you have any tips for decluttering in the lead up to Christmas?