Feeling like you went from holiday magic to post-holiday overwhelm?

We have a practical guide to get organized and declutter after the holidays from one of the professional organizers on our team, Kate Schwenk, just for you! She is sharing her best tips to help minimize clutter and stress after the holidays so you can have a productive new year!

Have items that are broken or missing pieces?  

• YES!! It is ok to throw them away! (Trust me, you’re probably never going to use it or fix it!)  We know it can be hard to throw things out - especially if it was once a well-loved, favorite decoration. But when you hold onto items that are damaged or incomplete you are just perpetuating clutter. I find that our clients actually feel relieved to let go of items like this and make room for new, memorable pieces in the future!

Want to store your holiday decorations in an organized way?

• Label everything: Label your storage containers so you know what décor is in each tub! When it comes time to decorate next holiday season you will know where everything is and won't have to rummage through totes aimlessly!

• Pack up items by each room of your house and label the boxes with the name of the room. When you go to unpack your decor, you will know exactly where it all goes! Simple tips like this go a long way, especially for efficiency in the future when organizing your home.

• Consolidate your holiday storage: Have you ever bought duplicates of something you forgot you had? Been there! It's helpful to keep all décor in one place so you avoid buying the same item the following year because you can’t find something. 

• Use storage containers or totes when possible: A major plus to using storage totes is that they protect your items from the elements and moisture plus they stack which maximizes your storage space! These storage totes are some of our favorites because they're clear, have lids and handles, and are easily stackable! 

Have kids that received new toys and your living space is feeling cluttered?

• Out with the old: Declutter toys that are no longer played with or that have been outgrown. (Extra tip: Set a reminder in your calendar to do this before Christmas!)  

• Involve your kids in the organizing: If your kids are old enough, get them involved in the idea of “give a toy to get a toy." Teach them how to declutter and give unused toys away to other families. 

• Again - it's OK to throw things away! Trash any broken toys that can’t be repaired or that are missing pieces. 

• Rotate toys each season: Keep new toys out to play with and store old toys. Swap out toys as the seasons change rather than buy more toys. This helps free up space and keeps the old toys feeling new if they are put away for a few months!

• Declutter your bookshelves: Pack up Christmas books and store with Christmas décor. Then unpack the books next Christmas for the kids to enjoy! (Fun idea: wrap the Christmas books in gift wrap. Starting in December, let your children pick out one book per day to unwrap and read the book to them!)

Organizing and minimizing clutter after the holidays doesn’t have to feel like an impossible task! Give these tips a try and we promise you’ll feel less stress, have less clutter, and feel organized and prepared for the year ahead!