Getting Ready For New Christmas Stuff

I don't know about your house, but at my house we already have way too much stuff and then, Bam! we're hit by dozens of new possessions every December 25th and never a place to put them.

This year I planned ahead. I brutally chose some areas where we have lots of stuff stored, but not used and got rid of the excess. Closets and drawers of clothes, and toys topped my list of places to reduce. I paid particular attention to the toys that my littlest ones continually dump out, but don't actually play with. Those went first. In fact anything that I notice is becoming a continual problem, I spend extra time deciding what to do with. Some of them get put away only to be brought out with permission, like the board games. Others are removed permanently from the house, like the building blocks that get spread, but not built with while some are just rearranged to a more convenient (i.e. out of reach of people under four feet) spots in the house.

I had to be very honest with myself about whether it was something I actually used or if I was holding onto it in case I might need it someday. Then I had to sneakily remove it from our house and donate it. My husband gets heartburn over giving anything away, so he couldn't be involved and certainly not the children so this was a one woman job from conception through execution. . . a sort of cradle to grave plan for slimming down the household.

I feel like I've got things under control going into Christmas and now hopefully it won't be so tough to find homes for all the new clothes, toys and other stuff we give one another for Christmas.