#Holiday decorations are the first things you’ll want to sort and store when the calendar flips to the new year, says Organized Interiors. #Declutter any decorations that didn’t get used, tossing the broken and compromised ones and #donating those you just don’t like. And while you might feel sentimental about the holiday cards you received this year, there’s no reason to save them beyond the end of January. Take note of any updated address information on your phone or in a computer file and take a picture of the card if you want to preserve a particular memory. The rest can go into the recycling bin. #OrganizedNewYear
Tag: declutter
Make Every Day Boxing Day
Happy Boxing Day! British custom has it that the first weekday after Christmas is the day to acknowledge those rendering services throughout the year with gifts or gratuities. Servants and tradesmen have accepted “Christmas boxes” of gifts, cash bonuses, leftovers and secondhand items since medieval times, House Beautiful says.
Today, the United Kingdom and former colonies such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand celebrate Boxing Day as a shopping holiday, similar to Black Friday or a post-holiday clearance sale in the United States.
We’ve likely done all of the shopping we need to do for a while, and more shopping just means more #stuff to put away — or more #clutter. So let’s return to the “#giving” definition of Boxing Day and make it an everyday tradition from now through the new year.
It’s a great holiday for #minimalists, because it calls upon those celebrating to #give things away. Assuming it’s in good working order, the stuff you no longer use — wrong-sized clothes, extra kitchen and dinnerware, appliances, books, small furniture and so on — may have a second useful life in someone else’s hands.
That’s where ClothingDonations.org can help. Our drivers will pick up those extra things and resell them to #thrift stores to fund an array of programs that the nation’s #veterans rely upon. It’s a generous, safe and convenient way to observe the Boxing Day tradition of acknowledging others’ service.
You don’t have to limit yourself to a single box, of course. ClothingDonations.org will #pick up as many boxes and bags of #donations as you want to give. And if you’re still in the process of household #decluttering, you can schedule a #donation to match your progress as often as you gather a few boxes of stuff to #give away.
As the #holidays wind down, we hope you can make Boxing Day an everyday tradition — one that recognizes service and sacrifice while helping #declutter and #streamline your home life. Get started today, and make a new habit of observing Boxing Day as early and often as you want while getting organized for the new year. #BoxingDay
Holiday Traditions Around the World
Though you might not know it to look at the ads, stores and events, the #holidays mean more than #Christmas alone. In fact, nearly every faith and most cultures around the world will observe festive winter #holiday #traditions this month.
Hanukkah is currently underway, a #celebration that commemorates a rebellion in Judea that saw the Maccabees retake and rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem. More than 2,000 years later, The Organizing Blog hopes that peace can prevail this holiday.
A growing tradition in the United States, Kwanzaa is modeled after traditional African harvest festivals. The seven-day celebration begins the day after Christmas and lasts until the new year, with each day representing principles of faith, family and community.
Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day on Dec. 8 each year to celebrate Siddhartha Gautama’s spiritual enlightenment under the sacred Bodhi tree in the 5th century B.C. The day is observed with meditation, acts of kindness and often a humble meal of tea and cake.
Observations of the winter solstice go back to the Stone Age. Pagans celebrate the longest night of the year at Stonehenge, thought to be a celestial “clock” due to the arrangement of its stones, but the event is also celebrated by the Hopi and with holidays in China, Sweden and Iran.
Avid #declutterers and Orthodox Christians may wish to celebrate a pre-Christmas holiday, St. Nicholas Day. Symbolizing good deeds that Santa Claus’ inspiration was known for such as giving away his possessions, the day is associated with acts of service such as volunteering, sharing and raising money for charity.
And let’s not forget the anti-Christmas of Krampusnacht. Krampus — the goat-like evil twin of Santa — appears on Dec. 5 in Central Europe to remind children to be nice during the holidays or risk the penalty of being snatched and eaten.
The modern practice of getting a bucket of fried chicken at KFC on Christmas Eve notwithstanding, The Organizing Blog’s favorite Japanese winter holiday tradition is likely Omisoka, a New Year’s Eve celebration centered around a household #deep-cleaning.
However you choose to #celebrate, The Organizing Blog wishes you and yours a safe and happy holiday season!
Holiday Cleanup Starts With Decluttering
A quick and effective #holiday #cleanup starts with #decluttering, Apartment Therapy says. It instantly makes a home more #organized and helps streamline actual cleaning tasks. Make sure you have plenty of essentials such as napkins, toilet paper and beverages. Focus on high-traffic areas and high-touch surfaces if you’re short on time, targeting the entryway, living room, dining room and kitchen. Hire a cleaning service if you have more money than time, or enlist the help of family members, housemates and trusted friends. Deputizing them to help clean may even turn into a festive #holiday event in itself!
The 12 Days of Christmas Cleaning
There’s enough time before #Christmas to complete the 12-day holiday cleaning countdown Real Simple suggests to get the whole house in order with just a little daily effort. On the first day, simply stock up on #cleaning supplies. Next, clean out the pantry; you may be doing some cooking, and expired items will get in the way. Ten days out, take stock of your tableware; then clean the oven, refrigerator and kitchen floors. Move on to the bathrooms and guest rooms. With targeted but ongoing efforts, all you’ll need to do is empty the trashcans and sweep the floors by the final day before your guests arrive.