Making All Those Gifts Fit: Tackling The After-Holiday Clutter

Christmas has passed and that means that there are stacks of new toys, clothes, appliances, etc. hanging around the house. It can look overwhelming, and I know that when my house is cluttered I am grumpy and discombobulated.

Even though it isn’t spring, it is a good time to consider a large “spring cleaning” project with your children while you have them home. It’s the best time to get their help so you don’t have to do it all on your own. If your children won’t help, you can even hold their new gifts hostage until their closets and toy chests are cleaned out and organized.

A few things that can help you organize your children’s closets and your home in general are:

-???????? Make sure there’s a place for each toy. If the toys have a specific home it is easier for your children to stay organized. Shoe box organizers stack neatly and are often clear so it’s easy to know what is inside. Labels are also wonderful.

-???????? Make sure the broken toys are disposed of. If it doesn’t work, it isn’t worth keeping.

-???????? Check clothing for sizes and stains. If there’s no one to pass the clothes down to once they don’t fit – it is time for a trip to the thrift store or a younger cousin’s house. And if the item is stained and your children already have play clothes – the stained items can be gotten rid of.

-???????? Set an example of letting go. Show your children that there’s nothing wrong or emotionally damaging about getting rid of unneeded items. Go through your closets before.

-???????? Look to recycle within your home – then donate.

-???????? “One in, one out” is a good rule to have. For every new toy that needs a home another old toy should be taken away.

Not all of these work for every home, but consider each possibility and find what works for you and your family.

Consider next year doing this before the holidays and disguising it as a service project. When your children get rid of a toy or an article of clothing they can feel good knowing someone less fortunate will be blessed because of it. This may also help motivate them to let go of the things they don’t really care about but keep just in case.

What do you do to tackle the after-holiday-clutter? How do you keep your home organized?

Image from graphicsfairy.blogspot.com

By Brooke
returntosimplertimes.blogspot.com
writerswriteon.blogspot.com

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Time to Plan a Holiday to Beat Those Winter Blues

The nights are drawing in and for your very first time in my memory, we woke up to snow this morning which is unheard of in November in central and southern England. This time on the year is pretty miserable at the best of times with quick days and no warmth inside sun even to the occasional times we possess a clear day.

A minimum of on your days off you can get wrapped and go for a walk and get some fresh air, on the other hand, work days are just bleak. Driving to and from work within the dark from November to February is no fun with morning fogs, rain, icy roads and snow causing the inevitable traffic jams making the days longer and a lot more tiring.

On top of all this there is certainly the shopping for Christmas with the shops full of people desperately searching for presents. Whilst I enjoy meeting up with up with loved ones and friends at Christmas once New Year is through the following two months really are a fairly dismal prospect.

A lot of people find this time of year depressing and have even provided it a name described as SAD syndrome which in a nutshell is a lack of sun plus the well being this gives you. There is certainly nothing better than taking a week out during the winter to cheer yourself up and recharge your batteries.

We have twice gone away at Christmas or New Year and to become honest it misses the buzz of home, for the reason that sitting while in the sun just does not do it for me on Christmas day strangely enough, due to the fact I feel out of sync with my surroundings.

We look to get away late January which gives you something to look forward to and when you come back spring is only a month away plus the light is already beginning to return. A quick week within the Canaries, Sharm El Sheikh, Southern Spain or a little further afield to Cape Verde is just the ticket and we simply book a week off and check the long variety weather forecast and we are off.

Not only is it a lot quieter than going away at Christmas it’s about 50 % the price and by leaving it to the last minute you can get a bargain holiday and cheap parking at the airport.

To find out more about this topic, visit 5 Day Weather Forecast UK

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