Dec 25th: Beautifully decorated tree with wrapped presents beneath, just begging to be opened.

Dec 26th: Wrapping paper everywhere. Boxes everywhere. All the tiny pieces to all the toys everywhere. Mom’s sanity? Can't be found.

I’ve heard from a looooot of moms lately that one of their least favorite days of the year is December 26th. All of the anticipation of Christmas is gone. The magic has vanished till next year. Kids have been up early and to bed late for several days. They’re on sugar rushes and stimulation overloads.

Pure chaos.

Plus, there’s stuff EVERYWHERE.

No one is in the mood to clean up, so there’s dishes left from all the meals. 

I’m usually desperately trying to straddle the line of letting my kids relax and play with their new stuff and also making piles of everyone’s presents so they can take them and put them away in their rooms (while I remind them all that “away” doesn’t mean on the floor every 5 minutes.)

Christmases like this leave me feeling depleted and entirely stressed out. I hate asking my kids to stop what they’re doing and help me put the house back together. But I also hate heading back to work while my house still feels like a wreck at the end of the week, which is what usually happens. 

And all of it centers around clutter. Too much visual noise in my home. I know I don’t function at my highest like this. And you don’t either (it’s actually science, I promise!)

But how do you still have the magic of Christmas (which usually involves some sort of gift giving) without bringing in SO MUCH STUFF?

I asked Shira Gill, a globally recognized author and organizing expert, that same thing. Her answer was really practical (which you know I love!). 

She said, “The holidays leading up to the new year are a great opportunity to clear some space, reset, and start fresh. Consider setting aside a few hours to do a sweep of your home so you can declutter and reset your space”

Essentially, before you bring a bunch of new things in, clear out the old! When we don’t, that’s how the clutter becomes exhausting and unmanageable.

But what about kids? It’s their stuff that’s usually the problem (at least that’s what we tell ourselves). Shira says, “[This time before Christmas is] also a prime opportunity to help your kids make decisions about which clothes, books, toys, and games they have outgrown. If you are met with resistance you can remind them that they'll be receiving exciting new things for the holidays and need to create space to store them.”

If you don’t think you’ll have time before the holidays, I’ve heard of a lot of families doing a great clean out the day AFTER Christmas and instituting a 1 in, 2 out rule. For every one new thing you got, we’re going to give away two.

So how do you manage the actual gift giving if you don’t want to bring in a bunch of clutter? 

First, find out what’s on the top of your kids’ lists. If they tell you 10 things that they want and you pick and choose, you might not be hitting those faves for them. And that means they’re less likely to get played with later, which leads to more clutter.

Second, be ready with specifics when it comes to aunts and uncles and grandparents who want to buy for your kids. If they’re left to their own devices, they’re more likely to buy things that a) won’t get played with longer than a week or b) have 8,795 pieces that will make you lose your ish. Amazon wish lists can be your best friend.

Third, remember that you’re the parent. Yes, Christmas is a joyous and magical time. But even if the number one thing my kid wants for Christmas is noisy, messy, and not going to be worth the money, that’s a hard pass from me. You know your kids better than they know themselves, so even if they SAY they will play with the lifesize Sven from Frozen doll, you know better. It’s just gonna become a clutter magnet.

Your home can be peaceful this Christmas (and the days after). It can actually feel like a place you can relax in. But it’s going to take intentional work on your part in order to make space (literally and figuratively) for what really matters.

Grab Shira’s clutter-free gift guide here.

Read her blog about how to deal with unwanted gifts here.