5 Holiday Clutter Hot Spots to Tackle Before Things Get Crazy

Who’s ready for the holidays? This year I’ll be operating at about 30% of my usual holiday self (thank you chemo 😒) but that doesn’t mean I can’t write about what I would be doing if I was at my usual 110%! 

If you are planning on doing any of the following activities in the next two months: cooking, hosting, entertaining, wrapping – I highly recommend doing Future You a big favor and attend to these 5 clutter hot spots before things get busy.

You see, this season has a special knack for exposing the clutter we barely notice in non-holiday times. You suddenly need to make room in the refrigerator for a turkey, somewhere for guests to stash their coats and access to the enormous serving platter you haven’t touched in a year. The clutter lurking in these spaces surfaces as friction as we are trying to do all of the holiday things and makes them just a little bit less enjoyable.

When you remove that friction up front, everything glides a little more smoothly and you’ll find yourself having fun – which is supposed to be the point in the first place, right?

Okay – let’s get to the hot spots. Maybe pick one or two to tackle each week. It shouldn’t take you too long if you break up the efforts.

The Pantry: Make Room For Holiday Cooking

Of all the clutter hot spots, this one ranks high for me because pantries are the home of non-perishables, which means stuff can languish in there for a long long time. Decluttering your pantry kills two holiday birds with one stone. First off, you’re making space for the incoming specialty baking supplies and extra stores of core ingredients. More importantly, you’re taking inventory of the ingredients you already have. Nothing is more annoying than bringing home another jar of cinnamon because you couldn’t find the three you already have.

Toss anything expired, consolidate and edit your duplicates and group ‘families’ together so you can find them when you need them. Maybe plan a quick run to the food bank with any canned goods you know you won’t consume.

The Refrigerator and Freezer: Create Breathing Room

This is the space everyone wishes they’d tackled before the big holiday grocery run. For most of us, space is tight in the refrigerator so be ruthless.

Clear out the never-eaten leftovers, the mostly-done condiments and anything with freezer burn. Acknowledge anything that won’t ever be consumed. For instance, the trendy sauce your college kid made you get from Trader Joe’s the last time they were home that they never opened. If it’s still there – it’s a write-off!

If you’ve done a good job decluttering, reward yourself with this refrigerator lazy-susan (the only fridge organizer item I own (and LOVE) to help you access your jars. And make sure you leave some open space for the holiday ingredients (and leftovers!) that will soon be arriving.

Serving & Entertaining Supplies

You may have multiple clutter hot spots for this category, so break it up if you need to. The holiday season is when we bring out the oversized platters, gravy boats, extra glassware and special utensils that spend most of the year in storage.

Pull out the pieces you expect to use and set them aside (maybe in a staging area if you have to dig them out so you can access them easily when you need them.) Now assess what it left. Donate the pieces you consistently pass over. If you love platter X but it’s chipped so you don’t really use it anymore, take a moment to thank it for its service before tossing it. I repeat: if it is broken it is trash. You will appreciate the space when you are putting things away.

Entry & Coat Closet

There’s nothing like welcoming a houseful of people and realizing you have no room for their coats – ack! Or maybe technically you have room, but no empty hangers or hooks.

Remove your own household’s spring jackets, shoes, bags and anything else that has migrated to the entry. This should do the trick – but wait. Is there anything in the pile of stuff you are removing that is no longer serving you? (Remember, be radically honest!) If yes – siphon off the deadwood into a donation bag instead of wasting energy and space finding a new home for it.

Gift Wrapping Supplies: Assess What You Have

Sleeper hot spot! I actually wrote an entire blog about this category earlier this year.  Well before it’s time to wrap anything for Hanukkah or Christmas get a handle on what you have. Trust me, you have more than you realize!

I do recommend you read the blog, but here’s a quick overview. Gather all your supplies in one place. Discard unusable scraps (including the hundred tiny pieces you’ve saved that fit the 2 tiny gifts you’ll actually give.) Recycle rolls of paper you bought but never used (maybe from a fundraiser?) – they are space hogs. Pull out the gift bags you’d actually like to re-use from the stash you saved reflexively because they could be re-used. And make note of your tape supply so you don’t buy a bunch more that you don’t need. After all, your kids are no longer home to steal your tape!

You Don’t Have To Do It All

Peeps, I know all of these clutter hot spots won’t necessarily apply to you. So pick out the ones that do. If they feel intimidating – break them down into smaller jobs. You certainly don’t need to tackle them all at once. Even getting to one or two will remove some annoying friction from your holidays.

The best time to deal with this stuff is now, before you’re standing in your kitchen with 6 bags of groceries, a houseful of guests whose arrival is imminent, and nowhere to put anything. You’ve got this – Future You (and me!) are in your corner with a holiday high five!