It’s December! The month of giving and holiday cheer! This month I want to start off with a holiday declutter and donate challenge that will help you remove clutter from your home, put you in a good mood, and hopefully provide someone with their Christmas wish.
Try to complete one or more of the following challenges this month. You will feel lighter and happier going into the holiday and it’s quite possible that something you donate will end up becoming just the thing someone else needs.
Check out the 5 challenges below:
*Most of these are winter/holiday related. If you aren’t in winter for your Christmas season, just substitute the winter items for seasonal items that make sense where you live.
Clean Out Your Pantry
Take a good look at all of the food you have stored in your pantry. Be honest with yourself and pull out anything that you know you won’t be eating. If you have tons of canned vegetables (just in case) but you always buy fresh veggies, get rid of the cans. If you participated in a 10 for $10 sale but then you realized you didn’t like what you bought, get rid of the other nine. If you have items that you don’t even remember buying, get rid of them. All of these pantry items can be boxed up and brought to your local food bank. With just a quick Google search or call you can quickly find out what their policies are with expiration dates so that you can make sure what you are bringing is something they accept. You will have a less cluttered pantry and you may have provided a few items that someone will be using to help celebrate their holiday!
Take Inventory of Your Winter Accessories
Gather up all of your winter accessories (gloves, hats, scarves, earmuffs, etc.). If you don’t regularly declutter these items, it is very likely that you will have a bunch. These items tend to multiply! Be realistic about how many of each that you need, pick out your favorites, and then add the rest to your donation box. You don’t need to have tons of scarves if you always end up wearing the same one all winter long. Remember there are plenty of people who really need these items and will be grateful for finding yours at your local thrift shop or donation center. There are also plenty of other charities that will accept these and hand them out to the needy or homeless. Do a quick Google search and you’ll find something near you.
Count Your Coats
Winter coats tend to be replaced when we want something more stylish, not necessarily because it was worn out or in poor condition. Because of this, we tend to keep our old coat (just in case) but we don’t wear it. Pull out all of your old winter coats and donate them. If you have kids, double check that you don’t have any coats that they have outgrown. If you do, add them to your donation pile.
Check Your Blanket Collection
Sometimes blankets multiply just as quickly as our winter accessories! Around the holiday season I’m always seeing fleece blankets for sale and I always wonder how many people are getting them for Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, they are super nice and I love cuddling up with a nice warm blanket if I’m reading a book or watching a movie. But, we all need to be honest about how many we need. Keep your favorites and then donate the rest. Blankets are greatly appreciated this time of year.
Assess Your Christmas/Holiday Decorations
When you’re decorating your house, take a second look at all of the items that you decided not to put up. If it’s something that requires a lot of extra work but just isn’t worth the hassle, donate it. If it’s something you’re keeping just because it was a gift, donate it. You may have a valid reason for why you aren’t putting it up this year, but more than likely you won’t ever display it so add it to your donate pile and allow someone else to use it to decorate their home.
For many people it can be difficult to declutter. You may like to keep items “just in case”, maybe you hold onto things for the wrong reasons, or you just might not have ever given any thought to how much your stuff affects you. Take the plunge this December and holiday season and try out one or more of these challenges. With the added benefit of knowing you are helping someone else and spreading a little holiday cheer, it may feel a little easier.
I hope you accept my challenge!
I really like this idea. Thanks for reminding me that I have a bunch of winter accessories that I need to drop off at the thrift store!
I have some to donate or give to a friend every year!
Great holiday decluttering challenge ideas. I’ve been declutter for many years now. Donating the stuff you no longer want and need is always a goo idea. The secret is to not bring home any more stuff you don’t need.
Yes, definitely! I am super mindful of what we add to our home all year but sometimes Christmas and birthdays are a little tricky, especially with young kids.
Such a pretty tree!! 🙂
Thanks! It looks a little different each day.😁 My kids are always rearranging the ornaments.
Hahah! I bet thats fun🤣
I love these ideas!!! Just curious, as a minimalist when do you know when you’ve decluttered enough? And yow many items is consider sufficient?
Thanks! I wish there was an easy answer to your questions!! I think I could write a whole post on it.😁 For me the process of decluttering is an ongoing mindset. When I first decluttered my home it was a huge undertaking and when I was done I thought differently about how I shop, how I decorate, and even how I clean. I’ve never given myself a fixed amount of anything to keep, I just pay more attention to what I actually use and need. Since that first declutter overhaul I haven’t spent a lot of time decluttering, it has just become a natural part of my routine. Sorry I couldn’t give a more direct answer!