Santa is Cleaning House in December

by Erin Sharplin Love
erinlove@panachebyerin.com

Instead of waiting for January and the new year, consider decluttering and refreshing your home in December.  Afterall, December is the month of getting, giving, and hosting, so there will be many more “things” coming in and going out of your home during this month than almost any other time of year.  Let’s get ready for it.  Below is a list of 15 things, or spaces, that I recommend decluttering in December.  

The toy room. December is the time to get rid of any toys that your children are not using anymore to make room for the new things they will be receiving.  If you have an organizing system, refresh it to make sure everything is in its place.  If you do not have a system already, do not take the time to do that now.  Move on the next thing instead.  

The pantry. During December you will have more food than typical in your pantry.  Maintain order by decluttering expired and ruined items.  

The refrigerator and freezer. The same thing that is true for the pantry is true for the fridge and freezer.  There will be more food coming in and going out of it, so getting rid of any expired or ruined items is a must.  You will have enough room for all of the ingredients for your famous Christmas casserole.  No stress.  

Your Christmas decorations. Do you decorate your home and tree the same way year after year?  Most of us do not, so you will find things that you no longer use, nor want to use, in your current decoration inventory.  I suggest weeding out the old to make room for the new.  If you have keepsake pieces that you are holding onto for posterities sake, I suggest creating a storage solution that is separate from your current decorations. Not only will this keep them safe from accidental breakage, but it will make holiday decorating faster and easier.  

Your gift wrap and supplies. Now is the time to take stock of what wrapping paper, bags, gift tags and such that you will need.  Get rid of any small pieces of wrapping paper that you may have saved “just in case” and toss the crumpled, overused gift bags that you have been using for years.  There is nothing like receiving a neatly-wrapped gift,  

Cookbooks. I bet December is one of the only months that you even think about pulling out a cookbook. With that in mind, this is also the month to throw away or donate any cookbooks that you no longer need, use, and/or love.  Getting rid of cookbooks is difficult for some, but don’t hold onto them for no good reason.  For instance, if there is only one or two recipes that you use, I suggest making copies of them and placing them in a recipe binder or simply writing them on note cards.  Fewer cookbooks will make cooking easier and faster because you will have only the most important books and recipes in your kitchen. 

The medicine cabinet. Your medicine cabinet should be cleaned once a year, and December is the best time. For most of us, it is the coldest part of the year, not to mention, flu season.  Get rid of anything expired and replenish tissues, cough drops, and other oft-used items.  

The gift closet. If you do not have a gift closet, or basket, you definitely should.  How many times have you needed a last-minute gift?  My household has been spared unneeded stress more times than I can count because of my “gift area.” You can find small gifts that can be combined to make the perfect package for a teacher, child, parent, or neighbor.  December is the month of gifts, so making sure your gift closet is fully stocked and operational is a must.  

The car. Now, please don’t wait until December to clean out your car.  This should really be a weekly task, but I wanted to mention it here because your car will be used for so many different things than usual during the month of December.  For instance, you will be hauling gifts, coats, winter sporting equipment, and probably more people than usual, too.  Clean out the back seat pockets and the trunk so there is plenty of room.  December is also a good time to check that all supplies and tools are in working order and are where they are supposed to be.  Don’t forget to add a few cozy items, such as blankets and snacks.

Your planner supplies. Do you use a paper planner?  If so, now is the time to start looking forward to January and the new year.  What worked for you and your planning system this year and what didn’t?  What do you need to rethink and/or repurchase?  

Your coupon drawer or organizer. This is also something that should be done monthly, but if you haven’t kept it up, do it this month.  Get rid of anything expired or anything you no longer need.

Coins – So, how many pennies and quarters have you accumulated from your husband’s pant pockets this year?  Now is the time to cash them in!  Woohoo!

Old bedding. Go through your sheets, comforters, and blankets and toss anything that has seen better days.  You, and your Christmas guests, will enjoy crisp, new sheets more; I promise.

The coat closet. This is most important if you have little ones who grow quickly!  Get rid of any outgrown or worn-out jackets and sweaters.

Storage containers. There will be a lot of leftovers kept during December, so freshen up your storage container drawer now.  Make sure everything has a matching lid and bottom and toss anything that is stained. 

Did I leave out anything?  Can you think of something else that would be perfect to declutter in December?  Please share with me on Facebook (panachebyerin) or Instagram (erinlovedesigns).