It’s the Season of Stuff: Are You Ready?

November and December are my favorite months of the year. The festive mood, the social events, the family time, the rituals - there is a lot to love. But it is also the most stressful. In addition to the normal holidays, it is also my daughter's birthday, so the influx of gifts is real.

In preparation for her birthday and Christmas gifts, Aily and I did a little bit of decluttering this weekend. Since the addition of more stuff to an already chaotic season is stressful for so many of my clients, I thought it might be useful to walk through our process for you to use in your own house with your families. Aily is most receptive to decluttering if she is part of the decision-making process, so we do this together.

I got an IKEA blue bag and put it in her room. We talked about how she will be getting a lot of new things in the next month, so we needed to pass on some of her toys she had outgrown and wasn't playing with as much for other kids to enjoy. The goal was to fill up the bag.

Initially, I let her go through her things by herself but she wasn't really making any progress, so eventually we ended up working together. We went through her toys by category, which was easier for her to wrap her head around.▪The categories we used: books, dolls, art supplies, games, stuffed animals, jewelry, and clothes.

I reminded her that we would not be hurt by anything she chose to donate - I didn't want her holding onto things because she was worried we would be upset by it. I also didn't pressure her if she didn't get rid of much in any one category. I want this process to be easy and fun so she will do it again willingly. We still ended up filling the bag! Aily is almost 6, which I think is really the youngest age where you can really involve children in decision-making.

One more note - we do not donate broken, stained, or toys with missing parts. I make a point of bagging toys with their parts together and keeping things as tidy as possible for the person sorting my donations. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn't want it, you shouldn't donate it.

This holiday season, I am so grateful for all of my wonderful clients who have kept me and my team busy. It is truly our joy and privilege to help you create calm and joy in your homes. Cheers to 2024!