Make This Season Joyful with a Little Holiday Decluttering
Ho ho ho! The holidays are here! And with them, gifts!
That’s exciting for your kids, but if your house is already bursting at the seams you may be less than enthusiastic.
The key to holiday calm? First, clear space in your house for the new toys and clothes that will inevitably be given to your kids. Second, ask for experience gifts when you can!
Step 1: Declutter for the Holidays
December decluttering has some awesome benefits. Number one, it will make your house look nice for Christmas! You can tackle any New Year’s resolutions with a head start. And best of all, you won’t be stressed on Christmas morning, wondering where you’re going to put all of the new gifts.
Not sure how to tackle the December declutter? Since the holiday season can be pretty busy, I recommend breaking it down into a couple of short steps that you can easily accomplish in 30 minutes or so.
Don’t forget to download your free checklist to make sure you stay on track! (Bonus – there’s also a list of experience gifts you can ask for!)
Dispose
Round up any toys that are broken or missing parts and simply dispose of them (or recycle if possible). We all have the puzzle that’s missing pieces or the farm set that has no animals left. Make life simple and just dispose of those toys. Broken toys shouldn’t be donated, and incomplete toys aren’t much use.
Go through your art supplies and throw away empty bottles, broken crayons, paper scraps and any other supplies that are no longer useful. This is a good time to go through your kids’ artwork, too, if you haven’t done that lately.
Donate
Do an initial culling of toys, dress-up clothes and clothing for items that are outgrown but in good condition. I think it’s OK to simply tell kids that they’ve outgrown an item. With toys, I truly limit this to toys that are just not appropriate for the kids’ current age. For example, the baby play gyms can go since they’re really not that useful once the child is mobile. Otherwise, I think kids should have some say on which toys and books go, so we’ll come back to this step later.
Donate Again (With Kid Participation)
Pull out a large laundry basket and tell the kids that it’s time to make room for the season’s new gifts! I usually put on Christmas music and try to make it festive. Then I ask the kids to fill up the laundry basket with toys and books that they no longer need or want.
Give them some Freedom
There are a couple of things to remember here. First, it is very very tempting to override the kids. “Oh,” you think, “my mom gave that to my kids and she would be sad to know it’s been donated.” For some reason, I’m more sentimental about my kids’ stuff than my own. I really have to reign this in and let them choose what to donate unless it’s truly irreplaceable to me.
Last year, my kids put some of the toys we have from when was a kid into the donate bin and I vetoed it (but I also put them away in a storage bin so they’re not cluttering the kids’ space).
The Spirit of Giving
I also talk with them about donating the items that they choose and how those items will hopefully go to someone else who needs toys this Christmas.
Set a Good Example
Set a good example by decluttering your own stuff too! It’s hard to ask kids to get rid of their toys when you’re still hoarding 50 pairs of shoes in the closet. Choose some items of your own to donate alongside the kids’ toys and books. You’ll feel lighter, guaranteed!
Step 2: Ask for Experience Gifts
Experience gifts are pretty awesome! Some gift-givers like to give something for the kids to open, and that’s totally fine. I think you should respect the wishes of those giving you gifts and not be pushy about experience gifts. But if someone asks you for a list, it’s a great idea to say, “Hey, thanks for asking! We would love a zoo membership or tickets to a play this year!”
My sister and I started exchanging memberships a few years ago (she lives overseas). I love it! Every time I use the museum membership her family buys for ours, I think of her. It’s really great, and doesn’t add to the toy clutter in the house!
Here’s an awesome list of ideas for you to add to your family’s wish list!
Lessons
Lessons would be a great gift for kids or adults! Kids lessons can add up and it would be an awesome gift to have some of those art, music or sports classes paid for. The giver can always give a related physical item (soccer cleats for soccer camp or paint brushes for art classes) along with the experience gift!
This is a great experience gift for adults as well! Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn to salsa or you know your mom would love to learn French cooking. Voila – perfect gift!
Museum/Zoo Membership
As I mentioned, this is a gift that my sister and I have given to each other a few times and it’s really great. The ability to go to a favorite museum or the zoo for free is pretty amazing, and you’ll think of the giver every time you go!
Kids Gyms
There are lots of gyms out there offering classes or free play for little kids. This would be a great gift, especially if you live in a cold climate and really need to take the kids somewhere to burn off energy during the winter. I’ve seen places offer 10-visit passes or punchcards! This would definitely be an awesome gift.
Sports League Registration
If your child will be playing a sport in the spring, you could ask someone to gift the registration to them! This is another gift that would pair really nicely with a small physical gift related to the sport! Even a new water bottle or fresh soccer socks would be an awesome present to go along with the season registration.
Children’s Play
Last year, my in-laws took our kids to a children’s play. To be honest, it wasn’t something that my husband and I would have ever thought to take them too. The kids and grandparents had a great time, and we got to do something fun on our own. Double bonus!
Movie Tickets
Movie tickets are a super fun experience gift! Even little kids can go once or twice a year to an engaging kids movie. The giver could throw in some snack money to make it an evening out. This is a really fun way to spend a weekend afternoon or evening. I think it would be a really excellent gift for older kids (middle school or high school) who might actually see a ton of movies with their friends.
Sleepover Voucher
This is a gift for you and your kids! If you have trusted family or friends who are willing to host your kids for a sleepover, talk about an amazing gift for the whole family. Your kids will have fun spending the night at someone else’s house and you and your spouse will get a night to yourself. Everybody wins!
Christmas Outing
Kids really enjoy special seasonal outings. Last year, we took our kids to Disney on Ice and a local holiday train ride. This year, my parents visited and took the girls to the Polar Express train ride and performance. They had an absolute ball. These events create so many amazing memories and are really what the holiday season is made for.
Bounce House or Trampoline Park Passes
Bounce houses or trampoline parks are a wonderful way for kids to get exercise when the weather is bad. Come January, if you live anywhere even slightly cold, there will probably be a snow day or two and you’ll really really want to take the kids somewhere they can run around for a bit. Bounce houses and trampoline parks are perfect for that sort of thing, but they can be pretty expensive. That’s why having the pass is so great – exercise for the kids and a break for you, totally guilt free!
Local, State or National Park Pass
If you’re an outdoorsy family you’ve spent some time in our nation’s parks. Depending on where you live, there may be park fees. State and national park passes are fairly inexpensive and will be your passport to endless adventures. We purchased a pass for my brother in law and his family last year since they love the outdoors! Such a fun gift if you like to spend time outside.
Sporting Event Tickets
If you have a sports fan in your household, sporting event tickets can be a great experience gift! This is also a really good one to pair with a physical gift like a jersey or hat.
Let Your House be Light
These tips will help lighten your house for the holidays, and keep it that way. Since studies show that experiences contribute to happiness more than material possessions, you’ll know that you’re getting the best gifts you could ask for when you receive experience gifts. This is a precious chance to make memories with friends and loved ones, and what could be more in the holiday spirit?
