Tag: Christmas

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12 Gifts of Decluttering – what decluttering gives you

Decluttering is just one word and it can offer you so many gifts. Amazing! I’m feeling festive and thinking about  The Twelve Days of Christmas, so I’ll have a quick look at twelve gifts, but there are more. Let’s look at other gifts decluttering gives you another time.

Ready? Off we go …

Decluttering gives you knowledge, a warm heart …

1.  Knowledge. You know what’s actually in your house, your office or your car. So no more buying things you’ve already got – they are somewhere but where? Like screwdrivers, sellotape, the other sock … And that’s just S in the alphabet.

2.  A warm heart when you recycle or pass things on to charity. You don’t need them any more but charity shops do and their clients benefit. Recycling is good for us all. Help the love go round.

Woman holding red heart-shaped cup containing warm drink Decluttering gives warm heart
You have a warm heart when you recycle or pass things on to charity (Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash)

3.  Appreciation of those special things you choose to keep. Don’t hide them away in a load of clutter. Give them room to be seen and to shine.

4.  Space. As my art teacher used to say, look at the space in between things. It has value all of its own. Luxuriate in it!

Decluttering gives you thinking room, opportunity …

5.  Thinking room to think your thoughts. When there’s clutter everywhere – or even just somewhere – it can be hard to find room to think your own wonderful thoughts.

6.  Opportunity to organise things to suit your lifestyle. Everyone benefits when everyday life runs more smoothly. Everyday life running on fumes is hard work.

7.  Calm. No more needy ‘stuff’ at home, chirruping that it needs attention. No need to think that you’ll sort it out one day. You’ve done it. (And decluttering is good at work, too.)

Peach and pink sky shading down to peaceful blue sea Decluttering gives you calm
Decluttering brings calm (Photo by Harli Marten on Unsplash)

8.  More time. What a luxury! How will you spend it? Looking after yourself is a good choice.

Decluttering gives you lightness, a springboard …

9.  More money, or less money going out, at the very least. That’s because you make fewer last minute desperate purchases, you don’t buy duplicates and you’ve got more time to plan ahead.

10.  You’re able to respond more easily to unexpected events. Whether it’s a lovely surprise or an emergency, you’ve got more in the tank.

Decluttering gives you calm Gifts Presents Space Time Christmas

11.  Lightness. You’re no longer weighed down by all that clutter. That’s got to be good for your health.

12.  A springboard to move forward. Where will it take you when you’re no longer held back by stuff?

Decluttering helps the world go round

I give presents to people I love and value, and to myself. It helps the world go round. Decluttering is a brilliant thing. It gives you so much, at this time of year and all through the year.

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3 small things that really help in the run up to Christmas

Relaxed snowboarder in orange goggles, blue trousers and fab multicoloured anorak
Very relaxed snowboarder (Photo: Dana Tentis)

There are three things that really help in the run up to Christmas and, to be fair, work pretty well during the rest of the year too. (You’ve already decluttered, of course, haven’t you?) No time for fine words at this stage of the game, so let’s cut to the chase.

1. The heavy duty sellotape dispenser

Sellotape (aka sticky tape) pretends to be helpful and friendly but in the twinkling of an eye can turn any peaceful present-wrapping session into a hand-to-hand wrestling bout.

I tried all the usual self-defence methods:

  • marking the end of the tape with a piece of paper or card
  • cutting short lengths and having them hanging ready on the edge of the table
  • sticking the tape firmly to the parcel and then unrolling firmly and fairly.

These worked all right, I suppose, although I was still being ambushed by a roll of sellotape rather too often and ending up with wonkily wrapped presents and fingers tied up in those knotted sticky tape pretzels.

After years of fighting back and losing, I’d had enough. I bought a heavy duty sellotape dispenser and suddenly all the exhaustion had gone. The dispenser doesn’t move about on the table and has the end of the roll just there, ready for you to use. It has its own fierce cutter. It does the job.

In the main, present and parcel wrapping goes smoothly for me now. There’s still the odd growl from the sellotape but generally it’s all pretty relaxed.

Relaxed tabby cat under the Christmas tree between two wrapped parcels. Help in the run up to Christmas
Relaxed tabby cat under the Christmas tree between two wrapped parcels. Everything organised! (Photo: Jenna Hamra)

2. The box that is big enough for rolls of wrapping paper

This is a more recent find and it’s still going through its paces. I’m convinced, though, and this is why:

  • I know where all the wrapping paper is – Christmas, birthday and those other pieces you can use for anything.
  • I know where it isn’t and that’s in a bag which keeps falling over or rolling about in the corner.
  • There’s room for bits of ribbon and rosettes.

Easy and straightforward, it’s the right box for the job.

3. Buying far more stamps than I need by early December

This is just fabulous and, if you’ve got the money, very easy to pull off. Christmas stamps are available in early November and can be used all year round if you really do buy far too many.

To be able to write the card, bung it in the envelope and slap on the stamp is great. With practice it can become an all-in-one movement. Granted it’s not cardio-vascular exercise, but looking at the pile of cards ready to go makes the heart beat that little bit faster. So organised! So efficient! Sling the whole pile into the post box, listen to the sshhhrrr noise as the envelopes settle into their place and move on.

Skiier in purple anorak with green ski poles speeds down the hill in low sunlight
Christmas cards make a sshhhrrr noise as the envelopes settle into their place in the post box (Photo: Terje Sollie)
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Declutter before the festive season and avoid frazzle

Half-term’s over, Halloween’s over and the clocks have gone back. That means we’re on the fast track to dark nights and cold weather. And that’s why our ancestors had winter festivals – they met up, kept warm and generally brightened things up a bit. The festive season made sense then and it makes sense now.

Having a bit of a clearout will really help in a few weeks time. As you know, when the festive season revs up in earnest you need all the time and space you can lay your hands on.

If you do one thing to get ready, do some decluttering and make some space before the festive season starts.

Friends and family

There can be a lot of coming and going at this time of year and visitors take up a lot of space! Make room for them by finding somewhere to hang their coats and put their bags, hats and gloves. Not to mention any packages, parcels and presents they may bring.

Christmas presents under the tree during the festive season
A good clearout and there’s room for Christmas presents under the tree! (Photo credit: Markus Spiske temporausch.com)

Keeping warm over the festive season

This is essential, obviously. We all want to keep coughs, colds and the flu at bay, and shivering is no fun. So make sure there’s no clutter in between you and your chosen source of heat, and move furniture around to let the warmth get into the room.

Brightening things up a bit

Festive decorations make all the difference to how our houses look at this time of year. We often have to shift things to fit in the tree, the lights, the cards, the candles and all the other bits and pieces. It’s a great opportunity to consider whether you still actually love or need what you’re moving. You don’t have to keep everything for ever and if something’s time has passed, then give it to a charity shop and someone else will benefit. And take time to clean the space you’ve made before filling it with festive fripperies.

Avoid festive season frazzle

Being in a frazzle isn’t good for anyone. So take control and have a clearout, big or small – any size will help. If you declutter before the festive season you’ll make some space before it arrives and that can only help things go more smoothly.

Christmas wreath on a door in Lincoln. Festive season
Christmas wreath, Lincoln. © Richard Croft and licensed for reuse under CC BY-SA 2.0 licence.