Declutter in December

Are you entertaining over the next couple of weeks? Are you embarrassed to have guests into your home? Here are seven quick organizing projects you can tackle that can help you get your home ready for entertaining!

Fridge/Freezer. Are you entertaining this month? Open the fridge and peek in and see what’s still hanging around since Thanksgiving. If you follow my articles, you know what I’m going to write next. Take everything out of the fridge/freezer. Everything. Toss anything that you can’t recognize. Toss anything that turns your stomach when you smell it. Let it all go. Categorize as you take items out and then give the fridge/freezer a good cleaning. Place everything back in organized. You’ll be able to maximize space this holiday! Put this item on your to-do list again for the first of the year. 

Food pantry. Again, if you’re entertaining, you’ll want to create space in your food pantry. You’ll also want to avoid purchasing duplicate items that you may already have. Organize all your baking supplies and keep them categorized together. You need to be as efficient as possible in the kitchen during the holidays and having an organized kitchen will keep you stress free!

The entryway. This is the first area of the home that your guests see when they arrive. Are you tired of always stuffing items into the hall closet when you know guests are on their way? Are you tired of tripping over shoes when you walk in the door? Get organized and create a simple, peaceful entryway that will set the tone for the rest of your home.

Guest bathroom. The guest bathroom will get some heavy traffic if you’re entertaining this season. Check and see if everything is the way you like it. Declutter, re-organize, and make sure you’re stocked with all the toiletries your guests will need.

Dining room. If the dining room has become your home office, it’s time to declutter and move your office to another space. If this space has become a drop spot for random items, now is the time to deal with this. As you’re decluttering think about what has been dropped on the table and if there is an actual home for it somewhere else. If it’s piled with mail, it’s time to declutter and create a system for all your paper. 

Holiday Decorations. This is the perfect time of year to go through all your holiday decorations. As you are taking out your decorations, go through everything. Toss anything that’s broken and donate or get rid of anything you know you’re no longer going to use. Test all the lights and throw away any that don’t work. Once the holidays are over, categorize the decorations in labeled bins. You’ll be organized and ready for next year. 

Out with the old. I’m giving you a wild card on this one. Go around the house and choose anything that you’d like to get rid of and don’t hold back! Let me know what you choose and how it felt once you decided to let it go!

Schedule these quick projects on your calendar. Don’t let your home add to your stress this holiday season. If you finish these projects in record time and are motivated, think about other high-traffic areas you can tackle during this time.