Post-Christmas Decluttering Before and After Photos
Post-Christmas decluttering is a real struggle for me. The holidays are over, and it feels like a huge let down. Plus, we have a bunch of new toys and other gifts that need homes.
Last week, every room in my house felt cluttered. I was overwhelmed, and needed to take action.
Taking decluttering before and after photos always motivates me. So I grabbed my camera and got busy.
Post-Christmas Decluttering: Living Room
See that huge box? Every year we travel to see family over Christmas. We take all of our gifts with us, and travel with them in this huge box.
When it is time to come home, we can easily put all our new things in the box. However, it is super easy to ignore the where-do-I-put-this-new-thing task when all the new things are hidden away in a box.
Slowly, I was working my way through the box in the days after we got home. By the time my head was about to explode from all the clutter, this is all that was left. The first step was to empty the box, and then I could tackle the rest of the living room.
BOOM! Much better. Now let’s take a closer look at the pile of junk hiding on the other side of the TV stand.
So satisfying. Most of that was toy clutter that has a home, so it didn’t take long at all.
Post-Christmas Decluttering: Dining Room
I love having a big table, but it is SO EASY to fill that extra space with art supplies, books, packages, papers, or anything else that “needs” a temporary home.
This corner of my dining room was Christmas Central. All of my online shopping packages were dropped there (can you believe my kids never peek?!), and my wrapping paper lived there.
After Christmas, leftover boxes still cluttered the space along with some gifts that needed a home. Plus, Noah won a bike in a giveaway right before we left on our trip. Fun prize, but not a good place for a bike.
Meanwhile, while I was working hard on post-Christmas decluttering, Isaac was playing a solo game of Monopoly. *sigh*
Post-Christmas Decluttering Tips
I am not great at getting my house back in order after traveling over the holidays. I get overwhelmed and I dread it.
Honestly, I’m usually struggling with some post-Christmas blues, but here are a couple things that help me focus on decluttering.
- Set a side time for decluttering – It doesn’t have to be done the minute Christmas is over. It doesn’t need to be done all in one shot. But it DOES need to be done, and it is going to take time. Schedule post-Christmas decluttering time if you have to in order to make it a priority.
- Don’t do it alone – If you have kids old enough to manage their new gifts, let them do it. Grace received several new books for Christmas. I put her in charge of decluttering her bookshelf as she added her new books. Plus, your spouse can help. Maybe you just need to ask.
- Listen to something engaging – Crank up the music or enjoy your favorite podcast. Distract yourself from the horrid task before you with something you enjoy in your earbuds.
- Document your progress – Before and after photos are incredibly satisfying. Take them! Share with with your BFF. If you are brave enough, you can post them on social media. If you do, use the hashtag #JustCleanSomething so I can see them.
- Promise yourself a post-Christmas decluttering reward – Give yourself something to look forward to after all your hard work. Take a bath. Read a book. Get take out and watch a movie.
Want more decluttering inspiration?
- 9 Things I Learned From Cleaning Every Day For A Month
- Before & After Photos: Amazing Stairway Cleanup
- Before & After Photos: Amazing Basement Cleanup
- Before & After Photos: My Bedroom Mess
Do you enjoy decluttering after the holidays or do you struggle with it?
Top Image by Kim Schmitt from Pixabay
We are lucky to have an event here this upcoming weekend that accepts used toys. They invite charity organizations to then “shop” the toys to help their families!
I have been enjoying purging our home of our old, unplayed with toys, to make homes for the new toys!
I think a lot of people promote decluttering toys before Christmas, but I love that this event is after later in January. Decluttering before is GREAT, but sometimes it is hard to see all the excess until the new things have arrived. How brilliant!
Not that it is helpful NOW, but……
I usually have the kids go through the toys and get rid of things they don’t want/use BEFORE birthdays and Christmas. That usually helps with the “I need a place for this new stuff” syndrome. They usually cooperate really well because they know what is coming
I did that last year (and we tend to declutter small amounts throughout the year), but a big pre-christmas decluttering didn’t happen this time around. Thankfully, my kids are getting older and more capable of finding homes for their new things on their own.