Post Christmas Purge

Wrapping paper strewn across the living room.  Cardboard, those annoying white plastic strips, ribbon, coffee mugs, lone Reese’s tree wrappers and fuzzy blankets.  An accurate picture of our living room after the big day.  A picture of a morning savored.

In an ideal world, the kids play happily the rest of the waking hours as Kevin and I cuddle on the couch, drink our coffee, and sneak bites of quiche and muffins.  The quiet, slow beauty of Christmas morning is one I savor each and every year.  And every year I wish it would last a teensy bit longer.

But, it doesn’t and inevitably over the next week we teeter back and forth between routine and cookies for breakfast.  If you were around before Christmas, you know we did a Pre-Christmas Purge, but it’s inevitable we need to do one after the big day as well.

From experience, I think a good Post Christmas Purge is best done the week following Christmas.  A few reasons: 1. Kids are excited about new stuff and willing to part with old stuff. And 2. It relieves some stress and frees up space.

This year I have decided to do our Post Christmas Purge a little different and have a week of high impact categories to purge so we all can free up some space and feel a little lighter.

Post Christmas Purge

Why a Post Christmas Purge?

Stuff affects us whether we want to believe it or not. Research shows clutter affects anxiety levels, sleep, and our ability to focus. I don’t know about you, but I struggle with some of those things without the clutter. I don’t need anything else getting in the way. Getting the excess out of our homes, simply put, is good for our health and the health of our families.

How does it work?

Everyday for the next seven days there will be a category of items to purge or declutter. I chose these categories for a few reasons. The first reason is because they are bite sized categories and I believe they are attainable for all of us. The second reason is because these categories will have a big impact on our home, lives, and the way we live.

The categories include:

Junk Drawer

Christmas Decorations & Decor

Toys & Shoes

Dishes & Small Appliances

Pantry & Refrigerator

Car

Books & Games

The Goal

The goal is to get our homes in better shape than they were yesterday. Progress not perfection, friends. Our primary objective is to purge or declutter. If time allows, organization comes next. Let’s not get caught up in making the space look perfect, instead let’s focus on getting stuff we don’t need, use, or want out of our homes and into the hands of others who can use it.

The Daily Process

Each day we will purge a category of items. This can be as surface level or deep as meets our time and energy capacity. Maybe you have 5 minutes to declutter the junk drawer or maybe it’s an hour. Any amount of time spent purging is time well spent.

As we purge each category, we will ask ourselves the following questions. These questions are meant to guide and get us in the right headspace to purge the unnecessary. They are progressive. If the answer is yes, go to the next question. Answer yes to all the questions? The thing can stay. If not, it’s okay to let it go.

Is this thing useful or beautiful to me or someone in my family?

Does this thing help my space feel the way I want it to feel?

If I were in a store today, would I rebuy the item?

Remember, these are guiding questions. They absolutely DO NOT need to be precisely answered to declutter anything. You are in charge! If you want to keep an item, keep it. If you want to let it go, let it go. Don’t let these questions hang you up. Skip them if they don’t work for you.

There is no right way to purge, except for the way that works for you.

If you’re in a good place with the amount of stuff in each of these categories, another option is to organize instead. Take time to organize the stuff within each of these categories so your home can function better for you and your family.

More motivation

I think we all are more motivated when we do things with a friend. Head over to A Simpler Motherhood on Facebook and Instagram where I will be sharing my daily purges. I hope you will join me over there and share your progress as well. You can use hashtag #asmpostchristmaspurge or simply tag me in your posts.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a little reward for their efforts. Let’s reward ourselves for our hard work. It could look like a coffee or tea when you’re done purging for the day. Or maybe you will listen to your favorite podcast while digging through the junk drawer. Or maybe at the end of the week, you reward yourself with an adult only romantic comedy and a glass of wine. What motivates you to purge a little more? Make it happen. There might even be a few little giveaways over on Instagram for those of you who post your purging.

Are you in for a Post Christmas Purge?  Grab a garbage sack or an Amazon box. We are all going to feel lighter when we’re done!