Has your home been turned upside down by the holidays?
If we could, we’d all save just a bit of holiday magic for the second day of January. All those unwrapped presents, stacks of greeting cards, the leftover food and decorations that need to be taken down and stored — not to mention all the new stuff that needs a place in your home — it’s a lot of work to organize and clean after holiday chaos.
For starters, take a deep breath. There’s nothing wrong with keeping your home in the holiday vibe through the first of the year. Take a few days to relax, reflect, enjoy your gifts, indulge in treats and savor that precious extra family time before the season ends.
Spend these few rare moments to reflect on the highs and lows of 2023, learn from the journey, and maybe even journal or add to a scrapbook. Then, start thinking about New Year’s resolutions. It will guide how your home fits in your goals in 2024.
When you’re ready to tackle the cleanup, consider these tips:
Leftovers for days
Does your family overdo the food every year? Here’s the easiest way to manage your fridge: Don’t let leftovers from one holiday overlap with the next. If you have a fridge full of turkey, brisket, tamales, casseroles and latkes after the holidays, make a point to either eat, freeze or dispose of it by New Year’s Eve or sooner. That way, you won’t risk eating spoiled food, plus you’ll make more room for New Year’s treats and traditions — or all the fruits and veggies you plan to consume once you’ve made your resolutions for the new year!
Reduce, reuse, recycle
In December, your home is filled with artfully wrapped gifts for the whole family. But about 10 minutes in, your tidy stack of presents is ransacked! All that’s left after the merry mayhem is torn paper, boxes, bows and bags — but that doesn’t mean it should all be thrown away.
If you have the storage space, consider adding another bin to the holiday décor corner of your attic for reusable wrappings. Most gift boxes and bags can be repurposed, and as long as bows retain their fluff, it’s easy to replace the no-longer-sticky backing with a piece of tape for the next go-round.
For everything that does need to be tossed, resist the urge to shove it all into a trash bag — take a few extra minutes and sort out what can be dropped into a recycling bin. Unfortunately, the holidays generate a lot of rubbish that can’t be recycled and must be thrown away, especially for those of us who go big when decorating!
The clean sweep
Before taking down the decorations, consider upgrading the containers used to store them. There are many affordable ornament storage bins with dividers to keep them all safe, plus you might be due for a fresh roll of bubble wrap for all that’s fragile. If you haven’t yet, make this the year you actually label each bin so you’re not desperately searching for your stockings or menorahs next year!
After decorations are stored, give your home a good scrubbing. Sweep up the glitter and pine needles. Choose an all-purpose cleaner, something concentrated that you can mix up as needed, to wipe down surfaces. If the bathroom had more than its share of guests during the season, freshen everything up with a little bathroom cleaner. Then your home will be ready for a new season.
Out with the old
Some super-organized folks manage to declutter in anticipation of new gifts. If you haven’t, don’t fret. Take an afternoon to box up and donate clothes you no longer wear, toys your kids never play with and books your family no longer reads.
We hope you had the merriest of holiday seasons — and here’s to a very happy new year! To shop Scentsy products, reach out to your Scentsy Consultant or visit their website. Don’t have a Consultant? Find one at scentsy.com.
