Here we are, just a few weeks after the holidays. And my house is back to normal. To clarify, I LOVE Christmas – the lights, 
tons of festive events, reading to the kids about baby Jesus, crafts, cooking, baking, gifting, constant Christmas music, Hallmark movie marathons, pine and apple pie scented candles … But most of those things that I love about Christmas just creates clutter all over my house. Like a city girl visiting a small town, Christmas loving village, I happily live in that gradual build-up of clutter from the day after Thanksgiving (maybe earlier if I’m on my gifting game) to around December 28. That’s when I start coming out of the holiday fog and begin to see all the stuff around me just taking up space!
Just as it gradually built itself up, I gradually begin to de-clutter the house back to its pre-Christmas state. Opened toys, big and small, are moved from the middle of my living room floor and given new homes somewhere within the kids’ rooms. I prepped them before Christmas, removing toys they’ve outgrown or no longer play with, to make room for the new ones. Leftovers from holiday meals are eaten, frozen or tossed if necessary. Decorations are packed away in phases, with the Christmas tree being almost last. That’s my least favorite part, and now the kids want to be a part of helping so it takes a little extra time. I leave the Christmas cards up because I like to enjoy them just a bit longer. I’ve seen the hack to keep them by punching a hole in the corners and adding a metal ring, but I haven’t decided on whether or not that’s just a fancy way of turning into a hoarder. And very last, because I usually just forget that it’s out there, is the door wreath.
Part of packing it all up makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something at the start of this new year, as if I’m going into it with a clean slate.
I’ve vacuumed up all the artificial tree needles, because even those shed. So here I sit, relaxing, eating the last of an apple pie and watching a non-holiday show, with my every day, decorative items back in their places. And I’m just as content as I was during the height of the holidays, but now in a cleaner house … until tomorrow of course. When I will likely be watching home makeover shows again staring at other toys taking up floor space. Back to your regularly scheduled programming!
